Which brushes for watercolor painting

When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn More. Are you overwhelmed by the thousands of different watercolor brushes available?

Wondering which one is right for you? These work for both studio and plein air use. The Maestro range uses only high quality sable hair from male winter Siberian Kolinsky Red Sable fur. These watercolor brushes for beginners come in three sizes: 4, 8 and Made in New York, the bristles have a blend of squirrel hair and black synthetic. Handmade in Spain, this gorgeous set of travel brushes are a delight to handle. These watercolor brushes come in round shapes with 2, 6, and 10 sizes.

The luxurious leather wallet is a lovely touch. Good basic set for smaller paintings and practise work. Like Christmas cards, postcards and small floral paintings. A synthetic fiber set comes with four options:. The multiple-filament synthetic bristles hold moderate amounts of paint.

They move smoothly on paper. This set is made from blended synthetic fibers of differing thicknesses. These are the best synthetic options not considering the sable and squirrel imitations. Much like shoes — watercolor brushes are a very personal choice. While painting, the quality of the brush determines how effective the techniques are. And, the deciding factor is the type of hair or bristle used in the brush.

Yes, natural brushes use real animal hair usually taken from the tail. They are expensive and mostly used by professional artists. This means by the time you dip it into water and pick it up, a lot of water would have dropped. For a water based medium, this is a serious drawback. Nowadays, there are different categories of synthetic bristles.

From the cheaper ones with stiff bristles to high-quality fibres designed to mimic genuine hair. These bristles have more texture and can hold water well. The very best watercolor brushes use sable hair.

The hair becomes thin at both ends with a thicker middle — giving it a nice point for clear strokes and a thick middle that holds water well. These brushes offer the most amount of spring and are best used in round shaped brushes. Having one good sable will be enough to create any kind of work — from detailed work to loose washes. Squirrel hair brushes are soft and dense with a naturally absorbent surface.

They tend to stick together when wet to form a fine point. They are best used as wash and mop brushes. It is useful to have one for washes, layering techniques, and watercolor lettering. These are hard and strong bristles that can hold a lot of paint. They make for a good, medium quality flat brush — one that can take some rough use. I like to use them for washes and to mix large batches of paints. Camel Hair brushes are a blanket term for inferior quality brushes usually made from different types of soft hair.

It is preferable to buy a good quality synthetic brush. Image Source. Ox hair is taken from the ears of cattle. These are long and stiff bristles that work well for flat shapes.

Strong and springy, these brushes work well with dry brush and rough techniques. Sometimes they are blended with other synthetic or natural fibres to give the brush a rounded shape. Japanese calligraphy and wash brushes are usually made from goat hair. These are blended brushes — of synthetic and natural hair — to offer cheaper alternatives to the pure sable brushes. These watercolor brushes for beginners and professionals can have surprisingly good performance.

The trick is to sift through reviews and find a genuine brush. They have a good spring like a synthetic brush along with the capacity of a squirrel mop. Brush Shapes. Brushes are made in a confusingly wide range of shapes. This is enough for almost all techniques. Speciality brushes support specific techniques.

Once you have more clarity about the kind of work you want to do. Round brushes are the most versatile shape. They have a fine point for detailed work and hold enough water for washes and broad strokes. It is a must in any brush set. And, when you are starting out, buying two or three round brushes either sable or synthetic sable are the perfect option. Flat Brushes Made popular by the Impressionists, these chisel shaped brushes are a must have for every set. They are usually made of harder bristles.

Dagger Brushes These are flat and have a slant — so you can paint washes as well as details with the sharp corner. These are like giant flat brushes. Or, smaller wall painting brushes. The opposite of spring is snap. Natural fibers, namely goat or squirrel, offer little snap. On the other hand, Taklon and hog hair brushes are more likely to regain their parallel shape. Although different brushes are better suited to particular styles, you should consider the amount of snap if you are looking to utilize a specific technique.

Equally as important is the rate at which paint releases from your brush to the page. If the brush is high quality, it will offer an even flow, allowing for control and precision. For example, natural hair bristles are excellent for the flow and release of color because of the biological structure of the hairs themselves. You should take care to avoid any brushes that release all their load at once.

While you may be looking to implement a blotchy technique, this is usually very frustrating for most painters. There are numerous pros and cons for natural and synthetic brushes. Therefore, you would do well to consider what you want to paint not to mention bristle shape and arrangement before deciding between natural and synthetic.

Synthetic bristles are undoubtedly the cheaper of the two brush types. They usually keep a lot of snap and spring when wet. If these brushes are good enough quality, they will hold their point well. That being said, their fibers are more prone to dumping their color load in one go. On the other hand, natural bristles are much more expensive, though they will last forever if you look after them properly. They also offer unique features that cannot be replicated in synthetic brushes.

For example, the natural construction of the bristles allows the brush to absorb moisture and offers a pleasing, steady release. However, no two natural brushes are built the same. As such, it may take you a while to find a brush that compliments your artistic flair.

While natural brushes are usually the best quality, we still recommend having a few good synthetics at your disposal for mixing and scrubbing. In addition, you may object to using natural brushes because they contain animal products, in which case, only a synthetic brush will do. If you are buying your brushes online, it is good to check the customer reviews to see what other people are saying about the product. This is the best way to figure out if the brush will suit your style.

If you are happy or unhappy with your purchase, we recommend leaving your own feedback to help other buyers in the future. Like most art tools, watercolor brushes range in price depending on their materials and quality. That being said, you should think less about the price of the brush and more about how the brush will serve your artistic style. A water brush is an art tool unlike any other. While it contains bristles at one end much like a conventional brush , the handle is actually a container that holds water.

As you paint with the brush, water is released from the container gradually, allowing for excellent control and precision. Whether or not your pigments fade depends on the quality of paint you use in the first place. If you invest in good quality colors, the painting should stand the test of time.

Search Query Submit Search. Top Pick. See Full Review. Runner Up. Honorable Mention. Best Watercolor Brushes. Buyer's Guide Bring Your Artwork to Life with the Best Watercolor Brushes Whether you are a budding artist or a craft veteran, you could always do with a new set of watercolor brushes.

If you would like to know more, check out the rest of the articles below. What is a watercolor brush? Things to consider when buying watercolor brushes There are lots of things you should consider before purchasing your next set of watercolor brushes. These include: Capacity When we talk about the capacity of a watercolor brush, we are referring to how much water the bristles can hold.

Point Before you pick up your new watercolor brushes, you should inspect whether the brush comes to a satisfactory point and whether it maintains that point while you are using it.

Spring The spring of your brush refers to how steady the brush is on your canvas. Snap The opposite of spring is snap. Flow and release Equally as important is the rate at which paint releases from your brush to the page.

Dump You should take care to avoid any brushes that release all their load at once. Natural or synthetic There are numerous pros and cons for natural and synthetic brushes. Customer reviews If you are buying your brushes online, it is good to check the customer reviews to see what other people are saying about the product.

Watercolor brush price range Like most art tools, watercolor brushes range in price depending on their materials and quality. FAQs What is a water brush? Do watercolors fade? What is the most famous watercolor painting? Bestcovery Team. Our research team searches out the best of everything so that you can confidently pick the perfect products and services for your needs.