The 3rd in my series on my top favorite watercolor supplies! I love watercolor and want you to love it, too! But it can all be so overwhelming! Let's continue breaking it down into small pieces and simplify all the confusion!
All the opinions in this post are my personal opinions, from my own personal trial-and-error experience! This page also contains affiliate links (read full disclosure here.)
These are some of my favorite brushes by Princeton Neptune, in sizes 6, 12 and 4, from left to right. They are the first expensive brushes I bought after my first year of watercolor, and I am still using them daily. (I bought them as part of this set (not all are pictured here) They hold a large large amount of water and pigment, keep their point really well, and are just plain pretty!!
But let's go back to the beginning!! I started with 4 brushes from the Princeton Heritage line, sold as a set. I was on a budget, using my Christmas gift money that year. I needed a variety of sizes to get started, but didn't want to waste my money on one of those mega set that are 50 brushes for $5. I knew that if I wanted to really try something new, I had to give it a shot with some decent tools. I used those 4 brushes almost exclusively for a year, and then they were pretty worn out. They are now my mixing brushes or when I want to create really rough textures.
Now, my favorite brushes in no particular order:
Silver Black Velvet round #6 This is my go-to for trees! It holds such a good amount of paint, keeps it's point, and is responsive to small variations in my movements.
For wetting the paper evenly, especially before I start a sky, I always use clean water and this short handled hake brush, shown below. Sadly it is no longer made, but this one is very similar.
I hope this gives you a place to start! Let me know if you have any questions on any particular brushes!
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