I can’t point this out strong enough. Buy two or three very good ones instead of 18 mediocre brushes, and you will see your talent come to life so much quicker. Yes, you probably heard it before, but please please believe me: I was there, had some cheap brushes, tried to paint, everything failed, nothing worked out, and I ended up hating painting. I knew I had talent as I had been drawing for decades, but for some reason I painted worse than a blindfolded preschooler. I took a class in painting, just to be with my friend, and the first thing the teacher told me was to throw away my brushes or use them for something else than painting. Then she handed me a good brush. Before the evening was over people was standing around me admiring my painting. I could paint! It was the tool that stopped my talent, and a good tool that brought it into the light again. I now know that a good tool is alpha and omega for everything in this world and especially with water color painting.
Lilly Love you are so right. I just purchased an Escoda brush after painting for 5 years. and I absolutely love it. I didn’t think I was good enough to spend so much on a brush. The results with my new brush are so much better.
Same goes with paint! So many people get so frustrated because they are sitting with 18 mediocre brushes and paints, instead of 3 brushes and 6 paints, ending up getting no brush control and completely mudded up colors, and hating everything they make. My tip is definitely to start with nothing but a big flat brush, a medium round brush and a small detail brush, of cause depending on what the subject is, and a palette with just the prime colors and maybe some earthtones or a black.
Wished I had known that before getting a bunch of various brands cheap brushes... I do end up always reaching for 1 flat, 3 mid rounds and 1 small round only. The total cost on the cheap ones could have got me a few named brand good ones, I didn’t think I was good enough for good brushes...
Thank you for sharing, I love the way you speak, your voice is easy on the ears. My favorite is Escoda reserve kolinsky, Silver black velvet, my Quill and last but not least my Rosemary spotters. I do not need any other brushes. When I found my favorite brushes I gave away the rest to an orphanage. I did the same with my watercolors. I only paint with the brand Horadam watercolor and gouache. The kids got my Winsor and Newton watercolor paint and a few others and all my Clairefontaine multimedia paper. The reason is I know that some kids can paint themselves out of a sad mood. I know that not everybody can afford to be so generous and that is okay. but I could so I did it. Thank you for sharing your passion for watercolors I am looking forward to the next video of yours.
*SO USEFUL!* I've been using the same cheap watercolour brushes for YEARS and am just now slowly replacing them. I tend to find myself only using 1-2 brushes while painting in watercolour, so at the same time I don't know if it's necessary to completely swap out my cheaper ones since they work fine and I don't really use them to begin with.
I'm a big fan of taking things slowly. We don't ever need "all the things" and I find that when given so many options, I still gravitate to my 3-4 favorites time after time :)
Hullo Denise, I was surprised to see this video show up as recommended to me as I had already watched it! I thought you could use the view so I watched it again. I have tried several of the brushes you talk about in the video. I am delighted to say that the Princeton Aqua Elite is my new favorite faux Kolinsky brush! I had struggled to keep up with brush technology. Synthetic brushes are truly as good if not better than natural hair brushes! Scandalous I know but so true!! I avoided Princeton because of their poor reputation for lasting any time whatsoever. I am glad that I tried some. I even got a few of the Velvet touch brushes and they are very good too! I hope this comment finds you well and enjoying your new home. Thank you for continuing to share your journey and knowledge with the viewers who truly enjoy your artwork. I still have a few things to learn about watercolor painting, even if I have been at it over, Eeeek 40 years! Stay safe and be well.
I was taught from the beginning by an instructor in college to get the best brushes you can afford. I went with squirrel hair when I started because sable was out of reach for me, now there are synthetic squirrel brushes even the synthetic sable brushes are very good! So much better now than when they were first introduced! I would also like to say that if you take care of your brushes they can last years and years! If you hang your brushes vertically tip down to dry this will keep them going long past many other even more expensive options! Sorry I guess I had my string pulled! Have a nice day.
Your top ten and top five series are one of my favourite videos of yours to watch, I wish you had more haha. I always rewatch the top watercolors, watercolor journals and brushes
I cannot vouch strongly enough for the Princeton Elite Brushes. They are some of the best brushes I've ever used (including expensive Kolinskys) and they are very affordable for that quality. They even look nice.
