Like many watercolor painters, I have jars filled with an assortment of brushes with different shapes and bristle types because I wanted to try them all! There is nothing more fun than experimenting with an array of brushes to see what types of new marks I can discover. I have over fifty brushes and I am still searching for the one that will give me a crisp dry brush effect that creates a sparkling effect on a seascape. While this is fun, it isn’t necessary, especially for a beginner. In the early stages of your watercolor journey, it’s best to keep things simple which is why I believe you really only need these five brushes to cover 90 percent of the marks you are going to need to make as you paint: A 1 ½ or 2-inch hake, a number 12 round, a number 6 round, a 3/4 inch flat, and a Number 0 rigger or script liner. That’s it! Below I’ve explained why they are essential to your painting practice, links and some brands that I particularly like.
The Hake Brush
This brush is used extensively in Asian painting styles. It is a wide, flat brush with a wooden handle similar to a house painters flat brush. It’s usually made of goat or squirrel hair. It holds a lot of water and is great for wetting paper or laying down washes over a large area of paper. I do all my skies with a hake brush because it keeps me loose and allows me to get my entire sky done in about 2 minutes. Many painters use a hake brush to paint their entire composition from the sky and clouds down to the foreground details in the style of beloved English painters, Edward Seago, Ron Ranson and my mentor Lois Davidson. The hake brush requires a loose approach and teaches you to use all its edges at different angles for different effects across a watercolor painting.
I prefer to buy the Ron Ranson hake watercolor brushes because they seem to hold up well and tend not to lose hairs while painting as frequently as other brands.
Number 12 and Number 6 Round Brush.
These thirsty brushes should come to a nice point but be big enough to lay down washes, while the pointed ends allow for detailed lines and creating textures. It’s also great for painting curved edges in a landscape as well as leaves and flower petals. You may find that you like to use an even larger round brush and as long as it gives you some control while staying loose, a larger size is fine. With enough practice, this is another versatile brush that you can complete a painting from start to finish.
My favorite brand for any sized round brush is the Silver Brush Company’s Black Velvet Series. It’s a combination of squirrel and synthetic fiber so that you get the benefit of a brush that holds a lot of water but is just firm enough to paint detail. The price is very reasonable for the quality and life of the brush. I’ve yet to see a loose hair escape while using any of my Black Velvet Rounds.
The 3/4 Inch Flat Brush
This brush is crucial for painting straight edges like a headland hugging a horizon or implying waves in water, or anywhere a crisp edge is needed such as buildings or architectural elements. It’s also a great tool for cleaning up mistakes when dipped in clean water and squeezed almost-dry.
Again, my favorite brand for any-sized flat brush is the Silver Brush Company’s Black Velvet Series.
The Rigger or Script-liner Brush
This small brush with long fibers that can almost be treated like a pencil or pen when fine details like ship’s rigging, grasses or fine tree branches are needed. Using this brush well requires a lot of practice so be prepared to fill pages of your watercolor sketchbook with a variety of short, long, and curved lines!
This is the one brush that I own that I like to have made from Kolinsky sable because of its ability to hold enough water to paint a long, fine line that stays crisp and fully saturated to the end. My preferred brand is Windsor Newton Kolinsky Sable brushes. Because they are so small, they are very affordable despite being made from Kolinsky Sable hair.
I realize that many painters want to avoid buying brushes made from animal hair and a growing number of manufacturers are providing good quality synthetic brushes at an affordable price. Windsor Newton has a line that I like under the Professional Watercolour Synthetic Sable Brush name.
I hope this helps you narrow down your starting brush collection and reassures you that you don’t have to spend a bucket of money on brushes. Like many of us, you will come across other watercolor brushes you want to try or ones that suit a purpose specific to your subject matter or style. Most of all, have fun exploring and experimenting with your brushes and let me know what interesting affects you are able to achieve!
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