Supplies—Brushes

There is nothing more dopamine-inducing for me than shopping for art supplies.

I think it makes me feel like I’m purchasing potential creativity and inspiration. It’s opening a thread to follow to enter a new world I can create.

But—as a beginner, I knew nothing. One of the paradoxes of watercolor in the beginning is that the paper and paints you use truly do affect the quality of your paintings. But when we start a hobby, most of us aren’t ready to invest in the expensive accessories before we know how we will fare with it! Picking up a new hobby can come with a bit of sticker shock. I’m hoping that with some of my tips and research I can share ways to help protect your savings while giving you the freedom to explore watercolor with quality supplies!

Starting first with brushes. There are so many different types—synthetic and natural hair, round and flat, student vs professional…it can easily become overwhelming. Here are the watercolor basic brushes I recommend:

1. Round brushes in sizes 2, 6, and 12 to start. My favorite brand is Princeton; I particularly like the Aqua Elite line but the heritage line is also excellent and pretty affordable (especially when using coupons or sales at supply stores). A round brush has a nice point to it, holds a good bit of water, and is your traditional shape.

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2. 1” flat wash brush. These brushes are very versatile for applying water and graded or flat washes to the paper. A smaller flat wash may be helpful if you plan to explore with botanicals, but I find the larger size to be enough for a beginner.

   
   

   

   
   

3. A liner brush or fine detail brush. Also called a script brush or a rigger, this is a long thin brush used for lining and applying fine details.

It can also be economical to purchase a set or combo pack. Many retailers market their brushes in packs for certain purposes, such as a floral pack or a detail pack. These can make it more affordable to grab a few brushes at a time to experiment with.

Most watercolor brushes range from about $6 for smaller brushes to $20-50 per brush at the higher end.

My favorite luxury larger round brushes are Polina Bright — they’re incredibly springy, hold a lot of water, and they come to a very fine point. They keep their shape very well, they aren’t flimsy.

My other favorite luxury brush is the opposite. Silver Brush Black Velvet series aren’t stiff at all, they don’t hold too much water, and they’re extremely flexible and loose. They are probably the more expensive brushes I own, but I do love them.

Lastly, I do have and love some Escoda brushes— they’re a good mix of sturdy and flexible and they hold a good amount of water. I reach for my size 8 often and will probably get some more of this brand soon!