Paintbrushes for Watercolors
Making everyday choices could be one big deal! But when you have got to make choices on paintbrushes – which comes in different shapes, sizes and hair types – the dilemma quotient moves a whole notch higher. A lot is at stake as one wrong foot out could cost you much more than normally would have been expected. In this article, we will help save you the trouble of making the wrong choices and at the same time saving you money, so that you don’t go spending almost a $1000 purchasing a single size 50 Kolinsky sable round brush when you need the Maestro Series XV Paint Brushes. Again, with proper guidance, we shall save you the trouble of buying inferior brushes that not only get disfigured easily but one that will always disappoint you.
While the final decision on the paintbrush for your watercolors will ultimately depend on your personal preferences, there are many factors that will shape your decision however, it revolves around certain factors. The factors include: what technique do you like to use, how big is your budget and how easy is it to maneuver through work using a certain brush type? However, whatever your driving consideration is, some factors just cannot be dispensed with in making your choices, they include brush hair type, shape and size. Read on and we will discuss these basic factors.
Hair Type
The choice of fiber for a brush’s hair must be one which considers performance, resilience and cost. With performance, you should be considering just how much paint or water the brush can hold while still maintaining a fine point. The stroke left behind by the brush should also be smooth and evenly distributed. A good hair type should be one that springs back to the original turgid posture after each use and as long as possible. For cost, you need to consider your budget and whether you really need a brush that is as expensive as one which provides these qualities would normally be. While you may be able to purchase brushes cheaply from online retailers aided by reviews from other users, it is always better to select your brushes by going to the store yourself. This way, you can compare different brushes personally. This is particularly important as popular opinion may not always be the best opinion for you. By being physically present to purchase your brush, you can see firsthand how it is going to work including testing the snap of the brush, considering the ferrule (the silver part between bristles and handle) and checking out how much water the brush can hold in its belly.
The different types of brush hairs include the following:
Sable
The front liner in the race for the best brushes arguably would be sable hairs. Made from the tail of the sable, a species of marten found throughout north Asia, sable hairs are resilient, maintaining their shape and textures for a long time. The best sable hairs are not exactly from a sable, ironic right? This sable hair is called Kolinsky sable and is sourced from a weasel native to the Siberian region of Kolinsky. The harsh conditions ensures that brushes from this area are resilient and supple. Expectedly, the Kolinsky sable brush is very expensive and is usually purchased by professional artists. They come in different brush shapes but are best rounded so as to maintain its shape and ensure that the points hold fast. Alternatives to Kolinsky sables includes “pure” sable or “red” sable; they are not exactly of the same quality as Kolinsky sables but are still good alternatives.
Squirrel, Ox & Goat
Aside from the sable brushes, Squirrel, Ox, and Goat Brush Hairs are also good varieties of brush hairs. Even though not of the same quality as sable brushes, they are well suited for wash techniques. Because these varieties of brushes do not hold point as well as their sable counterparts, they do not work well in rounded shapes.
Ox hairs are coarse and strong and as such, they are best square-cut. Ox hairs dyed red resembles red sable are fondly called sabeline brushes. Squirrel and goat hairs are well suited to mop and wash brushes.
Hog Bristle
But if you think the ox and goat brush hairs are the only next best thing to the Sable brushes, you may have to think again, all depending on the use to which you are deploying your brush. The Hog Brush or Hog bristles surely hold their own when it comes to large wash brushes; being capable of distributing a lot of paint. They also bring to the table durability and affordability. So when next you need a brush that can put down lots of color and endure a beating, you may want to call in aid a hog brush. China bristles are the best amidst a lot of varying qualities.
Camel Hair
Unlike the Camel, Camel hair brushes are not gentle and are usually of inferior quality. While it may not be immediately clear to you that camel brushes are not really from camels but a generic name for natural hair blends that are usually inferior, knowing to choose other types over them shouldn’t be.
Synthetic Fibers
Synthetic fibers are made from nylon and polyester or other chemically synthesized materials. They are designed after natural brushes, fitted both in structure and for the type of performance that is obtainable from natural hair materials. They are cheaper and can vary in quality and performance. They would normally hold a good point but because they are not natural brushes, try as they may, they do not replicate the qualities of a natural brush. Thus they do not last long, may not hold and distribute paint as a natural hair would and their bristles are usually too smooth. To circumvent the identified challenges, manufacturers have started adding tiny flags or ridges to improve paint carrying capacity. Despite their not matching natural hairs, they have proven to beat some natural hairs in one area – holding paints. Synthetic brushes are great alternatives for round sable brushes as they hold paints better than other natural brush types.
Combination of Hairs
Hybrid brushes are becoming common sights as more and more manufacturers’ are blending both natural and synthetic materials in a bid to reduce cost while maintaining good performance. The combination could be sable and synthetic or other natural hairs and synthetic. Manufacturers’ and products may vary and it thus becomes good advice to consider them personally before buying. Alternatively, reading reviews from trusted artists before purchasing one would help.
