Best Paint Brushes for Watercolour

Best Paint Brushes for Watercolor UK


Not all paint brushes are the same…

It can be really overwhelming with there being so many different types of paint brushes available. So, which one is the best for you?

For a beginner, different sizes of only a few round brushes could be useful. Even though round brushes are the most widely used brushes to begin with watercolor paintings, other types of watercolor brushes like – mop brush, flat brush, sable brush, rigger brush etc. could also be used for many purposes.

Now, the prior concern while purchasing watercolor brushes should be if they can hold enough water in their belly. Not too stiff or not too floppy. The other thing to notice is to make sure that the ferrule (the silver part between the tuft and the handle) is top notch.

However, it is important to find the perfect paint brush shapes, sizes and its performance accordingly for one’s precise watercolor painting.

Not to worry, we’ve all been there. That’s why I put together this list of the best watercolor brushes.

Take a look at my selections below and pick the perfect brush for your needs.


01) Dainayw Professional Mop Watercolor Brushes

Squirrel Hair & Horse Hair Synthetic Blend Round Paint Brush Set for Art Painting, Gouache, 4 Size, Blue Handle

Dainayw Professional Mop Watercolor Brushes main image

Features:

• 17.02 x 2.29 x 4.83 cm; 127.57 Grams

• Sizes – 1, 2, 4, 6

• Horse Hair & squirrel hair synthetic brush

• Elegant black gift box

Description:

The hair on these new brushes is sized with a gum protector and fashioned to a point. This ensures the brush hairs are protected by the size while delivery and on the shelf until you purchase it. Instead of worrying about paint brushes that rust, shed, and fall apart, you can focus on your painting with a high-quality mop brush.

Pros
  • The brush point is generously sized and hand formed
  • Excellent for creating stunning artwork
  • Holds enough water and paint; creates a fine point
  • No need to dip the brush in the paint very often
Cons
  • A few strands of hair that stray away on the first few days and even after using a week.
  • The hair of the bristles may be sticky

Review:

Artists must use the greatest paint brushes in order to produce wonderful artwork and this set is indeed a great pick. Horse hair & squirrel hair synthetic brushes can contain a lot of color and release it with precision.

This comes with satisfaction guarantee and so there’s no risk involved when purchasing these watercolor brushes.


02) D’Artisan Paint Brush Set Professional 15pc

Best Art Supplies Paintbrushes for Acrylic, Watercolor, Oil Gouache Paint with Free Carrying Case

D'Artisan Paint Brush Set Professional 15pc main image

Features:

•Brush sizes 3/0,1,2,3,4,6,8,9,10,11,5/4

• Professional quality paint brushes

• Custom designed

• 11 synthetic bristle brushes and 4 natural hog hair bristle brushes

• 4 flat paint brushes, 1 fan brush, 3 round brushes, 4 filbert brushes, 1 angle brush, 1 rigger brush, and 1 broad brush are among the 15 paint brushes

Description:

This brush set may be used with oil paintings, acrylic paints, and even water color paints; it also has a mix of four natural hog hair bristle brushes and eleven synthetic bristle brushes to produce the brush strokes you require.

Pros
  • Affordable
  • Smooth bristles to give the precise stroke
  • Comes with a really useful e-book that discusses wash techniques brushes
  • Gives more time to paint, less time to wash brush
Cons
  • Hair sizes on bristles may be uneven

Review:

These high-quality paint brushes are custom-designed to last longer and feature higher-quality components, so you won’t have to pick flakes out of your paintings and your brushes won’t come apart.

Miniatures, faces, and precise craftsmanship are all possible applications. A great choice for all professional artists.


03) Artist Watercolor Paint Brushes

Superior Sable Hair Artists Round Point Tip Paint Brush Set, Watercolor Acrylic Painting Supplies

Artist Watercolor Paint Brushes main image

Features:

•9.65 x 2.29 x 32.77 cm; 108.86 Grams

• Brush sizes: #2, #4, #6, #8, #10, #12

• Sable Artist Brushes for Watercolor, Acrylic, and Gouache Color Painting

• Professional quality

• Luxurious long handle

Description:

Brush sizes range from small to large, allowing you to create a wide range of brush strokes and techniques for your artwork. The polished Birch Wood handles have a beautiful feel, while the high grade copper ferrules provide a sumptuous feel. The bristle is really strong. There is no squirming since the ferrules are doubly crimped and secured to the handle. The ferrules are sufficiently tight to avoid paint creep.

