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| Source: www.dickblick.com |
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| Escoda Kolinsky Sable Hair www.dickblick.com |
Now that you've purchased your watercolor paints, what brushes do you use?
If you already have your brushes, that's awesome! Now get painting! Go on!
Which ones do you choose when starting out? How do you tell a good brush from a bad one? Which sizes should you use? How do you clean and care for your brushes? There are a lot of questions here, so let's get started!
Brushes made especially for watercolor are going to be soft, with longer bristles and shorter handles than for other mediums. They are designed to control the flow of water. The ability of the brush to do this can get tricky.
Watercolor Brushes
The best...
Kolinsky Sable Hair Brushes.
Kolinsky Sable Hair Brushes.
Why are they the best and what are Kolinsky brushes? Kolinsky brushes are made from the tail hair of a type of weasel only found in Siberia. They are expensive and can run anywhere from $25 to well over $300. The list price for a Winsor & Newton Kolinksy standard round size no.14 is $1299!!
You can buy them from professional art stores like www.dickblick.com, and can usually get in on a good sale.
The Good...
The Bad...
Avoid brushes and sets you find in bulk at Walmart or other "craft" stores or ones that claim to be of made of camel hair. Their bristles are usually too unforgiving when working with delicate washes in watercolor.
What sizes to consider...
Round brushes are the most versatile. They are used for small details, broad lines and washes. You'll most likely use a round every day. Make sure they're going to be durable for the use you're going to put them through. If you're going to spend the money on Kolinsky sable brushes, this is the shape that would be advantageous as you're going to want your brush to keep its' point.
As for the sizes you'll want, look into a range like no. 2 or 4 for small detailed work, a no. 6 or 8 for medium work and a no. 10 or 12 for larger work. These size ranges are a nice combination, and you can add more sizes as you get the feel for the medium.
Flat brushes are good for broad lines and washes. If you aren't sure you'll use a flat all the time, stick to a good synthetic/natural hair combination.
Wash brushes, square and round are best for large areas of water or color. Hake brushes are very nice for this purpose. Their bristles are fine and can hold a lot of water.
Read this on Hake brushes if you're interested.
Other brushes like a script or a fan can be a good addition to your brush set. I like them for grasses, tree branches and other details.
How to care for your brushes...
The Do's and Don'ts...
Watercolor brushes are delicate. They can be expensive. But, with a little care, they can last you a life time of use. And save you money in the long run!
Do...
- wash the glue off your brush after purchasing a brand new one. It may take a few swishes in luke-warm water to do so.
- once you're done painting, rinse your brush with clear clean water. Most watercolor artists have two water buckets. One for your color rinse off, the other for a clear rinse.
- make sure you pat out any excess water before drying. Not doing so may make your brush lose it's shape.
- dry them at an angle, tip facing down. This will allow any water left over to drip out without hurting them.
- store your dry brushes in a canvas roll. Keep them un-rolled when not taking them somewhere. You can find these rolls in any craft or art store. They are inexpensive and super handy!
Don't...
- put your brush in your mouth to rinse. There are some colors like cobalt, cadmiums, and a couple others (that I can't think of off hand) that can be harmful.
- keep your brush in the water when not using it - please don't do this! Not only will it harm your bristles, the ferrule (where the brush meets the bristles) may end up cracking!
- store your wet brushes in a jar or bucket - as with keeping them in your water, it will ruin them.
- trim your brush if the bristles start fraying!
- use your watercolor brushes for oil or acrylic! Paint from these mediums will clog the belly of the brush, compromising the bristles ability to hold water.
- use your good brushes for masking fluid! Not cool at all - masking fluid will ruin them!
Wrapping it up...
Play around with sizes, shapes and hairs. It's all about how you want to paint. Find your style and create!
Just for interest, watch how some of the best brushes are made in this youtube video.
Until next time - stay creative!
Questions, comments, suggestions? Which brushes do you like the best?
Rebecca L. Davis
Watercolor Artist and Photographer
Interested in her artwork and up coming projects, follow her on these social media sites:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
The quality is unlike any other. Their bristles are soft and have a spring to them to do a wide range of techniques with. They are able to hold a lot of water - which means you'll spend less time reaching for your water bucket and more time painting. They are durable and will hold their shape for a long time. So if you're in this for the long haul and you want the best, keep an eye out for sales!
The Good...