Shape
Aside from the quality of the bristle, the next biggest factor to consider when purchasing a brush is the shape. The choice you make in the end should be one advised by the technique you use. Thus, while one person may favor a particular shape because of the technique they use in painting, the same brush shape may not be suitable to your own technique or style. Beyond techniques, you also need to consider whether the brush you are buying could be deployed to a wide range of other activities. Being costly, it is then good advice that you buy a brush that would be capable of performing a variety of tasks. Any way you look at brush shapes, three factors must be checked by the choices you make, they are: versatility, detail work, and wash work
Versatility
On versatility, round brushes carry the day, thanks to their shape which makes them well suited for small details and delicate lines. They also come in handy when you need to broader strokes and washes. To make the most use of your brush, particularly when you are purchasing expensive brushes like the Kolinsky sable, round brushes are best as it allows you to put them to multiple uses and saves you from making multiple purchases. Even when you go for other less expensive options like synthetic or a combination, still go for round brushes.
Flat brushes
Unlike their round counterparts, Flat brushes (also known as “one-strokes”) are much more restricted in the uses they can be put. They come in handy in making strong linear strokes and washes. Because of the identified restraints, it is not really advisable to spend so much purchasing flat brushes, durability should be the key consideration. Thus, going for sable type flat brushes may not really be necessary as other natural hairs and synthetic fiber brushes can make for convenient alternatives.
Detail work
For detailed work, Round brushes are generally still your best bet. You might however consider spotter or rigger brushes if you do a lot of detailed work.
Spotter brushes are small round brushes with short bristles fitted for extra control. They are your best company when you want to get down to the minutest of details. Also called retouching brushes, they enable you get excellent strokes. Rigger brushes have extra longer bristles when compared to the spotter brushes.
The rigger brush owes its name to their use as a vital tool for painting the rigging on sailing ships. Their extra-long bristles ensures good paint holding capacity. Their fine points ensures that they leave behind continuous lines. This is one brush that I can advise that you buy the highest quality available as they are cheap, thanks to their small size. Additionally, it is very important that the shape is maintained over time and only the best quality can guarantee that.
Wash work
A wash brush is a wider, flatter brush. Hake brushes are an oriental-style brush that also looks like wash brushes and may be deployed for the same purposes. Also, mops and oval brushes have larger heads and are very good for blending and applying lots of paint.
Making the choice of a size of brush isn’t complicated, at least this is one area where you can shop for brushes without much dilemma. While large brushes are good for bold strokes and washes, smaller brushes are your best bet when you need to pay attention to details. Medium sized brushes are great for versatility.
Brush sizes range from 0000 to 50. You should consider the kind of work you do and make choices of ranges that can be deployed to your kind of uses. Brushes of the same size range might differ in actual size, depending on the manufacturer, looking at the size charts would prove useful while making your choices.
Putting it all together
When making your first brush purchase preparatory to venturing into the world of watercolor painting, three types of round brushes would come in handy for this early stage. A small brush (around size 3), medium-sized brush (5-6), and a large brush (12). The reason for this three way selection is hinged on versatility. With a medium sized brush for instance, you could produce multiple, whole paintings even though quite slowly, I must warn.
If there is one brush where you are encouraged to splurge money and go for the best, then round brushes it is. And the reason is quite simple, you need a round brush that is able to hold its point and maintain its shape over a long while. Sable brushes would help you achieve this purpose and if you can, go for not just any sable brush but the Kolinsky sable brush for obvious reasons. A small to medium sable brush would ensure that you get the best brush experience. Where your budget isn’t able to shoulder a pure sable, a sable-synthetic brush may be the closest alternative even though it wouldn’t last as long as a natural sable would.
At the end of the day, the frequency and nature of your painting activities would determine how many brushes you buy. However, whatever choices you make should be one anchored on some very important considerations. For someone that consistently paints detailed works, a spotter or rigger brush should be your best friend because of their shape. A Kolinsky sable is advisable as their being small means two things, quality and cost efficiency. A good small round brush is your sure bet for achieving detailed work.
A large round brush might be deployed to multiple tasks including washes, it is however, much more convenient to dedicate a brush specifically for wash. A good flat brush has one thing going for it; an edge that allows it to be deployed for bold, linear strokes. When making flat brush choices, Ox hairs are your best bet as well as being cost efficient.
A hog bristle brush is resilient and quite great for washes. Alternatives includes mops or oval brushes. If you are tight on budget, cheaper hairs are available.
Paintbrush Set
Versatile 15-brush set
One way to save costs when purchasing brushes is to buy them in sets instead of individually. One of the easily identifiable brush sets are the Maestro Series XV Paint Brush Set which comes with 15 paintbrushes in a convenient carrying case. Of the 15 brushes, 11 are made from a synthetic materials that copies the features of natural sable. They can be used with both watercolors and acrylics. The stiff hog hair brushes makes up the other four brushes in the set. Hog hairs may be used with acrylics and oils.
Miniature Paintbrush Set
For detailed painting, the Minute Series XII proves quite useful as it combines cost efficiency with high-quality options. The set contains 12 brushes that are perfectly sized to fit in small places. The brush options in the set includes pointed rounds, flats and liners/riggers and are great options when painting miniatures, models, rocks, and delicate features like eyelashes, hair and fur. The synthetic hair bristles makes them a great option not just for watercolors but also for use with gouache and acrylics. They perform optimally with all three mediums.