Oh so helpful Denise. This will cut down time and expense when moving to better brushes most certainly. I have to say those Grace art would come in handy esp with the grandchildren. Thanks so much.💙
I have to thank you so much for suggesting the “Grace Art Value Pack” I love watercolor and I wanted my daughters to love it too but they had such a bad experience at school with bad quality supplies and were really afraid of trying Watercolor again. I got the Arches paper and a W-N palette but I had no clue about the brushes. I followed your recommendation with the GA VP and they started to love Watercolor and were not afraid of it anymore. Now they are completely ready to move on to Kolinski Sable brushes. I cannot wait❤️❤️❤️ Watercolors🙏
Glad you included the waterbrush! For ink and wash--especially small format--it's hard to beat the convenience and performance. I also love my 3/8 silver black velvet dagger for loose expressive work.
Very valuable demo. I've bought a lot of junk and as a late learner I can definitely say sometimes you get what you don't pay for. Thank you for the video.
Wonderful video! I have a few of those myself and I love them. I hear you on the angle shaders and flats. I see people who are so good with painting with flats and I love the strokes they get, but I just seem to never quite get it right. Liz Steel does wonders with the Rosemary Dagger brush (which I just got!) and Pat Weaver does incredible things with a flat. That Grace Art Practice Brush at the end looked amazing! Thanks for telling us about them! Looking forward to more of your Top Favorite videos!
Thank you Alejandro! I'm not sure how the Grace Art are such a well kept secret but they've been around for a long time! They still very synthetic but perform really well *especially* for the price.
I was thinking of getting a couple new brushes to try out and remembered that you had made a review of some good watercolor brushes! After viewing this, I really want to try out those Black Velvet brushes! They seem really good for both holding water/pigment and detail! When I heard they hold their point well that also made me want to have a go at them lol! Thanks for this review video!!
I'm a total hoarder for brushes. I have so many brushes but end up using the same brushes pretty much all the time. But after I saw you using the silver black velvet in one of your other videos for top 10 watercolours, I immediately had to get a set from Amazon. They are great for the price and I love how the point is so nice and sharp even after having so much water on it. Thanks for great videos. I just subscribed.
Great demo and review. I've heard that some manufacturers are bringing out synthetics that mimic natural hair more than ever before - I hope you'll get to review some of those. I vote for "Journals" as the next in the series.
So great to have this info!! My fav's are Silver Brush Black Velvet (LOVE the dagger brush) and Escoda Versatil Round 2. Thanks so much for the video! Hugz, Tree
Great video Denise! 😁 My favorites are my silver black velvet, Princeton Neptune, cosmotop spin, and my escoda versitil #12 round travel brush. For a really cheap brush I like the r&l zen. I have some creative mark mimiks but I don't grab those to often.
I use round brushes for watercolor and I use flatbrushes for gouache, I find that to be my preference! Awesome video by the way! Might have to invest in some new brushes ;)
Hi Denise, re. your Rosemary & Co travel brush. I have had a couple with loose holders/extenders, and I fixed it using a trick I saw on Parkablog's channel. Just squeeze gently the rim of the removable cap, until you feel it bend inward just a little - then fit it onto the brush. It should fit more snugly. Hope this helps!
I have the same problem with one of my Rosemary travel brushes, and have thought about doing this but am afraid of crimping it too much! For now, I just take a tiny piece of paper towel and drape it over the end of the brush half before putting on the cap - that paper towel wedges it on gently but pretty firmly (and I tear away the visible paper because I'm like that :-) ).
I like the Pentel water brushes the best, so far; I'm a real beginner here. I also find the Koi OK to use and I like it that they can be taken apart. It seems a bit more transportable. I have a few of the Princeton brushes, Neptune series (two) which I purchased in desperation after using Artist Loft. I got a half price coupon from my local art store and bought a Princeton Quill in size 8 and though I've only used it once, I adore it for it's beauty! Thanks for the video. Very informative as usual.
Have you tried the Mimik brushes from Jerry’s Artarama? They have a synthetic squirrel and a synthetic kolinsky, and the synthetic squirrel brushes are my go-to brushes for almost everything. They have an 8-brush value pack that usually sells for about $50 and which occasionally goes on sale for half of that.
