Watercolor Brushes - The Real 411

The New Novel Watercolor Winslow Homer

Anyone who has tried to paint with watercolors quickly realizes the necessity of having a really good brush to work with. Unlike any of the other plastic media, proper watercolor techniques rely on a tool which can delicately release a thin layer of paint onto the surface rather than physically push a more viscous liquid around like oil or acrylic. A novice oil or acrylic painter can make good progress with student tools for a long time. Not so with watercolor. One must have professional paper, paint and brushes in order to learn and advance. There is no way around it.

What Makes a Good Watercolor Brush?

Deciding what is the best brush for you will require some trial and error. Each artist is looking for certain specific attributes and may ignore others. We all find our favorites over time. So we will discuss what minimum qualities a professional-grade brush should have.

Watercolor brushes are traditionally short-handle…