Brushes

Recommended sites:
http://www.how-to-draw-and-paint.com/watercolor-brushes.html
http://www.watercolorpainting.com/brushes.htm
http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/brush3.html
http://www.fountainstudio.com/watercolor%20tips/tip-basic%20supplies.html
http://www.arclight.net/~pdb/nonfiction/basics-watercolor.html




These are the very first brushes that I used. Aside from a Robert Simmon size 2 Fan Brush and a Kolinsky Sable Detailer, all of them are Black Gold Synthetic Brushes.

2 Angular brushes - sizes 1/2 and 3/4

1 Kolinsky Sable Detailer Round brush - size 4/0

2 Black Gold Round brushes - size 12 and Robert Simmons Fan brush - size 2

3 Black Gold Round brush -size 3/0, 4 and 8

Honestly, I only got tempted to buy almost all these sizes before I learned from other websites that I don't really need all of them. One of the struggles that I had with brushes was, what brush size to use.

The Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable Pointed Round

 Right now, my favorite brush is a size 4 Winsor and Newston Kolinsky Sable (Series 7) together with a size 2 and size 000. Though some recommend using larger brushes, I am more comfortable using smaller ones. However, I'm planning to buy a size 8 in the future.

I have to admit, it's not easy to find a brush size that you could be comfortable with. Though some professionals recommend using some standard brush sizes, I believe that having the perfect brush size will still depend on you. 

When it comes to quality, I would recommend a pure Kolinsky Sable brush. However, you can use the links that I recommended in order to check the differences between sables, synthetics and mixed brushes. And though I love Winsor and Newton's series 7 brushes, I am certain that there are other good Kolinsky sable brushes in the market.

(Some of the websites that I recommended above also offers various ways on how to take care of your brush. You can also check Handprint's brush care and storage. 


Right now I am using Mona Lisa's Pink Soap Artist Brush Cleaner to rinse my brushes. I like it because it's not too strong and it conditions the hair of my brushes as well. :)