An important tool of any artist are brushes. Their quality is the key to the success of his work, so you need to choose these components responsibly. The correct selection of brushes for painting depends on the colors that you have to work with, and material capabilities. Our article will discuss which brushes are best used for watercolor. We will tell you about the types of these tools, do a review, give recommendations for use. You will also learn which watercolor brushes are best for beginners.
The qualities of a good brush
If you do not know which watercolor brushes are better to buy, then remember that this is an independent choice for everyone. There are no strict indications in this matter. Often brushes for oil, acrylic are also suitable for watercolor painting. We will characterize these tools of the artist depending on what task they need to perform. To understand which watercolor brushes are best used, you need to know their properties.
If you are a beginner artist, then it will not hurt you to find out what this tool consists of. It includes a pen, a hair bundle and a cap. The quality of the instrument affects the work of the artist. Therefore, many are trying to find out which watercolor brushes are better to buy.
To make it convenient to use the brush in the future, pay attention to the following points:
- the handle of the instrument should have a smooth texture;
- the length should be comfortable to hold in the hand;
- the handle should be tightly fixed with a socle;
- fixation of the hair bundle is needed motionless.
Now let's talk about the quality of the brushes depending on the hair bundle. It can be synthetic and natural. It should be noted right away that synthetics are worse than natural wool. But many choose it because of the low cost. But a brush with good hair and suitable for watercolor has the following qualities:
- elastic;
- keeps shape well when wet;
- hairs do not fall out during operation;
- glue for bonding wool does not extend beyond the cap.
It is precisely on these signs that you pay attention when choosing one or another type of brush for watercolor.
Squirrel Wool Brushes
The most important part of the brush is the hair bundle. We have already said that it is better to choose natural brushes. The wool of the columns is considered the best, but such a tool is very expensive. It is used for work by true professional artists. Pile of squirrels has good characteristics for drawing with watercolor paints . We will tell you more about him.
Squirrel brushes are considered the softest and most plastic. They make juicy and vibrant strokes. Such a tool holds its shape perfectly, absorbs moisture well. It is easy to wash under water. In contact with the paper, the hairs stick together and draw a clear line, without stripes.
The most valuable brush for the master is made from the tail of a Siberian squirrel. It is in the tail that the longest and highest-quality hairs are. Squirrel hair retains moisture well, therefore, it allows you to perform painstaking contour work. Most often there are round squirrel instruments, but sometimes there are sharp and square ones. Such brushes must be washed after work, dried and stored in a box.
Goat brushes
To save on price, you can choose a tool with a goat pile. They are characterized by long, soft and elastic hair that holds paint well and leaves no marks on the surface. Such a brush is very suitable for watercolor. She is comfortable to draw even for children.
Pony hair fixture
Ordinary horses have stiff hair, but ponies have softer hair. The pile of mane and tail of these horses is used. Of particular value is the pile of the Scottish pony. Such hair has medium hardness, almost soft. Great for watercolor. Such a brush has the shape of a cone. It is recommended to novice artists and even children in kindergartens. Strong, thick pony pile is reliable and durable.
Nylon (synthetic) brushes
An analog of a natural column is a synthetic tool. The parameters of rigidity and elasticity are the same, but the price is affordable. The synthetic brush is less filled with water and paint. But she draws clear and even lines. Most often, such devices are made of nylon fibers, but polyester is also found.
The thickness of the hair of a nylon brush is 0.08 mm, which brings it closer to the pig’s stubble. But it is softer and close to the column. Japanese brushes have high quality. Their peculiarity is that each artificial hair is not cut, but stretched at a certain angle. Synthetic tools are good because the hairs do not fall out that way, are not afraid of acid, caustic liquids, thinners. It should be noted that nylon brushes are not quite suitable for watercolor painting. For her, it is better to use tools with polyester fibers, they are softer. Synthetic fixtures wear out faster than natural ones, but they are cheap. They are often bought by children for drawing lessons.
Types of brushes depending on the shape
All tools for watercolors and other paints may differ in the shape of the coat:
- Round stubble. Suitable for painting with watercolor, gouache paint. Allows you to draw small details.
- Flat brushes. Elastic, paint over areas of the canvas with a close-up of the image. They are good at drawing earth, grass, sky. Their base is flattened at the end and forms a flat bundle of villi. Artists love to paint city landscapes.