If breaking the bank for brushes isn't in the cards just yet, there are other options to choose from. There are quality watercolor brushes on the market that use hair from ox, squirrel and goat.
There are some very fine synthetic ones. These brushes try to mimic natural hair. They are more affordable and can be of very good quality.
I've had a no. 10 ultra round from Loew-Cornell for several years now and it has held it's shape and point all this time. I still find myself picking it up to paint with.
There are some very fine synthetic ones. These brushes try to mimic natural hair. They are more affordable and can be of very good quality.
I've had a no. 10 ultra round from Loew-Cornell for several years now and it has held it's shape and point all this time. I still find myself picking it up to paint with.
Silver Brush Black Velvet has been a go-to brush for me. It uses a blend of natural squirrel hair and black synthetic fibers. For a synthetic/natural combination, it holds up really well. The bristles are soft yet springy and they've held their point for the couple of years that I've used them. The flow and control of water and color has led me to buy several brushes in different shapes and sizes.
These are reasonably priced, listed $12 - $130 and can usually be found on sale.
My brushes include the sizes, no. 6 and no. 10 round, a 1/2" flat and a 1" sky wash of the Silver Black Velvet Brushes.
These are reasonably priced, listed $12 - $130 and can usually be found on sale.
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| Silver Black Velvet Brushes. |
Other brushes I use include a 2" hake, a no. 3 Raphael SoftAqua quill, a no.3 Creative Mark Harmony Quill and a no. 8 Princeton Neptune Quill.
The Bad...
Avoid brushes and sets you find in bulk at Walmart or other "craft" stores or ones that claim to be of made of camel hair. Their bristles are usually too unforgiving when working with delicate washes in watercolor.
What sizes to consider...
Round brushes are the most versatile. They are used for small details, broad lines and washes. You'll most likely use a round every day. Make sure they're going to be durable for the use you're going to put them through. If you're going to spend the money on Kolinsky sable brushes, this is the shape that would be advantageous as you're going to want your brush to keep its' point.
As for the sizes you'll want, look into a range like no. 2 or 4 for small detailed work, a no. 6 or 8 for medium work and a no. 10 or 12 for larger work. These size ranges are a nice combination, and you can add more sizes as you get the feel for the medium.
Flat brushes are good for broad lines and washes. If you aren't sure you'll use a flat all the time, stick to a good synthetic/natural hair combination.
Wash brushes, square and round are best for large areas of water or color. Hake brushes are very nice for this purpose. Their bristles are fine and can hold a lot of water.
Read this on Hake brushes if you're interested.
Other brushes like a script or a fan can be a good addition to your brush set. I like them for grasses, tree branches and other details.
How to care for your brushes...
The Do's and Don'ts...
Watercolor brushes are delicate. They can be expensive. But, with a little care, they can last you a life time of use. And save you money in the long run!
Do...
- wash the glue off your brush after purchasing a brand new one. It may take a few swishes in luke-warm water to do so.
- once you're done painting, rinse your brush with clear clean water. Most watercolor artists have two water buckets. One for your color rinse off, the other for a clear rinse.
- make sure you pat out any excess water before drying. Not doing so may make your brush lose it's shape.
- dry them at an angle, tip facing down. This will allow any water left over to drip out without hurting them.
 |
| A cheap and cheerful drying solution! |
Don't...
- put your brush in your mouth to rinse. There are some colors like cobalt, cadmiums, and a couple others (that I can't think of off hand) that can be harmful.
- keep your brush in the water when not using it - please don't do this! Not only will it harm your bristles, the ferrule (where the brush meets the bristles) may end up cracking!
- store your wet brushes in a jar or bucket - as with keeping them in your water, it will ruin them.
- trim your brush if the bristles start fraying!
- use your watercolor brushes for oil or acrylic! Paint from these mediums will clog the belly of the brush, compromising the bristles ability to hold water.
- use your good brushes for masking fluid! Not cool at all - masking fluid will ruin them!
Wrapping it up...
Play around with sizes, shapes and hairs. It's all about how you want to paint. Find your style and create!
Just for interest, watch how some of the best brushes are made in this youtube video.
Da Vinci Brush Factory Tour
Until next time - stay creative!
Questions, comments, suggestions? Which brushes do you like the best?
Rebecca L. Davis
Watercolor Artist and Photographer
Interested in her artwork and up coming projects, follow her on these social media sites:
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