Yasutomo Niji Waterbrush Medium 5/32" x 3/8"

I was pleasantly surprised by all the brushes in the series. All the brushes behave basically the same so I'm reusing the review for each brush. Water flow is different between the round and flat brushes and I'll cover it last.From different reviews around the web my concerns were that the bristles would be too stiff, that the bristles would pull easily from the ferrule, and that the water would not flow at a comfortable rate.When they arrived I was most surprised by the flat brush. Instead of a flat ferrule the brush was actually a full round brush with a snap-off flat adapter. Without the adapter it is dense enough and long enough to act as a very effective mop brush. All the brushes have interchangeable water reservoir tubes; the flat has a purple handle, the rounds have long blue or short blue handles.All the brushes have soft white nylon bristles that spring back nicely. They were quite dense, with enough bristles that the brushes are easy to control in spite of the softness. When the water reservoir is full they have a good weight in my hand, and I can tell by balance when they start to run low. The brushes work well for all techniques I've used including lifting, splattering, dropping, glazing, and washing large areas.I've used the brushes for just over a month. They are still very supple and I haven't noticed any significant change to them over time. I have seen practically no shedding, which surprised me. They are very nearly as full and springy as the day they arrived in spite of my vigorous cleaning habits. They've held up much better than most of the inexpensive brushes I've ever purchased.I use them with Derwent watercolor pencils including their Inktense pencils that will set permanently after their first hydration. Because the brushes keep themselves moist I've found they stain less easily than my traditional nylon brushes. The tips are darkened from use but they are clean; I can soak the brush and rub it on white paper without making marks.Controlling the water flow on the round brushes was easy for me. With a full reservoir I can keep the brush dry enough to just barely hydrate the pencil so it would dry in seconds, if I want. With a mostly empty reservoir I can still keep the brush saturated to leave a heavy trail of water, if I want. It took only a few minutes of experimenting before I could keep the brush at any saturation level I wanted for any speed of stroke. I can keep the reservoir full with the lid on and water does not seep through.Controlling the water flow on the flat brush was a little more difficult. The gasket lets out water more easily than the rounds. It took about a half hour of experimenting before I got the feel of the flat brush's flow. I still sometimes put out more water than I expect. I use the brush as a mop or a wide flat rather than for detail work so this doesn't hurt, but it is a distraction when using it. Like the rounds, I can keep the reservoir full without flooding the lid.I love these brushes. I find myself using them almost exclusively instead of my traditional rounds. I can keep them full without needing to keep a cup of water on hand. They are not a replacement for traditional brushes; none of the brushes will replace a good liner or rigger. When I want a general brush for wetting my pencil work these are my new brush of choice.

Having used sumie natural hair brushes (which are pricey) for many many years, I was somewhat skeptical that these water brushes would be able to get the job done. They are very easy to work with; terrific for on-the-go or plein air painting; just fabulous I may even forget about all my other brushes and stick with these. The only suggestion I have would be if the maker could produce a few larger sizes, such as a #16 or #20. Don't even hesitate; they are the best!

I'm into Zentangle Doodling and Coloriages and this little Niji Waterbrush (Medium 12mm round brush) is a true treasure; a tremendous tool for helping to fade out the color naturally with water. Fill the waterbrush tank with tap water, screw it back into the brush nib, and squeeze to have the water distribute through the brush tip. Wipe off excess water onto a paper towel; and it's that easy and fantabulously priced! A genuine must for colorists.

I'm happy with this brush. actually bought two of them one for ink one for water.Pros: no leaking, easy fill, nice size, brush holds shape.cons: flow isn't always steady (not horrible by any means but couldn't quite give full five stars because of it.)Overall I would recommend it

These are my favorite water brush pens on the market, and I have several of these and other brands as well (some I fill colored inks). The reason I like this particular brand is that they have the best flow control compared to other brush pens like the Pentel Aquash or Koi. The water reservoir has a very small opening so that water does not inadvertently flood the brush. With others, I am continually having to blot excess water off the tip with a paper towel. The con though is that this great control has a price - the small opening in the reservoir means you cannot hold it under a water tap to refill. The instructions say to squeeze it in a water glass and suck up the water. This is not very satisfactory because it will only half fill the reservoir at best. What I use (as many others do) is a little 5 ml blunt nose plastic syringe. I bought mine at Amazon but Goulet Pen also carries these and has a video on their use and how to store the blunt needle in the plunger cavity for easy carry.An odd quirk that is confusing is that some vendors like Amazon list these as Yasumoto Niji whereas in many others list them as Kuretake Niji. They all have Kuretake stamped on the side so they are apparently the same brush pen.

Have used Niji Waterbrushes for many years, I particularly like the medium, round. They last for years as long as you only put water in them. I have experimented with every other brand I could find, and Niji comes out on top. The brush retains it's spring, the bristles come to a point for detailed work - I have Niji water brushes that are more than 10 years old and are still excellent.

With this water-filled brush, some watercolor pencil/sticks, and a small good paper sketchbook, you're set to capture wonderful sights/colors/images anywhere. Plus it all goes with you in a large purse--carry a slouchy hobo handbag, and everything fits. I bought both the small and medium brushes. Great find!