Da Vinci Brush Deals — Sales, Discounts & Price Comparison UK

The Complete Guide to Da Vinci Brushes — Plus How to Find the Best UK Deals and Discounts

If you ask a serious watercolour painter which brush manufacturer they rate most highly, Da Vinci comes up more consistently than almost any other name. The German brand occupies a specific position at the top of the professional brush market — genuinely handmade, genuinely family-owned, genuinely made in Germany — in a market where those claims are increasingly rare and frequently overstated. Here's everything you need to know about Da Vinci brushes and how to find them at the best UK price.

Over 130 Years of Nuremberg Brushmaking

The roots of Da Vinci date back to 1890 in Nuremberg — a city that was, during the era of industrialisation, one of the global centres of traditional brush making. The company was originally founded as Fritz Defet Pinselfabrik, producing a range of brushes and art supplies in the heart of Germany's brush manufacturing heartland.

The Da Vinci name and trademark came later. In 1952, the Defet family registered Leonardo da Vinci as their trademark with the German Patent Office — choosing the name of the Renaissance genius as a statement of intent about the quality and artistry they were committed to. That decision, made over seventy years ago, has proved to be as prescient as it was bold. Today the Da Vinci name is recognised by professional artists worldwide as a genuine mark of quality rather than a marketing construction.

What makes Da Vinci genuinely different in the current art supplies landscape is the ownership structure. In an industry where most major brush brands have been acquired by larger corporate groups and are managed by accountants rather than craftspeople, Da Vinci remains a fourth-generation family business. The Defet family still runs the factory in Nuremberg. Every brush is still handmade. Every brush is individually tested and inspected before leaving the factory. That continuity of ownership and craft is not just a story — it produces measurably different results in the finished product.

How Da Vinci Brushes Are Made

Understanding how Da Vinci brushes are made helps explain why they perform the way they do — and why the price premium over mass-produced alternatives is justified for serious artists.

Every Da Vinci brush is handmade by skilled craftspeople at the Nuremberg factory. The process begins with raw materials — hair or synthetic fibres — which are selected, cleaned, and sorted by hand. The hair is then shaped into bundles, inserted into ferrules, and finished with handles. Each stage is supervised and inspected, with individual quality checks on every finished brush before it leaves the factory.

The ferrules are seamless brass, plated to resist rust — a detail that matters for brush longevity. The handles feature Da Vinci's patented esagonal design — six imperceptible flattenings at the thickest part of the handle that prevent the brush from rolling off the desk and reduce hand fatigue during long painting sessions. It's a small detail but a thoughtful one that reflects the attention to practical working requirements that characterises the brand throughout.

The hair selection is where Da Vinci's reputation for quality is most clearly earned. The company uses only the finest raw materials — Siberian Kolinsky red sable for their premium ranges, carefully selected synthetic fibres for their modern alternatives, and a range of natural hairs including squirrel, goat, and ox for specialist applications. The Siberian Kolinsky used in Da Vinci's top-tier brushes is sourced specifically from male winter pelts — which produce the finest, most resilient hair — and the selection process is rigorous.

The Da Vinci Brush Range — What's Available

Da Vinci produces what is widely described as the largest selection of artist brushes in the world. For UK buyers the most relevant ranges are:

Da Vinci Maestro — Series 10

The flagship of the Da Vinci range and one of the most celebrated watercolour brushes available anywhere. The Maestro Series 10 is made from selected Siberian Kolinsky red sable — male winter hair — and produces a brush with exceptional spring, a needle-sharp point, and outstanding water-carrying capacity. For watercolour artists who want the finest natural hair brush available, the Maestro is the benchmark. Used by professional watercolourists, botanical illustrators, and fine artists worldwide.

Available in sizes from 000 through to size 24, the range covers everything from the finest detail work to large wash brushes. The Maestro Travel brush — with its double-section handle that protects the head during storage and reverses to extend for use — is a particularly elegant product for artists who paint on location.

Da Vinci Casaneo — Series 5898

A synthetic brush that has genuinely changed opinions about what synthetic brushes can do. The Casaneo uses Da Vinci's specially developed synthetic fibres to produce a brush that holds a generous amount of water, maintains a fine point, and releases paint smoothly — performing remarkably close to natural hair at a fraction of the cost. For artists who want excellent performance without the price of premium kolinsky, or who prefer not to use animal hair products, the Casaneo is the most recommended synthetic watercolour brush in the Da Vinci range.

Da Vinci Colineo — Series 5522

A synthetic Kolinsky-type brush designed specifically for oil painting. The Colineo has developed a strong following among oil painters who want the softness and responsiveness of natural hair without the maintenance requirements. Reviewers consistently praise the Colineo for soft transitions and detail work — particularly useful for portrait painters working on multi-session pieces where the brush needs to maintain consistent performance across multiple working days.

