My Favourite Watercolor Brushes & How I Use Them - Escoda - Raphael - Seikai

[@esinfa]

The placemat brush roll idea is great👍🏻 I'll make one for myself asap!

[@CeruleanCzarina]

My favorite brushes are branded by Jackson’s Art. I love their Icon line, which mimics sable, as well as their Studio Synthetic line which is perfect for gouache or painting details in watercolor. If I could only have one brush, it would definitely be my Jackson’s Art Icon 3/0 Quill brush which holds a lot of water for washes but also has a fine point for detail; very versatile.

[@JayNathanWatercolor]

I have a few Jackson's own brand brushes. I have a couple of Raven mops, the dagger, sky Wash and reservoir brush. I think they're all good for the price but not my favourite. I had the number 6 icon mop in the past but couldn't get along with it. Never tried the Studio Synthetic range but am often tempted to buy some to test out.

[@jennw6809]

Wow, I'm so surprised to hear that you love the Icon. I just tried a flat 3/8" and cannot do a flat wash with it to save my life. I got it for painting swatch cards, but gave up. It's impossible not to create brush marks, in any pigment. Do you have any of the flats and do you have this problem?

[@jalsiddharth]

I'd recommend messing around with a hake (if you haven't). They are absolutely indispensable for skies, and not just another flat brush.

[@JayNathanWatercolor]

I used a hake for quite a while when I first started painting. It was ok to use at the time but I much prefer using mops these days. I see some artists do some beautiful work with a hake brush though. ☺️

[@przemekkulesza3242]

There is nothing better than a review with a painting demonastation. 10/10!

[@alejandromorales9516]

That Raphael is a beauty. I don't paint large enough for those big quills but I love the way they look! I'm also with you on the Versatil #12. It's one of my most used as well! I pair it with a softer Princeton Neptune #10 (faux squirrel) both in travel brush format so I can take them with me.

[@marcb6444]

I drooled with that Raphael #7 quill. Big brushes for me and sometimes I play with the “strange shapes” brushes. Nice demo 👍🏼👏

[@JayNathanWatercolor]

Haha! Thank you. It is a lovely brush. I wouldn't have usually bought an expensive squirrel brush but, as it was available for 30% of the price, I thought I'd give it a try.

[@Ms.rossydore]

I put alot of money for escoda travel bruahes and i love them 🥰

[@markdonovan1540]

Just like my paints, I have way too many brushes. I guess it's part of my journey inside the watercolour rabbit-hole. I have several Escoda brushes, mostly rounds from no. 4 to no. 20 I like Pinceton Neptune for flats I have a couple of riggers: Escoda and I splashed out on a couple of Raphael brushes, including a large mop - it holds a lot of water. I have a few Hake brushes, Ron Ronson My "funny shape" brush selection is quite vsried, I enjoy using them to create different stroke effects. The dagger is grest for lesves. The fan brush is grest for trees and foliage. The deer foot is good for bushes snd foliage. The filbert is handy for more opaque paints to get s kind of gouache effect. I have a small selection of cheap Calligraphy brushes that I also like to experiment with. Depending on what I'm painting, I'll use between 3 snd 10 different brushes. I haven't found my favourite set really, they all get used, but some more thsn others.

[@SuperExadidas]

Thank you very much, good demo.

[@jennw6809]

I have the #16 version of the Escoda mop, it's a lovely brush and it points nicely for such a huge brush. I also have some real squirrel mops on the way from Rosemary. I wish I had just bought all my brushes from Rosemary from the beginning. They are simply amazing, and such reasonable prices. Great service too -- I got a sable brush that was a bit dry, and they gave me credit for it. Because of weird regulations I can't try her kolinsky (can't ship it to the US) but I swear, the red sable is just as good. The squirrel is so good. The Red Dot synthetics are excellent! I have been getting very into "expressive" brushes like sword liners and sumi brushes. I also got an amazingly expressive synthetic from Tintoretto's Feltarocco line, it's a large liner and it's awesome!

[@JayNathanWatercolor]

Rosemary brushes look great to me but I'm very happy with my Escodas. I don't feel the need for any brushes other than the ones I have. Well, maybe I'd change my #12 Versatil for a #14. Lol! I do like the Raphael squirrel mop that I have. It's better than the Escoda synthetic but it's also more expensive. In terms of price to performance the Escoda Ultimo wins for me. I will still use my squirrel mop until it wears out but after that I can't see myself ever buying a natural hair brush again.