This is one of the greatest videos ever! You took your time showed us different examples of the brushes your opinion on them gave wonderful descriptions I love this. Definitely subscribing!
Watercolor journals! For brushes the only fancy ones I have is a 6 and 10 Escoda Barroco, but I'm happy with it. The other brushes I don't even know the brand tbh.
Thank you so much for this series. It was truly interesting to see the comparisons and I'm very thankful for the information, whether the brushes are vegan or not. I have some real squirrel brushes and love them, but I feel better purchasing vegan ones... the same as with watercolors.
I have the Silver brush 8 and the exact same Rosemary you have, but despite knowing they are higher quality, I end up reaching much more often for my cheaper synthetic ones, I'm not sure why. The only plausible reason I can think of is I'm afraid to damage my more expensive and hard to get (in my country) brushes.
Great and helpful video. I have recently started using my Silver Black Velvet "cat's tongue" filbert, which I really like, for its water holding and handling properties. I just got a 3 set of ProArte travel brushes which I haven't used yet. I found it interesting that you included the waterbrush. As someone who uses watercolor pencils a great deal, these have become my "go to" brushes and it appears that most other people who use watercolor pencils use them extensively. I think I have mentioned this before, but the Caran D'Ache marker waterbrush makes a better lifter than any other one I have used.
Amazing these days though how affordable brushes for beginners are and still really fab, I did a review of a super affordable watercolour brush over on my channel last week and I love it, don’t go mad buying tonnes of brushes agreed
i prefer raphael soft aqua to princeton neptunes, they are also synthetic squirrel but in my experience the tips are more consistent. they also cost less
Great vid, Denise! Thank you. You showed my fav brand, the Silver Black Velvet, #8 is my go to brush... I tried the Mimiks, but did not like them very much. My vote is for the ‘Journal’. 👍🏾😘😃
I've considered the Mimiks several times, but didn't make sense to spend more money on them when I already have some SBVs :) Glad to hear that I'm not missing out!
awesome to see, I'm looking at getting a range of escode brushes, I've heard many great things about them. I've heard Rosemary brushes are a bit of a lottery when it comes to quality. Im also curious about the black velvets, i've seen so many artists use them.
Oh interesting about the Rosemary brushes! I like my Escoda and I have a travel size 6 as well, but I don't think I have a need for others in the line. I do love my SBV as I mentioned, as it has such a wide range of uses.
Hi Denise! This video popped up on my related and I saw you didn't list my new favorite- Da Vinci Casaneo! My local art store had a 50% off anniversary sale so I splurged on the 5, 10, and 12 rounds. They are AMAZING! Despite being synthetic they're as good as or even better than my real squirrel hair Rembrandt brushes and they retain their shape and point when running out of water; my Rembrandts splay when that happens. It's much easier to control the water with the Casaneo than with the Princeton Neptunes which are too soft for me. I have a Silver black velvet brush but I found it was too stiff for me, since I like something with both some give and some bounce to it and the Casaneo brushes are perfect! I highly recommend them!
One of my favorite topics! I agree with many of your choices here, though a couple I need to look into, as well. Princeton has left me disappointed with bristles that just didn't last over time. Not sure if it was just a couple of bad brushes or the brand overall, but I stopped using them in favor of others. One question is with regard to fan brushes. I bought a $3 Loews Cornell Soft Comfort #4 fan and really enjoy it, despite being a cheaper tool. I don't have a big need, but when I do, it comes in quite nicely! Wondering if you have any recommendations on fans or if you even use them? Thank you and as always, wonderful work! Cheers! :)
Hey Mark! I have to agree with the Princeton comment. I definitely notice that their tips don't hold up super well. But oh I wish that they did! I do love them when they're fresh and new. I have little to no experience with fans unfortunately. I have maybe one? But I rarely paint environments or detailed fur so I haven't come across a burning need... would love to see more with your experiments with them though!
Love your videos! Had to subscribe:) Just ordered my first watercolours which are White Knights. Tempted to order the Grace Art brushes but not sure whether it would be better for me to order 1 or 2 nicer brushes instead.