Da Vinci Nova — Series 1570

The accessible entry point into the Da Vinci range — a synthetic brush suitable for watercolour and acrylic at a price point that makes it realistic for students and developing artists. The Nova delivers the quality construction and German manufacturing standards of the wider Da Vinci range at a more accessible cost. Set formats make the Nova an excellent gift option and a sensible starting point for anyone new to Da Vinci brushes.

Da Vinci Spin — Series 5880

A fan brush range for special effects, texturing, and blending in oil, acrylic, and watercolour. Available in natural and synthetic versions.

Da Vinci Fit — Series 5821

A flat synthetic brush range designed for acrylic and oil painting. The straight-cut synthetic fibres produce clean, consistent strokes and sharp edges — useful for architectural painting, graphic work, and any technique requiring precise flat coverage.

Da Vinci Watercolour Mop Brushes

Round mop brushes in squirrel and synthetic hair for large washes, wet-into-wet work, and background coverage. The squirrel hair versions in particular are beloved by watercolour artists for their soft, fluid water-carrying properties.

Who Uses Da Vinci Brushes

Da Vinci's reputation is strongest among professional and serious amateur watercolour painters — the Maestro kolinsky range is simply the benchmark in that discipline and has been for decades. But the range extends well beyond watercolour:

Oil painters use the Colineo and fit ranges for detail work and soft blending. Botanical illustrators rely on the Maestro for its ability to hold a needle-sharp point through an entire working session. Portrait painters use Da Vinci across multiple media for the consistency of performance that handmade brushes deliver over machine-made alternatives. Illustrators and mixed media artists use the synthetic ranges for their versatility and durability.

How to Get the Best Da Vinci Deals and Discounts in the UK

Da Vinci brushes are stocked by a relatively small number of UK art retailers compared to mainstream brush brands — which makes price comparison particularly worthwhile.

Use a price comparison tool first — this page aggregates live pricing from UK stockists so the best current deal is immediately visible. Da Vinci pricing varies between retailers and the difference on a set or premium individual brush can be meaningful.

Individual brushes vs sets — Da Vinci produces both individual brushes and sets across most ranges. For artists who know exactly which sizes they need, individual brushes on open stock are often the more economical route. For anyone new to the brand, sets provide better value per brush and allow you to experience multiple sizes.

Watch for sale events on premium ranges — Maestro kolinsky brushes don't discount frequently but do appear in seasonal sale promotions at specialist art retailers. Given the price of a quality kolinsky brush, even a modest percentage off represents a meaningful saving in real terms.

Invest in care — Da Vinci brushes repay proper maintenance disproportionately. A Maestro kolinsky properly cleaned, reshaped, and stored after every use will last years. Treat them as tools worthy of care rather than consumables and the economics of the higher price point improve considerably.

Check discount codes before checkout — we list verified active codes for UK art retailers on this site. Worth checking before any Da Vinci purchase.

Are Da Vinci Brushes Worth the Price?

For the premium natural hair ranges — Maestro kolinsky in particular — yes, for serious practitioners. The difference between a Da Vinci Maestro and a mid-range watercolour brush is not subtle. The point retention, the spring, the water-carrying capacity, the way the brush responds to pressure and direction — these are meaningful, practical differences that affect the quality of your painting in ways that are difficult to replicate with cheaper alternatives.

For the synthetic ranges — Casaneo, Colineo, Nova — yes at the right price point. These are excellent brushes that perform significantly better than most synthetic alternatives and represent genuine value for artists who want quality construction without premium natural hair prices.

Frequently Asked Questions About Da Vinci Brushes

Where are Da Vinci brushes made? Every Da Vinci brush is handmade in Nuremberg, Germany, where the company has been based since its founding in 1890. Da Vinci is one of the few remaining brush manufacturers that produces entirely in Germany — a commitment the Defet family has maintained across four generations.

What is Kolinsky red sable hair? Kolinsky red sable is hair sourced from the tail of the Siberian weasel — considered the finest natural hair for artist brushes due to its exceptional spring, point retention, and water-carrying capacity. Da Vinci uses male winter Kolinsky hair in their premium Maestro range, which produces the finest and most resilient fibres available.

How do I care for Da Vinci brushes? Clean after every use with lukewarm water and a gentle brush soap. Reshape the tip while damp and store upright or horizontally — never tip-down in a jar of water. For natural hair brushes, a small amount of brush conditioner or even hair conditioner applied occasionally helps maintain the fibres. Never use hot water or harsh solvents on natural hair brushes.

Are Da Vinci synthetic brushes as good as natural hair? For most applications and most artists, Da Vinci's best synthetic brushes — particularly the Casaneo — perform remarkably close to natural hair. For the finest professional watercolour work where absolute point retention and maximum water-carrying capacity are critical, natural kolinsky still has the edge. For everything else, quality synthetic brushes are an excellent and increasingly popular choice.

Where can I buy Da Vinci brushes in the UK? Da Vinci is stocked by Jacksons Art Supplies, Cass Art, and specialist art retailers. Use the comparison tool on this page to find the best current UK deal before you buy.