[@jennw6809]

@@JayNathanWatercolor And you don't have a need for any more paints either, but I bet you'll get more anyway, LOL :-)

[@jmbosquesillo7203]

I do mostly urban sketching: E. Prado (travel), Raphael 3/0 (travel) , Isabey (travel), Casaneo (travel), Fuumuu set (name washed off) ? I like to fool around with a variety of brushes at home from mops to daggers to riggers … and every thing in between.

[@michemman]

Hi Jay, Binge watching your videos. My Polina Bright is a synthetic quill, size 1, light handle, light timber. Series 1. Made in Germany, and an Etsy seller. I love it for swatching, as it tends to be a quicker change of colour, it releases pigment a bit quicker in the water or on a serviette, and as it is a thin light weight handle, I can go for a mile. Thought I would mention this brush, as it tends to be the one I pick up most, and I love to do quite a bit of swatching. I ended up reordering them. The 2 is a bit long in the bristles, and the 0 is a bit small. If one could describe this brush, It sort of is a bit like a squirrel, as the bristles can stay bent when damp, but is firmer, with slight spring. It isn't as firm as a normal synthetic, nor does it have schnap, it doesn't flick. Lots of people talk about how they use a brush in their own work, but this is simply preference. I noticed Jay, you often use the white bristle Escoda, and sometimes a flat for swatching, my guess is you love the round Escoda more for swatching, like an old friend? Videos generally; What I like about your swatching videos, is it is videoed in real time, the immediate generally positive analysis and emotional impact from each pigment, and that it is all on one sheet. So it is very relaxing, with not much movement across the video, except your hand. Your voice is slower than most artists, and soothing too, so I hear all the pigment comparisons, and I can visualize these too. To the subscriber who sent all the pigments to Jay, thanks for your contribution. I also like that you surprise us with a sketch or a bit extra in mixing at the end of the video. In kindred spirit, Kop Kun Ka Eliza Dulwich Hill, Sydney Australia xx

[@JayNathanWatercolor]

Hi Eliza. Yes I like to use the Escoda Perla for swatching. The main reason is that it doesn't hold much water so it's easy to manage when swatching in small areas. As for the voiceovers. I do try to speak slowly. When I recorded my first voiceover I spoke at my normal faster speed, but when I showed it to my girlfriend before posting, she reminded me that I might have viewers like her that don't have English as their first language. So maybe I should slow it down so as to make it a bit easier to understand. So I rerecorded it and always try to speak a bit slower than I normally would. Thanks for watching and commenting 🙏

[@michemman]

@@JayNathanWatercolor It comes across as well paced, rather than slow. It allows us to imagine and think about the colours and pigments in relation to what we have. Love it. It is a gift to come across like this, very unique and please don't change it! It makes your videos so good! Curious how you made it to Thailand to live there? Are you in Bangkok, Jay? Eliza Australia x Kop kun ka.

[@wulfseig1864]

Always wanted to try Escoda, Raphael and Di Vinci's brushes. Currently using Silver Brush the Black Velvet line. However, they are not 100% synthetic. They are 1\2 synthetic. Even though it's my favorite I won't buy anymore. Also have this really cheap no name set and for some reason it works really well for watercolor. They have transparent purple handles and what looks like golden taclon bristles and they're great. Used them for a year with my Cottman set before buying a real watercolor brush. TFS.

[@amyr.862]

I'm constantly tempted to buy brushes to get the perfect kit. Usually I end up getting a brush with a dull point (the fate of those that don't live near an art store). I recently bought a Silver Brush Golden Natural ultra round. It has a long tip that can deal with the fiddly bits but they run small. The 12 I have is more like a long 6. It's a natural/synthetic blend but they don't say what the natural part is 🤔 I've had it for a few months and it helps a lot. The latest purchase is my first Rosemary & Co brushes, some Red Dot spotters. I've watched artists paint botanicals with them and thought it might help me when I want to work tight. I bought them after Christmas and they're pretty good so far for keeping me inside the lines (that and slowing down, hehe). I keep eyeing huge quill brushes even though I work small. They're so fat 😂 I have a small Jackson's Icon quill in 3/0. It's nice but the handle is skinny. It's my large round until I can find a 10 or 12 round brush I like.

[@PaintinHiding]

pssst... seikai with an i 😄 and... you might like the 14?

[@JayNathanWatercolor]

Oops I missed an i 🤣 Thank you 🙏 The big Ultimo brush is great. Raphael make better synthetic squirrel hair than Escoda but the Escoda's handle and metal ferrule more than makes up for it.