Welcome! While the Grace Art brushes are great for beginners, I almost exclusively use Silver Black Velvets these days. No brand deal or endorsements - they're just my favorite!
Hi. For natural hair, i use Tintoretto's 334 (Martora Kolinsky) number 8, 4 and 0. Have tried many common marks of synhetic brushes. Now i am trying brushes with mixed hair (Sable/Synthetic). I actually prefer those from Winsor&Newton "Sceptre Gold" II series. Nice video. Like the way you make your proofs systemathically and that you speak clear. 😊 👍
In Liquid Color Thanks for your answer and comment. I first heard about Tintoretto 's brushes in an art video. Saw they had some in Amazon.it ( also but fewer in Amazon.com/co. uk). Bought them in an art shop in Italy.
I'm ashamed to admid that i only use my majestic flat for background washes and the angular brush is currently unemployed,lol. I am a round brush fan for most of my paintings. I am only familiar with synthetics so i cant tell the difference,but the two brands i have now are my davinci junior brushes a davinci 2 round and my majestics;my max size is an 8 but i can do with bigger; but it isnt a preference since i work for now with mostly half pans. So it is mainly practical rather than a preference. The davinci jr brushes have a nice grip that i like and they are student brushes; for eu watchers most art stores sell them under 10 euro.
I just love your review videos! You are always so thorough, and in this one, tried all the things I'd like to try when I pick up a new brush. Thank you for being you!
Thank you for including the glazing test!:) I was waiting for this video yesterday since you said you would upload it on friday but it is finally here!
Daniel Morales I know I'm sorry :( I was in too much pain to finish on time so it got pushed back. I do updates on twitter if your or anyone else is wondering! It's the best platform for real time updates.
In Liquid Color oh! Don't worry Denise now I understand, health is first than anything else and I do hope there's a way you get better from your back pain and I'm sorry for adding some pressure, it is just a day after so it doesn't really matter:) Rest how much you have to. Sadly I don't have twitter:( or I don't remember but it is my least used social media😂 maybe I will use it again to keep updated:) thank you!
Hello, Denise, thank you for this wonderfully informative video/review on watercolor brushes! I have found it very helpful! I wanted to point out that your link to the grace art brush set takes us to a set priced at $1000+. I went to check it out for a kid's starter brush. I don't think it was like that when you made the video, but that's what it looks like right now. Lol
Is the first want to color precious that I can sort out the different different first and 10 make up my mind which I would enjoy I particularly enjoyed the one on the black velvet I’m interested in the silver black velvet but Question my desire to have a real hair although I have used Kalinsky’s for years in my own oil painting landscapes and there just is no other brush like it I have one my Kalinsky’s downtown number that was many years ago
I would like to see a comparison of all the flat washes. Most looked acceptable, but one or two looked like they were almost flawless. So which one came out the winner?
do you suggest a soft brush or stiff brush for a small detail brush? I've used cotman brushes and princeton heritage, which are relatively stiff but they all eventually start curling at the tip
Great video! I also use mostly rounds, I however, have in my Urban Sketch kit a flat and a filbert which for the life of me, I cant find a use for but for some reason cant quite move to my home kit. Curious if you or anyone here uses either one of these for quick plain air sketching!
Do you find that the black velvet sheds? I have one and every time I try to do a flat wash or anything that will take up space on the paper, it has little hairs that show up and get stuck in the painting.
Hi Denise. Thank you for all your videos... They are so invaluable and helpful for choosing materials! I know you made this one a while back but do you happen to remember the exact color you were using (With the Rosemary & Co brush)I just love it! Kindest regards Mary.
My favorite brushes are the pentel aquash in literally any size you hand me, and the Escoda versatil (Travel, so it’s got the same setup as your rosemary one). I like the synthetic bristles a lot because I get a lot of control, and the brush feels so solid in the hand. It was honestly love at first stroke. And I just got some grace art brushes to review because I was so shocked that they were only $6 for the small pack I got. Hadn’t gotten a chance to try them yet so it’s really nice to see them here! I have some SVB brushes, and they’re definitely nice but I’m pretttttty sure that squirrel just isn’t my jam, especially because I’m turning out to value control highly in the capabilities of my brush. Which is funny considering I love the unpredictability of the flow and granulation in Daniel Smith paints. =>..
