The BEST Brushes for Watercolour Painting

[@Kas0n]

I've watched 5 different videos on watercolour brushes today, but I loved your demonstrations, best video so far, thank you!

[@NaomiCoutureArt]

I started with the Princeton Neptune and then got some Silver Black Velvet brushes and have not looked back. They seem to compare to the last ones you mentioned, holds lots of water, super precise tip even in larger sizes so you really only need a few brushes to have everything you will need :)

[@studioofmm]

Oooo might have to check those out in the future! Thanks!

[@arsinoe8336]

My biggest love are the da Vinci (German brush company) Harbin Kolinsky brushes. They're expensive so I don't use them for every piece, but they're absolutely the best brushes i have ever used. For the rest i use a mix of non expensive squirrel brushes and also a lot of asian calligraphy brushes with real hair (mostly sable, squirrel and rabbit). I really love that the calligraphy brushes have the same properties like the Harbin Kolinsky with holding tons of water and color and also have a really fine nib so you can draw very fine lines. The Harbin Kolinsky ones are just a bit more/ better but I love them all and can really recommend. (I needed a while to find really good calligraphy brushes, like everywhere there are big differences/ not all are the same) But I must be honest your Windsor Newton sable brushes really look like they could use some care 🙈 like a bath in gum arabic/ let it dry and keep them for a few weeks like that. That really works wonder on real hair brushes. They're like new afterwards. 😊💜

[@karehhartig7287]

The Princeton and Nichols brushes are two of my favorite budget supplies. Lol. The Winsor newton are p really great 👍

[@julienotsmith7068]

I just got a small squirrel hair quill brush, and it’s an amazing combination. It feels like it holds a quart of water, but still keeps its point. I’ve been working to loosen up when I paint, so I’m doing whole pictures with it.

[@josephmclord]

Me too and it was so cheap. It holds so much water that first few days was a learning curve as it never ran out of paint .

[@hiding40]

I love my silver black velvet brushes and the royal and Langnickel zen brushes

[@Lexouchan]

I really like the escoda versatil line. I want to stay away from natural hair brushes so no series 7 for me, but I really like the water holding/ stroke control of the versatil line !

[@04Ammy04]

I hear the old WN series 7 are better than newer ones coming out. Maybe it's a quality control thing.

[@ElleWhyBee]

Those Polina brushes were my first brushes. I love them.

[@emmamariamakes]

I was really lucky to find 5 or 6 winsor newton series 7 brushes secondhand like new for €20,- total. And also found two bigger Rembrandt series 100 brushes in a secondhand set that I bought just for the paint so that was a good surprise. I might like the rembrandt 100 even more, exceptionally good quality. But I wouldn't buy natural hair if I were to pick out brushes new myself so I'm looking into what synthetic options are good. Might try out the Princeton heritage or Da vinci colineo if I ever need to replace the natural hair ones.

[@znoequeenvalentin8373]

Perfect timing as I was thinking of getting new watercolor brushes!🤗

[@studioofmm]

I would love to know what some of your favourite brushes are 👇 Thanks for watching!

[@Fluorite-Fox]

My current favourites are the Da Vinci Casaneo rounds and mop brushes ^^ the rembrandt sables are also nice

[@studioofmm]

Oooo I’ll definitely have to check those out sometime!

[@katylamatsch929]

I love my Princeton Neptune brushes. Great quality, but at the same time doesn't break the bank too much.

[@moonlightgator541]

I like Zen watercolor from Royal and Landnickel.

[@scarletisbell8520]

DA Vinci Casaneo's are a great addition. I love the Neputes and I'm trying a few of Princeton's Aqua Elite brushes. I'm looking for a few good travel brushes the won't break the bank. Great vid as all ways.👍

[@przemekkulesza3242]

I have just got got a few Princeton brushes (Neptune, Aqua Elite and Velvetouch), they are all price- and quality wise above escoda. I admit Black Velvet is also great.

[@emai0625]

I really like the escoda ultimo brushes, especially number 18, its a big brush, but has a good point. So I can use it for bigger washes and vor details

[@Julie-vy3oz]

I’ve fell in love with Silver brush Black Velvet series of brushes. The round size 8 is my go-to but I’m eyeing the 2” flat for larger washes. Sigh…. I mean, who needs money…..

[@oliferous]

Totally agree with you on the number eight round brush, it is an absolutely incredible brush especially for the price!👍

[@Julie-vy3oz]

@@aryanrajseo I believe so

[@theselyn]

@@aryanrajseosynthetic and natural hair too

[@bubblebutt4919]

i've been thinking if i should slowly switch my cheap brushes to fine brushes also i'm here to see the 0000 for detailing... in fashion illustration after experimenting diff kinds of medium such as marker or colored pencils, definitely go back to watercolors it's fun! And thank you! 💖💚💜🥰🖼🎨✨

[@geoffreyboyling615]

Try Winsor & Newton Sceptre Gold 11 brushes -- they are a sable synthetic mixture which is very similar to all sable but slightly springier and more resilient than pure sable, and I prefer them - cheaper than pure sable, too - cheap enough to try

[@musia1861]

I'd fight to hang on to my Isabey Kolinsky brushes

[@FaerieDust]

I love small quill brushes! I've got the Da Vinci petit gris pur and ProArte sablesque in 2/0 and 3/0, they're perfect for me - I generally don't work larger than A5 size, so larger sizes aren't really what I need. My Escoda Grafilo brush (same as Reserva but with a pretty decoration on the handle) is lovely, and I quite love Silver Black Velvet as well. I don't have any really good fully synthetic brushes yet, I've tried a couple but not really liked them. I want to find some synthetic brushes that I really love, but I've disliked so many that I've stopped trying any for now. The natural hair ones that I have will last me a good long while, so I'm not in any rush to buy anything new. You've got some interesting ones in the video, most of which I already knew about - they're on my list for the next time I need new brushes :P

[@greekveteran2715]

Please, can you recommend watercolor brushes size, for detailed work? I' just begun adding washes with color over graphite drawings. I got a No3 Round but wasn't fine enough for details. I work on both A4 and A5 paper. Merry Christmas!!!

