What to look for in a watercolor brush and why
Hello, hello! Have you noticed this? That the nice thing about watercolors is that you don’t really have to spend much money to get started. You can choose from a good selection of good quality supplies. Luckily in watercolors, it is not difficult to find cheap brushes that are good.
A Kolinsky sable-hair brush (also known as red sable or sable hair brush) is a fine artists’ paintbrush is considered the ultimate hair for a watercolor brush. Kolinsky sable-hair brushes are hand made (and expensive). Have a look at the fascinating video below.
Foto: Jeanette Nilssen
TIP
Get a small, medium and large round brushes that come to a sharp point for painting detail. When it comes to sizes it often runs from 0 to 20, but sizes aren’t standardized, Check the width if it’s given. You will find the tiny brushes named 0/1 – 0/2. I recommend getting a small, medium and large brush, and a large flat brush for painting large areas of color.
Below are some of the things to look for when selecting a brush Some are maybe unexpected because they are not obvious when you see them in the shop, only when you start to use them. For they are things you see happens when you are in action. If you are unsure I suggest that you go for the professional brushes that “everybody” has heard of.
Foto: Jeanette Nilssen
The Brush has three main parts and these are put together.
- The Belly = hairs or bristles that the water and pigment
- The Ferrule = metal band that joins the hairs to the handle
- The Handle = made out of plastic or Wood
What to look for in a good Watercolor brush
- You want the belly of a thicker and round shape to hold lots of water.
- You want the tip-point to stay pointed, you don’t want it to spread.
- You want to see the tip has a natural spring and snap-back to give you control, that the point stays in place. You absolutely don’t want a “lazy” brush. (unless you have a mop squirrel brush, which is supposed to be like that)
- You want the handle to not lose the varnish/paint, even if you had it too long in water.
- And you want the ferrule to stay stuck to the handle. So that you don’t have to glue it back again, because a joined or seamed ferrule may rust and allow water to dissolve the glue.
- You want the right size and with a good shape that fits your hand.
- The handle should not be too fat or too long. The longer handles are for when you are standing by an easel.
- You may also consider a versatility brush like the round brush, it is the first one I go for.
- You can look for the natural hair brushes, they are a good choice because they tend to be softer and more flexible and long-lasting.
- Natural hair and synthetic blends provide a performance that is close to 100 % natural hair at a price that is close to synthetic.
The Kolinsky sable is the finest there is and very high quality. Sable hair absorbs watercolors in a natural way which means an excellent flow and they maintain a perfect point. You will have good control and precision so they are perfect for botanical artwork. I think that the Kolinsky sable hair comes from the tip of the tail of the Siberian Kolinsky sable.
If you look after your quality brushes they will be the best investment, and you may say the quality brushes this is economically in the long run and environmentally friendly.
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If you like this and want to know more, I am holding some painting retreats in Vence on the Cote dÀzure in France in Mai and October 2021and you can take my online class on drawing faces.
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