I do have an Escoda travel as well! The size 6 I believe. I wish I used my travels more but I'm so in love with the pentel aquashes that I never reach for any other travel brush on the go... I really do intend to set up a proper plein air set up some day with water cups and everything haha. I have no idea why I originally got the grace arts, but I remember seeing them in some super popular youtuber's videos once, and was like "man I have those, I need to go back to them," so very sillily (not a word?) asked for another set for Christmas and they showed up in my stocking :) I have several cheap art videos I want to do including those and some Daiso supplies! Oh, and yes, the squirrels I mostly use for my big, juicy washes and when I float colors off onto the page. I switch to my detail brushes for all the detail work on my paintings. So especially if your designs feature line work, control would be the way to go.
In Liquid Color PRO TRAVEL KIT TIP!!! (Because honestly here, I have a problem. And that problem is called “being obsessed with creating travel kits but then pretty much never leaving the house.”) For water, I have multiple super convenient options! I have a small, collapsible, metal shot glass that has a lid and a keychain hook (actually, I have four. But you technically only need one.). You can use the shot glass itself to rinse your brush, and the lid to get fresh water from. OR. I also have some of those “two small little round cups that are meant for turpentine for oil painters to clip on the edge of their large wooden palette” things, but mine have screw on lids and are completely water-tight. You can add water to them before you leave if you know you’re going to paint, or you can just literally always have a water bottle with you, like I do. Whatever works. =>.
I travel with my Portable Painters most often so vessels are not the problem, haha. I just hate filling them with water because I'm a klutz and WILL spill them, regardless of how tip-proof the design is, hence the need for a proper plein air set up and a dedicated mentally-focus trip rather than just casually sketching haha.
In Liquid Color I have a sort of ghetto designated plein air set I made out of a clipboard and I took it oot and aboot a couple of times but have found I’m less productive than expected wile using it, rather than when I just take out my tiny little palettes when I’m bored or anxious in public places. Super small and minimalistic seems to be the best way of working for me, personally. But I recognize that’s probably unusual among those of us that really like to paint. And man, I feel you pretty hard on the klutz thing. I saw I’m a disaster zone. =>.
Hello. I have a question about Black Velvet Silver brushes. On Walmart.com there is note about them which says “preposition 65: titanium dioxide, other chemicals” and it made me to not buy them even if they work great. What would work as a substitute for them? I didn’t see similar note next to Princeton Elite and Princeton Neptune brushes- which one would be better choice if any? I want to buy a set. Thank you
Hi madam. I want to buy a mini detailer brush set. Well now that both silver and Princeton mini retailers are finally in stock in our country, both hv more or less the same number size in a set. However, I had some doubts regarding the stiffness as well as the hair that is used. Princeton is claiming to have stiffness of 3/5 while silver 1/5. While Princeton is synthetic sable and silver is golden taklon. How is this different? Looking at these properties, would you recommend a stiffer one for mini paintings? There are no reviews whatsoever on these two. Kindly advise.
Denise, what 3 brush sizes do you recommend a starter to have? Looking to get some SBV now that I've seen this video. Thanks for all your videos here and on skillshare. Always looking forward to more!
Hi there. I am looking for a rigger brush size zero.. what will u recommend? And also for a flat brush - would u recommend a squirrel or sable? I am looking at mix or synthetic one.. what’s the size that’s recommended in flats
I lift with my delicate natural brushes by getting that spot wet with a puddle of water. Wait for the water to soak and reactivate the color. Then with my almost dry brush I suck that puddle off the paper XD
Has anyone tried the derwent waterbrushes? I received a pack of three and want to buy myself a pentel aquash but don't want to get one thats the same size to the ones I got. Anyone has tried both or seen the difference in sizes?
