Watercolour Paint Brushes

Watercolour Paint Brushes were traditionally made with a shorter handle than oil and acrylic brushes but this is no longer a hard and fast rule. Mixed media brushes have now blurred the line so that the size and shape of the handle doesn’t really tell you much about the manufacturers designed purpose for the brush. The filaments or fibres are much more important in determining a good brush for watercolours.

A true watercolour brush needs to retain water to some degree. The filaments are usually soft and hold fluid on contact. The fibres can be synthetic, natural or a mix. Watercolour brushes don’t need to be springy and stiff as they’re not ‘pushing’ the paint around like oils and acrylics. 

Watercolour Brushes come in many different shapes and sizes. Above are just a few of the more popular shapes. Starting from the left is an Angle Brush that can help achieve very sharp, precise lines. Then comes the Mop which can be used for washes and blending, followed by an Oval Wash, which also creates washes but the sharp point allows for detail work as well. The Fan can be used for blending or creating special effects like textural patterns. The Round brush is one of the most versatile brushes and will probably become one of the most used brushes in your collection. Another popular and versatile brush is the Flat brush which can be used for washes or line work.  

These are just a few of the different shaped watercolour brushes available. See more here.