[@heelerjustheeler879]

I've never tried Escoda brushes because they are about double the price in the US compared to the UK (e.g., from Blick, that lovely size 18 Ultimo mop is US$63! From Jackson's it is US$26. Huge difference! Similar price difference on the Versatil 12.). If I ever order from Jackson's, I will try some. I know that people like them. It was useful to see the discussion below of metal vs. non-metal ferrule on those large mop and quill brushes. I mostly use Princeton Neptune and Aqua Elite brushes; recently I saw a really good review of Princeton Heritage if one wants a bit more snap (the Neptune and Aqua Elite are quite soft and I do need some bushes with a good snappy point.)

[@JayNathanWatercolor]

I like my Escodas brushes a lot and definitely prefer the metal ferrule on the mop brushes but I definitely wouldn't pay double the price for them.

[@MinnaPerala84]

I mostly use Da Vinci Casaneo mops and rounds and then I have a Ultimo mop and round, too. Those are all a bit different size but all 8+. The Casaneo mop 0 was my favorite for sketchbook work for a long time. By the way, the foreground tree is amazing. 🤯

[@JayNathanWatercolor]

Thank you very much 🙏 I've not tried any Da Vinci brushes but have heard good things about them. I definitely think the Ultimo brushes are good for the price.

[@cheryllapham6279]

I use most of the same larger brushes, but couldn’t survive without my Rosemary & Co. 772 daggers for detail and vegetation.

[@JayNathanWatercolor]

I've never tried Rosemary brushes. Maybe that's a brand to investigate in the future. 😊

[@TracyIndy]

Thanks so much for sharing. Brushes, palettes, paints, paper etc are such personal choices and depend on how you paint. I have a few mops that I love, but dont use as often. Id say Im a tighter painter and would probably go with your Escoda Perla brush as I currently prefer rounds. I havent tried that brand yet. 😯 Your LARGE mops are lovely. I also thought of the hake brush, but youve said its not for you. Theres an artist Birgit O'connor who uses a 20 blender brush on her very large paintings. Everyone has such a different style. I enjoyed your painting process and will have to push myself to try the same.

[@JayNathanWatercolor]

Yes it's definitely personal choice and depends on the way you paint. I sometimes think about trying to paint with flats more often as a few landscape artists I like use flats almost exclusively.

[@emmamariamakes]

Nice overview! Do you put something in the hairs when not in use? My points look way more dry and fluffy

[@ganarseunacre]

Hi Jay . Versátil and Perla are possible the best brushes of Escoda in his range.. I LOVE then.

[@JayNathanWatercolor]

Hi Jose. I love mine too. I also have a #8 and #12 Perla but the 10 seems to be the sweet spot for me. I'm very tempted to get the #14 Versatil soon to see if I like it more than the #12.

[@lindyashford7744]

I have three different sets of mops, Jackson’s Raven, Jackson’s Squirrel and three I do not even know how to describe, nicely made but some kind of black hair that looks more like human hair than animal! These last do not point, they are big fluffy rounds but otherwise hold a load of water so are great on large paper, and the paint load just goes on and on…. Three flats the largest of which is 3/4. Great for swatching, anything architectural, and as useful used on the edge as on the flat. Particularly useful for getting into tight corners. Round, a number of sizes up to 9, I don’t use most of these much, a 2 and the bevy of Jackson’s extra short 8’s making my work horse brushes, along with a couple of different riggers. The Jackson 8’s come with really very short handle, I use them with a pen holder most of the time. I have one of these 8’s in each of my favourite palettes and try to keep a pencil stump in each if they fit too. For a while Jackson’s did what they called their ‘one pound sables’, they are 2’s and I have one of them in each of my long palettes too. I really love the mops, especially the squirrels, for looser larger painting, one of the riggers is a beautiful Japanese one that seems to be great at doing what I want it to do. None of these brushes is super expensive, I had some really good Diana rounds that got eaten by moths, now I prefer workhorse synthetic s if I am buying. And for ethical reasons. The only speciality brush I have bought was a dagger which inexplicably disappeared just after I got it and has not yet resurfaced…. Just came back to say .I enjoyed watching you painting, and how you use your brushes. Somehow it made me think about how somehow our brains fill in the details, and suddenly we can read a painting. Watching you painting your sky for instance somewhere when you were painting the sky their was a downward spread of slightly darker pigment that I immediately read as the start of a small rainfall! I love watercolour and good demo makers for doing what no other medium can do. Thanks.

[@errorsansglitch208]

Which brushes do you use for portraits ?

[@atink1020]

love the sky ❤️

[@JayNathanWatercolor]

Thank you 🙏

[@thebeybladegalaxy1150]

what is the brush holder?

[@JayNathanWatercolor]

It’s just a bamboo roll with some elastic threaded through it.

[@panamaguia8090]

Quiero comprar ese set de pinceles

[@mariajosegarciabarroso1006]

Que pena. Que no lo entiendo 😢 no lo puedo traducir a Español