I bought the silver brush size 6. I'm considering buying a synthetic brush but I'm not sure which one to buy. Have you heard of silver brush Silk 88 Silver ? It's a new line from silver brush and I'm curious how they compare with other synthetic brushes like versatil
I can’t point this out strong enough. Buy two or three very good ones instead of 18 mediocre brushes, and you will see your talent come to life so much quicker. Yes, you probably heard it before, but please please believe me:
I was there, had some cheap brushes, tried to paint, everything failed, nothing worked out, and I ended up hating painting. I knew I had talent as I had been drawing for decades, but for some reason I painted worse than a blindfolded preschooler.
I took a class in painting, just to be with my friend, and the first thing the teacher told me was to throw away my brushes or use them for something else than painting. Then she handed me a good brush. Before the evening was over people was standing around me admiring my painting. I could paint! It was the tool that stopped my talent, and a good tool that brought it into the light again. I now know that a good tool is alpha and omega for everything in this world and especially with water color painting.
Lilly Love you are so right. I just purchased an Escoda brush after painting for 5 years. and I absolutely love it. I didn’t think I was good enough to spend so much on a brush. The results with my new brush are so much better.
@@sensitiveone8305 which Escoda did you buy
Exactly!
Same goes with paint! So many people get so frustrated because they are sitting with 18 mediocre brushes and paints, instead of 3 brushes and 6 paints, ending up getting no brush control and completely mudded up colors, and hating everything they make. My tip is definitely to start with nothing but a big flat brush, a medium round brush and a small detail brush, of cause depending on what the subject is, and a palette with just the prime colors and maybe some earthtones or a black.
Wished I had known that before getting a bunch of various brands cheap brushes... I do end up always reaching for 1 flat, 3 mid rounds and 1 small round only. The total cost on the cheap ones could have got me a few named brand good ones, I didn’t think I was good enough for good brushes...
Thank you for sharing, I love the way you speak, your voice is easy on the ears. My favorite is Escoda reserve kolinsky, Silver black velvet, my Quill and last but not least my Rosemary spotters. I do not need any other brushes. When I found my favorite brushes I gave away the rest to an orphanage. I did the same with my watercolors. I only paint with the brand Horadam watercolor and gouache. The kids got my Winsor and Newton watercolor paint and a few others and all my Clairefontaine multimedia paper. The reason is I know that some kids can paint themselves out of a sad mood. I know that not everybody can afford to be so generous and that is okay. but I could so I did it. Thank you for sharing your passion for watercolors I am looking forward to the next video of yours.
Thank you so much for your kind words and for your generosity of sharing your supplies!
Omg you are so generous!!
*SO USEFUL!* I've been using the same cheap watercolour brushes for YEARS and am just now slowly replacing them. I tend to find myself only using 1-2 brushes while painting in watercolour, so at the same time I don't know if it's necessary to completely swap out my cheaper ones since they work fine and I don't really use them to begin with.
I'm a big fan of taking things slowly. We don't ever need "all the things" and I find that when given so many options, I still gravitate to my 3-4 favorites time after time :)
Same
Hullo Denise, I was surprised to see this video show up as recommended to me as I had already watched it! I thought you could use the view so I watched it again. I have tried several of the brushes you talk about in the video. I am delighted to say that the Princeton Aqua Elite is my new favorite faux Kolinsky brush! I had struggled to keep up with brush technology. Synthetic brushes are truly as good if not better than natural hair brushes! Scandalous I know but so true!! I avoided Princeton because of their poor reputation for lasting any time whatsoever. I am glad that I tried some. I even got a few of the Velvet touch brushes and they are very good too!
I hope this comment finds you well and enjoying your new home. Thank you for continuing to share your journey and knowledge with the viewers who truly enjoy your artwork. I still have a few things to learn about watercolor painting, even if I have been at it over, Eeeek 40 years! Stay safe and be well.
you cover so much information so effortlessly! to the point, no fluff. love your voice!
Thank you kindly, Mouli!
I was taught from the beginning by an instructor in college to get the best brushes you can afford. I went with squirrel hair when I started because sable was out of reach for me, now there are synthetic squirrel brushes even the synthetic sable brushes are very good! So much better now than when they were first introduced! I would also like to say that if you take care of your brushes they can last years and years! If you hang your brushes vertically tip down to dry this will keep them going long past many other even more expensive options! Sorry I guess I had my string pulled! Have a nice day.