[@artwithvie]

I just recently tried the mop brushes from Meeden. They where about 35 or so for three sized. And I only seem to need one. I definitely want to gone the series 7 a try. I belive they became a favorite when the queen started using them.

[@angiepen]

All the brushes I've bought individually (not gifts, and not brushes that came with a watercolor set) have been Princeton Neptunes. Another KZbin artist I follow recommended them, and when I decided to try painting, I bought one and liked it a lot. My mom got me a set of cheap brushes -- no-brand, ten for $6 from a variety store type -- and the first one I tried to use dropped three hairs onto my wet paper. :( You make me want to try a W&N Series 7 brush, though. I don't mind spending more money if the product is worthwhile. ETA: the Series 7 #6 round brush is seriously on sale on Amazon right now. I grabbed one; looking forward to trying it.

[@studioofmm]

Yeah, dropping hairs and shedding is probably the biggest issue with cheap watercolour brushes which sucks. I think the trick for more inexpensive brushes for watercolour is to stick with ones that are more of a taklon type as opposed to something that’s trying to mimic a natural hair brush.

[@b.lab.__blab_colors]

Wow, a lot of information. Thank you 😊

[@icanhazKnit]

I have a single series 7 brush that I was incredibly disappointed in. 😭 apparently quality control isnt what it used to be

[@studioofmm]

Oh no 😭

[@AmazinGraceXOXO1]

Me too. They don't have the same point as the ones in this video. They just don't. I still use them because they re soft and lay down color beautifully, but when I need a point I go to my black velvet silver brushes. Escoda has some amazing brushes as well. Can't go wrong with any of them. From their ultimo line to their reserva or versatil. All of them are amazing. I tried their kolinsky line as well and I'm in love.

[@josephfiore2843]

I got a four pack of travel Princeton Neptune brushes. Way step up from my previous ones so they should cover me for a bit. I have a few hake brushes but haven't had time to paint with them. Just using them to spread water so far. They're probably sad

[@pockynat9877]

my favorite brushes are the vintage(vendor said they are vintage) m grumbacher "graphic arts" series 177 brushes. i love it so much i bought two more sets lol good thing the vendor still had few stocks then.

[@fuzzydragons]

the cotman brushes are def nice brushes

[@oliferous]

I’ve always been curious about the Windsor and newton and series 7 bot I have never felt the need two purchase any more higher and, real animal hair brushes after I got my #10 & #2 Isabey “Martre” rounds. Have you ever used that brand? I’d be really curious to know how they compare to the series 7 brushes. Their control, water retention, paint load, etc. is so beyond any other brush that I’ve tried. The number two comes to such a fine tip I don’t need to grab any smaller brushes, ever! But as far as synthetic goes, I’m a big fan of the da Vinci Casaneo line(especially the quills!!)if I want a slightly firmer brush or the Princeton Neptune line. Hey I’m curious about a couple of brands you mentioned here and will definitely have to check them out! But if you are a fan of the Princeton brushes, definitely check out those da Vinci quills! I promise you will I love them and your wallet won’t suffer too bad 😂🤘

[@oliferous]

Also I’d be curious as to your opinion of Sumi E brushes, I’ve recently become a big fan of the goat hair Hake brushes and they have pretty much taken the place of my 2 inch Neptune mottler. And they’re super cheap!

[@azanraza6234]

Hello.. can you help me to choose sketchbook for using watercolour brush pens..I want to use brush pens for landscape painting

[@studioofmm]

Your definitely going to want to stick with a sketchbook that’s branded for mixed media or watercolour; it’ll have the thicker paper that you’ll want to be using with those pens. The Strathmore sketchbooks/journals tend to be a great middle ground between quality and price but there really are a lot of great options out there.

[@askialuna7717]

With the no7 brushes is just the problem that the quality control has decreased and if you have not selected a good one in the shop after trying out so briefly dip in water to check the tip and try on one of these magic papers. Bought online, it can be that it is a brush where the tip splits and not just leaves one stroke on the paper, but more than one. I don't know if the quality management has changed in the meantime. I had also bought one to see what should be special about it, I was lucky it has a good point. I could not find any real difference to my other house brands kolinsky brushes, only that the no7 size 4 was just as big as a size 6 from the house brand of a German art wholesaler and the no7 was a lot more expensive.

[@AmazinGraceXOXO1]

I agree. Mine don't hold a point. They looked so beautiful in this video. That point was perfection. But it's just not what my brushes from that line look like. They lay down color nicely but I can get a small point like in the video.

[@mzebony]

First 3 set either came from Curry’s or Deserres because I have them. I might have to look into those W&N Designer brushes and I’m sure my wallet will groan as well lol.

[@studioofmm]

The Cotman series brushes are actually not too bad price wise! I believe all of the designers brushes are about $4-$6 CAD. Sometimes they’re listed as “linear script” series. Not sure if the new ones have been renamed or what; mine are quite old. I believe I ended up getting most of mine at Michael’s but Curry’s probably had them for less unless you’ve got a good coupon.

[@rajbanshiart3502]

Nice video