![]() But, the numbered brush sizes do not apply to all shapes of brushes. But why am I talking to you about shapes ? The point to remember is this… As mentioned above, brushes are classified by numbers. Just so you know, this list is not exhaustive. Good for blending because the hairs hold together when wet, but not commonly used for watercolors. Good for continuous lines because they hold water well.įilbert brush – this is a flat brush with an oval shape. Rigger brush – these have extra long hairs with a fine point. Spotter brush (or retouching brush) – a brush with short hairs for small detail work.The better quality brushes also have a reasonably fine tip and are more versatile. Mop brushes – Big round brushes also for applying washes. Hake brushes – originally from Japan, these are very wide flat brushes used for big washes. Wash brush – these are wide flat brushes for applying big washes. Flat brush – good for laying down washes and for linear brushstrokes. Round brush – this is the most versatile shape of brush for painting.Below is a quick summary of the most frequently sold brush shapes, and a brief description: The two most common shapes are round and flat. You will also come across a wide variety of different shapes which are used for different techniques. Sometimes you’ll find less expensive brushes with a mixed combination of hairs. There are three widespread hair types for watercolor brushes – sable, squirrel and synthetic. The handle is printed with lots of fascinating information, including the brand, reference numbers and most importantly the SIZE! Watercolor Brush Types It’s attached to the handle by the crimp. The ferrule also does the job of protecting the wooden handle from moisture. This is a cheap fabrication method and I always avoid brushes like this. Low-quality brushes have a seam because they’re made from folded metal. This is also the part of the brush that you hold, so it should be comfortable. The ferrule is a metal collar which needs to be well constructed to prevent the hairs from falling out over time. The head is held in place by the ferrule. The tip should provide a sharp point which springs back naturally. With a good watercolor brush you have to recharge your brush less often, and in turn, this provides a more fluid and continuous brushstroke. In watercolor painting, the belly is important because this part holds the water. The head is made up of bristles or hair and includes a belly and a tip. First comes the head (sometimes known as the tuft). Brushes are made up of three main parts. To help make things clear in your mind I’ve put together this watercolor brush size chart – It’s available to download as a PDF at the end of the article… But before we get to that, let me explain a few technicalities. Not all watercolor brush types use this numbered rule! But there’s a little more to it than that. The most common brush sizes range from 000 (small) to 24 (large). In a nutshell… Brushes are sized according to a numbering system. So it’s well worth taking a bit of time to understand your tools. ![]() ![]() And good watercolor brushes are expensive. What do all those numbers mean? 000 or 3/0 or even 1/64”?īrushes are the tools that you use to communicate your artistic ambitions onto the paper. One of the most bewildering characteristics of brushes is their size. S ubscribe here.Watercolor brushes come in a confusingly wide range of sizes, shapes, and materials to choose from. This article originally appeared in issue 163 of ImagineFX, the world's leading magazine for digital artists. Watercolour requires some intuitiveness and so the more comfortable you are with your brush techniques, the more receptive you’ll be to those magical moments when the watercolour tells you what your next move will be! Finally, I’ve used a Flat brush to lay down a base layer with dry brush texture at the edges. Later on, this makes it easier to erase once the watercolour is dry. To lighten pencil lines before applying watercolour, roll a kneaded eraser over the lines to gently lift the graphite. If you look closely, you'll see pencil marks in the bottom left hand corner. This enables me to more easily maintain a consistent width in the stroke. Meanwhile I’ve used my liner brush on the hair outline. In my portrait above I've combined several different brushstrokes to create a dynamic painting.įor filling in the face, I’ve used my trusty size 2 Round brush, layering several times to build up my value range. With time and practice, you’ll discover ways in which you can combine techniques to create interesting results. This lively portrait uses several different watercolour brush painting techniques
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