Since the invention of brush pens came about, the risk of spilling my bucket of wash water has come to a good zero, and location didn't matter if I painted outdoors or indoors.

Brush pens have been around for some good 20 years I reckon (Anyone knows exactly when it was first out in stores?). I have no idea when it was exactly first available, but I received it as a gift in a set of soluble crayons with a weird plastic brush- "Pentel Aquash" when I was 10ish, from my Uncle who went to Japan for a business meeting in the 90s.

I didn't know what to do with it when I first got it because the package was all in Japanese. But as time went by, I started to appreciate "that little blue plastic brush" and I became a big fan of it. I now use the brush pen much more than my regular paint brushes unless I needed a bigger or more detailed wash.

Besides Pentel, another Japanese art materials giant - Kuretake, makes them too.

A while ago, I bought myself a Kuretake brush pen and upon using it, I thought I would want to pen my thoughts down on the differences between both.

Pentel:

Made with soft plastic and lightweight, it has an open-wide-end screwcap mechanism for water intake.

Pros:

• Easy refill of water
• Effortless squeeze and easy control of flow of water
• Lightweight
• Compact size with a well-sized water volume
• Soft bristles for easy control

Cons:

• Brush bristles are softer and fray easily

Kuretake:

Sturdier than Pentel, it has a unique suction mechanism for water intake.

Pros:

• Sturdier plastic and well-refined body and brush bristles
• Slightly bigger water volume
• Looks well crafted
• Clip cap design

Cons:

• Sturdier body meant it was harder to control the squeeze for an accurate output of water
• Longer body hence might not fit all pen cases
• The unique suction mechanism makes it water refills inconvenient, especially for artists on-the-go
• Slightly more expensive (According to prices in Tokyo)

Although I would wish for a sturdier brush for Pentel, I think the comfort of using it makes up for it! Definitely recommended for all on the go.