Pros
  • Excellent value for money
  • Kolinsky sable brush
  • Smooth and even distribution
  • Premium watercolor brushes
Cons
  • Brushes too long for some
  • Hair shedding from bristles may be seen

Review:

The natural features of red sable hair (weasel hair) provide excellent liquid holding capacity as well as an effortless, seamless paint flow.

The fine round paintbrushes have a luxurious feel and are extremely durable, as well as having excellent shape holding properties. The brushes are very appealing and distribute evenly and easily to apply different watercolor techniques.


04) My Artscape Paint Brushes

15 Pc Brush Set for Watercolour, Acrylic, & Oil | Long Handle Artist Paintbrushes with Travel Holder (Royal Purple) & Gift Box | Premium Art Supplies

My Artscape Paint Brushes main image

Features:

• 15 Brushes with Long Handles (about 12″)

• Royal Purple Travel Holder

• Gift Box

• ‎36.32 x 13.97 x 3.3 cm; 500 Grams

• Plastic and synthetic material

Description:

This 15-piece watercolor brush set includes 8 different brush types produced from high imported bi-color Taklon hair. Fan, Filbert, Shader, Bright, Flat, Angle, Round, and Rigger are among the exquisite brushes available.

Pros
  • Bristles made of exclusive Taklon hair
  • Holder in premium purple – made of durable oxford fabric
  • Hair that isn’t prone to shedding
  • Superb Quality Control
  • Sharp-edged brushes
Cons
  • The bristles may not return to their original shapes after cleaning
  • May be overpriced

Review:

You’ll spend less time dipping your brush into watercolor paints and more time painting, whether you’re working with acrylic, watercolor, or oil. Moreover, this product comes with a 1 year warranty.

Overall, a more than satisfactory purchase for watercolor brushes.


05) ZenART Watercolour Paint Brush Set

14 Squirrel and Synthetic Professional Watercolour Brushes with Travel Case – Soft Bristles, High Water Absorption, Short Handles Ideal for Wet Media

ZenART Watercolour Paint Brush Set main image

Features:

•‎ 29 x 12 x 200 cm; 200 Grams

• Handmade by skilled brush makers

• Specially made for water-based media

• Different sizes and shapes of brushes

• Short handle for precise expression

Description:

Eight squirrel hair brushes are combined with the best Japanese synthetic hair, which performs similarly to weasel in terms of water and pigment absorption. Also included are five totally synthetic brushes for added snap and smooth flow control.

Pros
  • Fascinating watercolor performance
  • Easy to hold
  • Easy to wash
  • Luxury brushes of good quality
  • Comes with black satin travel case
Cons
  • May be overpriced
  • May shed hair after each use

Review:

This natural hair brush watercolor set includes 8 soft squirrel artist watercolor brushes with a little of springiness from additional synthetic fibers (30%) for weasel-like performance. It also comes with 5 totally synthetic water color brushes for added flexibility and shape control.

This product may be a great purchase for gifts and a must-buy for all watercolor artists.


General Information About Paint Brushes For Watercolor

The materials used to make watercolor brushes are often softer. Because painting with several layers necessitates a delicate touch. Paintbrushes consisting of soft synthetic materials and natural sable or squirrel hair are therefore commonly encountered.

The anatomy of a watercolor brush is made up of three fundamental elements. The bristles, ferrule, and handle are the three components. To get the precise result, while choosing a brush, the bristles has to have enough water holding capacity and be smooth in mixing watercolor paint. The bristles are connected to the handle via the ferrule.

And what brush to use when?…It’s easy to choose a brush size. Large brushes are ideal for powerful strokes and washes, tiny brushes are ideal for fine detail work, and mid-sized brushes are ideal for versatility.

Conclusion / Roundup

Hopefully, this article was able to address the majority of your questions. While each artist has their own specialization and preferences, each type of brush set is useful for all artists in some way.

You are invited to check out the items before deciding on any of them, since there is an element of becoming used to a specific sort of brush set.