- The shape of the flute. This is a fairly wide brush for applying large strokes to the picture. Great for watercolor work.
- Font tool. Round and very long brush for applying fine lines. Great for graphics.
- Linear brush. Very thin, but with a short pile.
- Fan shape. The name itself speaks about itself. She looks like a small fan of villi. It is used to stretch color and soften the contrast of contours.
The final result of the artist’s work depends on the right tool. An experienced painter will always cope with this task. He knows exactly which brush is best to paint in watercolor.
Paint brushes
To draw a watercolor background, you need to use a lot of water. To do this, you need a brush that absorbs moisture and paint well. It is better to use a natural tool with a pile of squirrels, ponies, goats. A larger brush will transfer more water to the paper. The form in this case is unimportant, you can use round, oval, flutes. Such work with the background does not require expensive devices, you can use cheaper ones.
How to draw volume spots and initial layers?
Brushes with a smaller pile are suitable for drawing the main part of the picture. This includes trees, leaves, distant landscapes, plant crowns, water, fields, a mountain, architectural objects, distant objects. This work is best done with brushes with a small amount of pile. We recommend using a core tool. It is expensive, but durable.
A quality brush can be determined by how it folds with a cone when wet. Brushes of the new generation are considered imitation under the squirrel. This is not a fake, but a good device with a more resilient and well-retained brushstroke pile. Now on sale you can find an imitation column. This is an even better option. Not only natural materials and simulations are suitable for this stage of work, you can also use medium-sized synthetic brushes.
Choice of brushes for clear images, subtle details, finishing elements
The most thorough should choose thin brushes. Good production and quality are important here. We do not recommend chasing cheapness. Give your preference not to synthetic, but to natural materials. Synthetic nap can fluff up very quickly. There are thin instruments with an average length of the hair bundle and elongated. The latter are also called liners or rigs. They are indispensable for writing plant elements: grass, stems, thin trunks, hair, wool, small waves. Chinese manufacturers are well established production of such thin instruments.
Unexpected watercolor solutions
Those who often practice working with watercolors know that, in addition to brushes with nap, you can use other profiles. Some people prefer to draw with bamboo feathers, brush foams, silicone devices, imitation bristles, and screen tools. For example, stiff bristles make it possible to create landscapes and depict endless fields. Before starting to work with such a brush, the sheet is moistened with water, and then pigment is applied.
How to use a watercolor brush with a water tank?
Have you heard about water brushes for painting? This is another modern development. They do not need to rinse in a jar. Some are familiar with the watercolor brush with the Leonardo water tank. By the way, you can even fill the tank with liquid watercolor. This development is simply unique. a similar brush consists of a pile of pile and a container for water. The two parts of the tool are connected by a thread. A special button on the tank controls the flow of water to the pile.
During operation, the fluid constantly enters the hairs and prevents the pile from drying out. Water brushes today are produced by various brands, but the principle of their work is the same. Pressing the reservoir with a different force allows you to adjust the flow of water. With such a brush, you can do what you love on a trip, in a cafe. A jar of water is no longer needed.
Using such a brush is very simple. You can draw and generally forget that there is water in the pen. For stronger erosion of the paint, it is worth pressing the container with more force.
Industrial water brush made of synthetic bristles. They are not always on sale, their cost is from 6 to 9 dollars (393 - 590 rubles). But some artists manage to make such a water tool on their own. To do this, they use a small plastic tube. A nose is cut off from it half and put on a cap with a pile. Here is a tricky device that allows water to gradually flow to the villi.
Recommendations for beginning artists
If you came to the store and do not know which brush to choose, pay attention to the following nuances:
- Check if the clip on the handle is staggering or the seam is rolling.
- Lightly draw along the tip of the brush, if at least one hair falls out, then the instrument is of poor quality.
- If you wet the tip of the brush, then the tip should be very even, without splayed hairs.
- A good brush should be with a wooden handle. Most often, beech and birch wood is used for manufacturing.
The store does not always have the opportunity to try all kinds of brushes. What, then, will be for beginner artists or parents of children? We can recommend the following options for you. Ask the seller for round brushes made of squirrel No. 3 and No. 6. For more professional work, you can take round round columns No. 1 and No. 4. It is even better to buy a set of brushes. Choose it by the average price category. Please note that quality tools are always protected with special caps to protect the villi.