DOODLEWASH REVIEW: Watercolor Brushes

The post surveys watercolor brushes as a matter of personal preference and shows a range of brands, types, and specialty brushes. It also points to resources on fiber, brush sizes, brush shapes, cleaning, and travel brushes.

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• The author says the overview is meant to give ideas about what is available, since brush choice depends on preference, affordability, and availability.
• The post lists brands and types including Raphaël, Princeton, Rosemary & Co., Escoda, Da Vinci, Royal & Langnickel, Loew-Cornell, travel brushes, bamboo brushes, hake brushes, and water brushes.
• The author says they like brushes that hold water well, keep a point, and suit the way they paint, especially for small work and details.
• The brushes used most by the author include Raphaël Soft Aqua Quills, a Rosemary & Co. Series 22 Kolinsky Sable, a Princeton Select liner, and a toothbrush for flicking paint in nebula and star effects.
• Guest Doodlewasher Jaimie Dent-Campbell favors Escoda Aquario Mops, a Royal & Langnickel Nocturna Dagger, a Loew Cornell Dagger, and a Raphaël Soft Aqua Quill for coverage, thick-to-thin lines, drybrush textures, and details.
• The author explains that quills can hold a lot of water and still keep a fine point, and says a natural hair quill or mop in size 4 or 6 is a desired brush type, though price has kept that purchase on hold.
• Raphaël Soft Aqua Quills are described as highly fluid-retentive synthetic brushes that hold a lot of color, with a drawback in the wire-wrapped ferrule snagging on the brush wipe.
• Princeton Neptune Synthetic Squirrel Quills are described as thirstier synthetic brushes that also come in a dagger shape, though the author prefers the Soft Aqua for point and feel.
• Raphaël Kaërell Synthetic Sable Brushes are presented as affordable synthetics that hold water, keep a point, and work well across watercolor, acrylic, and oil.
• Princeton Series 3750 Select Brushes are described as inexpensive, widely shaped brushes for different media, with a few specialty shapes such as Oval Mop, Lunar Mop, and Round Blender.
• Rosemary & Co. is presented as a UK company that sells direct, has good prices, fast shipping, no VAT for buyers outside the European Union, and a large selection of brushes.
• The Rosemary & Co. section includes Series 46 Red Sable Extended Point, Series 323 Pure Kolinsky Spotters, Series 66 Pure Kolinsky Filbert, Series 22 Pure Kolinsky Designer, Series 107 Goat Hair Oval Wash, Series 401 Pointed Sable Mixture, Series 770 Sable Blend Sword Liner, Series 772 Sable Blend Daggers, Series 32 Tree and Texture Brush, and Series 40 Triangular/Pyramid Shape.
• The author says the triangular brush makes interesting shapes and could be used for waves, mountains, and dinosaur feet, while the tree and texture brush needs a fairly dry brush and paper to create texture.
• The catalog from Rosemary & Co. is described as especially helpful because it shows brush photos, sizes, how brushes are made, and other information.
• Oriental, Sumi, calligraphy, or bamboo brushes are described as usually made with natural hair, very affordable, and usable for watercolor, though they may feel strange at first.
• Hake brushes are described as usually made from goat hair, affordable, useful for watercolor, and also useful for brushing eraser dust off drawings.
• The post mentions travel brushes with detachable handles, including Rosemary & Co. travel brushes, Escoda VERSÀTIL travel rounds, Da Vinci Maestro Kolinsky travel brushes, and Da Vinci Cosmotop Spin travel brushes.
• Escoda VERSÀTIL travel brushes are described as synthetic Kolinsky brushes with reversible cap handles, while Da Vinci Maestro brushes are described as top-of-the-line Kolinsky brushes with strong point, spring, control, and water-carrying ability.
• Da Vinci Cosmotop Spin travel brushes are described as synthetic, stiff, and better suited to controlled work and detail.
• Waterbrushes are presented as useful for carrying in a bag and for work without a water container, especially pen and ink wash.
• The Niji Waterbrush is the author’s preferred waterbrush of the three shown, while Pentel Aquash is described as durable and easy to squeeze, and Aquastroke is said to be less well made than the other two.
• The post points readers to Dick Blick’s brush-shape and brush-hair charts, plus other general brush information and videos about choosing natural or synthetic brushes and making brushes last.
• The author also recommends brush cleaners including Pink Soap, Escoda Artist Brush and Hand Soap, and The Masters Brush Cleaner & Preserver.
• The brush wipe used in the photos is a pack of cloth diapers, chosen for absorbency, washability, and less waste.
• The post closes by saying the Saturday series continues, World Watercolor Month is in July, and future posts will cover children’s watercolors, arts education, The Dreaming Zebra Foundation, and a world tour of watercolors.