Hints, Tips & Techniques for Water Colour - Brushes

There are many different brushes that can be used for water colour. Here we explain the use for each and highlight the Winsor and Newton ranges which are compatible with this medium.

For lots more information on all of our different water colour brush ranges, see the Brushes section. 

Sable Brushes

Sable is the best type of hair for water colour brushes due to its excellent colour carrying capacity, ability to point and to spring back to shape. Series 7 sables are the world's finest, first made for Queen Victoria, they are the only ‘tapered dressed' sables. This means the selection of a number of different length hairs for each brush head. Series 7 brushes have larger bellies (width of the brush head) and finer points, giving maximum colour carrying capacity and the ultimate in control.

Painting with a Series 7 is speedy and controlled; the colour goes exactly where you want it, in the quantity you need.

For those who want to use sable at a more affordable price, Series 16 and Cirrus Series 110 offer good value. In addition to these traditional round heads for water colour; designers and illustrators often prefer Series 3A or Cirrus Series 220 which have elongated round heads, particularly suited to linear work.

Sable / Synthetic and Synthetic Brushes

Sceptre Gold II Series 101 are round brushes made from a mixture of sable and synthetic to approach the performance of sable at a more economic price. Cotman Series 111 are pure synthetic round brushes. They are economical water colour brushes which point well and have moderate colour carrying capacity.

Cleaning Brushes

Brushes will last many years if well cared for. Brushes should be rinsed throughout every painting session and should not be stood on their heads in your water pot. It is important to wash all your brushes thoroughly at the end of each day.  Rinsing in water alone is not sufficient to rinse the pigment from the ferrule end.

A long term build up of pigment will eventually prevent the brush from pointing.

• Rinse brush in water.
• Wash with warm water and household soap, repeating until there is no trace of colour.
• Shape brush, dry handle and stand upright in a jar to dry.