Your top ten and top five series are one of my favourite videos of yours to watch, I wish you had more haha. I always rewatch the top watercolors, watercolor journals and brushes
Aw thank you! I still owe you all a paper one sometime!
So so very informative. I learned a LOT. I am inspired to "test" my own brushes like this. thanks Denise.
So glad to hear Suzanne! Have fun!!
I cannot vouch strongly enough for the Princeton Elite Brushes. They are some of the best brushes I've ever used (including expensive Kolinskys) and they are very affordable for that quality. They even look nice.
Oh so helpful Denise. This will cut down time and expense when moving to better brushes most certainly. I have to say those Grace art would come in handy esp with the grandchildren. Thanks so much.💙
I have to thank you so much for suggesting the “Grace Art Value Pack” I love watercolor and I wanted my daughters to love it too but they had such a bad experience at school with bad quality supplies and were really afraid of trying Watercolor again. I got the Arches paper and a W-N palette but I had no clue about the brushes. I followed your recommendation with the GA VP and they started to love Watercolor and were not afraid of it anymore. Now they are completely ready to move on to Kolinski Sable brushes. I cannot wait❤️❤️❤️ Watercolors🙏
Glad you included the waterbrush! For ink and wash--especially small format--it's hard to beat the convenience and performance. I also love my 3/8 silver black velvet dagger for loose expressive work.
Oh I had to! It's in my extremely short list of favorites along with the SBV :)
Very valuable demo. I've bought a lot of junk and as a late learner I can definitely say sometimes you get what you don't pay for. Thank you for the video.
Wonderful video! I have a few of those myself and I love them. I hear you on the angle shaders and flats. I see people who are so good with painting with flats and I love the strokes they get, but I just seem to never quite get it right. Liz Steel does wonders with the Rosemary Dagger brush (which I just got!) and Pat Weaver does incredible things with a flat. That Grace Art Practice Brush at the end looked amazing! Thanks for telling us about them! Looking forward to more of your Top Favorite videos!
Thank you Alejandro! I'm not sure how the Grace Art are such a well kept secret but they've been around for a long time! They still very synthetic but perform really well *especially* for the price.
For ultra fine detailed work, the 000 Winsor and Newton Series 7 Kolinsky sable is the ultimate 😄😄
I vote for journals! Great video! ☺️
I was thinking of getting a couple new brushes to try out and remembered that you had made a review of some good watercolor brushes! After viewing this, I really want to try out those Black Velvet brushes! They seem really good for both holding water/pigment and detail! When I heard they hold their point well that also made me want to have a go at them lol! Thanks for this review video!!
I'm a total hoarder for brushes. I have so many brushes but end up using the same brushes pretty much all the time. But after I saw you using the silver black velvet in one of your other videos for top 10 watercolours, I immediately had to get a set from Amazon. They are great for the price and I love how the point is so nice and sharp even after having so much water on it. Thanks for great videos. I just subscribed.
Great demo and review. I've heard that some manufacturers are bringing out synthetics that mimic natural hair more than ever before - I hope you'll get to review some of those. I vote for "Journals" as the next in the series.
My favorites are Escoda Reserva Kolinsky, Escoda Perla synthetics, Silver Brush Black Velvet Jumbo Round for large washes
Very useful presentation. Learned a lot.
Journals please! ❤ Also, I love these test cards, that's a great idea!
So great to have this info!! My fav's are Silver Brush Black Velvet (LOVE the dagger brush) and Escoda Versatil Round 2. Thanks so much for the video! Hugz, Tree
Great video Denise! 😁 My favorites are my silver black velvet, Princeton Neptune, cosmotop spin, and my escoda versitil #12 round travel brush. For a really cheap brush I like the r&l zen. I have some creative mark mimiks but I don't grab those to often.
I do have the Escoda Travel Size 6. I forgot to dig it out! Haha.
I use round brushes for watercolor and I use flatbrushes for gouache, I find that to be my preference! Awesome video by the way! Might have to invest in some new brushes ;)
Hi Denise, re. your Rosemary & Co travel brush. I have had a couple with loose holders/extenders, and I fixed it using a trick I saw on Parkablog's channel. Just squeeze gently the rim of the removable cap, until you feel it bend inward just a little - then fit it onto the brush. It should fit more snugly. Hope this helps!