There is a possibility of having too many alternatives, but whatever information is provided in this review should help you limit things down to what you require at the end of the day.

Slowly but surely, only trial and error will be more effective than reading things in a review.

FAQs

What’s the best paint brushes for watercolour?

Among different types of watercolor brushes, it is mainly due to versatility that round watercolor brushes are best watercolor brushes used for watercolor painting. Their form lends itself to fine details and delicate lines, as well as wide strokes and washes. If you’re going to spend money on high-quality hair brushes, such as Kolinsky weasel, it’s better to utilize it in the form of a round brush.

Do you need special paint brushes for watercolor?

For watercolor, soft brushes are preferred the most as soft brushes can provide enough water holding capacity as well as to mix colors effortlessly. To find good watercolor brushes, bristles made of soft natural sable hair or squirrel hair would be highly recommended.

Is synthetic or natural brushes better for watercolor?

Synthetic and natural brushes are both good for watercolor. However, in comparison, natural hair brushes are always better than synthetic fibers. It is because synthetic brush cannot hold water and paint as much as natural brushes. This is because of their fibrous anatomies, which specialize at taking up and keeping water for extended periods of time.

What are the different types of brushes available?

Different types of brushes available are:

  1. Round watercolor brushes are ideal for versatile painting as they can be used for wide strokes, washes, and fine details.
  2. Filbert watercolor brushes have a chisel-like edge that is great for creating soft edges and precise stroke work.
  3. Flat brushes for watercolor are used for creating wide strokes and filling larger areas of the painting with color.
  4. Fan watercolor brushes have a flat tip and are great for creating soft edges, adding texture, or blending color transitions.
  5. Bright watercolor brushes have a round tip and are great for detailed work, such as adding highlights or painting small areas.
  6. Liner watercolor brushes have a long, thin point that is perfect for precise line work or painting intricate details.
  7. Dagger watercolor brushes have a sharp point that is perfect for painting fine details or making thin lines.
  8. Wash brushes have a wide, flat tip that is perfect for covering large areas with color or creating soft edges.
  9. Mop brushes have a soft, fluffy tip that is perfect for blending colors or creating textured effects.

And what are the different types of hair used?

The different types of hair used in brushes are:

1. Natural sable hair is the softest and most expensive type of brush hair. Natural hairs are perfect for painting detailed work and can hold a large amount of paint. Pure sable brushes are often seen as the best watercolour paint brushes, but they can be expensive and difficult to find.

2. Squirrel hair is the second softest type of brush hair and is also quite expensive

2. Synthetic sable hair is a cheaper alternative to natural sable hair that performs similarly. It’s ideal for painting fine detail work as synthetic bristles can hold a lot of paint.

3. Squirrel hair is also very soft and ideal for detailed work, but usually more expensive than synthetic sable hair.

4. Synthetic squirrel hair offers similar performance as natural squirrel hair but is more affordable. It’s perfect for painting smooth blends or subtle color transitions.

5. Bristle brushes are made from stiff, coarse hair and are great for applying heavy layers of paint quickly. They can be used with oil or acrylic paints as well as watercolor.

6. Boar bristle brushes are similar to bristle brushes but tend to be softer and more flexible, making them ideal for painting smooth blends and smooth transitions.

7. Goat hair brushes are great for painting rough textures or adding texture to your watercolor paintings, and are also good for applying heavy layers of paint.

8. Pony hair is a less expensive option than other brush hairs and performs similarly to bristle or boar hair brushes. It’s ideal for adding textural details or applying thick layers of paint.

So whether you’re looking for precise detail work or more textural effects, there are a variety of watercolor brushes to suit your needs and painting style.

Ultimately, the best brush for you will depend on your personal preferences and the type of watercolor techniques that you prefer to use.


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Written By Adam Rushton

Adam has made a name for himself in the illustration industry and is a passionate blogger and writer on the subject of art, illustration and graphic design.

His artwork has been featured in countless publications and used for very well-known media projects. As a professional illustrator for over 20 years, Adams media outlets, a wealth of knowledge, and experience enable him to consult and advise artists and illustrators in this country (from York and Manchester to Southampton and London) and all over the world.