I have the same problem with one of my Rosemary travel brushes, and have thought about doing this but am afraid of crimping it too much! For now, I just take a tiny piece of paper towel and drape it over the end of the brush half before putting on the cap - that paper towel wedges it on gently but pretty firmly (and I tear away the visible paper because I'm like that :-) ).
I like the Pentel water brushes the best, so far; I'm a real beginner here. I also find the Koi OK to use and I like it that they can be taken apart. It seems a bit more transportable. I have a few of the Princeton brushes, Neptune series (two) which I purchased in desperation after using Artist Loft. I got a half price coupon from my local art store and bought a Princeton Quill in size 8 and though I've only used it once, I adore it for it's beauty! Thanks for the video. Very informative as usual.
So glad it's helpful. I myself completely adore the pentels!
Such a complete list and review, as always! Now I have some ideas
Thank you Winic!
Have you tried the Mimik brushes from Jerry’s Artarama? They have a synthetic squirrel and a synthetic kolinsky, and the synthetic squirrel brushes are my go-to brushes for almost everything. They have an 8-brush value pack that usually sells for about $50 and which occasionally goes on sale for half of that.
I haven't yet. Considered it a lot from Lindsay's channel but could never justify it with all the brushes I have already. I hear they're nice though!
Thank you so much for the comparison of the brushes. Sometimes, it can be a bit tricky on what to use, this helps!!🌸
Would love to see journals next! Great video!
I watercolor a lot. This is a very good review. I have about half of these brands. Thank you
This is one of the greatest videos ever! You took your time showed us different examples of the brushes your opinion on them gave wonderful descriptions I love this. Definitely subscribing!
:o time to go test my brushes with swatchcards like these!
I LOVE videos like this! I’m glad you went in depth too! I’m looking forward to buying new brushes now knowing more about the performance of each!
"I can talk. I promise!" 😂
Thanks for another great informational video.
Some days it's a struggle, lol
In Liquid Color I love that you left that in the video, though! Perhaps you’re human after all! 😆 Keep up the good work! Hope you’re doing well. 😃
Watercolor journals!
For brushes the only fancy ones I have is a 6 and 10 Escoda Barroco, but I'm happy with it. The other brushes I don't even know the brand tbh.
Really enjoy the Pentel waterbrush(large) and love the silver black velvet round no. 4!!!
Thank you so much for this series. It was truly interesting to see the comparisons and I'm very thankful for the information, whether the brushes are vegan or not. I have some real squirrel brushes and love them, but I feel better purchasing vegan ones... the same as with watercolors.
Thanks for an interesting and useful brush video.
So nice to have a look at your brush favorites!! :D I love the Escoda Perla brushes too, they are reeaaally nice!
Great video!! Thank you so much. I’m a beginner looking for what brushes to purchase. This was very helpful 😊
My favorite brushes (in general) are Escoda 'Versatil'.
Thank you sooo much for this video. I'm new to watercolors and this helped alot. So glad I found your channel 🥰❤
I have the Silver brush 8 and the exact same Rosemary you have, but despite knowing they are higher quality, I end up reaching much more often for my cheaper synthetic ones, I'm not sure why. The only plausible reason I can think of is I'm afraid to damage my more expensive and hard to get (in my country) brushes.
I totally agree! They can be intimidating.
Great and helpful video. I have recently started using my Silver Black Velvet "cat's tongue" filbert, which I really like, for its water holding and handling properties. I just got a 3 set of ProArte travel brushes which I haven't used yet. I found it interesting that you included the waterbrush. As someone who uses watercolor pencils a great deal, these have become my "go to" brushes and it appears that most other people who use watercolor pencils use them extensively. I think I have mentioned this before, but the Caran D'Ache marker waterbrush makes a better lifter than any other one I have used.
I’ve watched two videos and I’ve already subscribed cause they’ve helped me sooo much
Amazing these days though how affordable brushes for beginners are and still really fab, I did a review of a super affordable watercolour brush over on my channel last week and I love it, don’t go mad buying tonnes of brushes agreed
i prefer raphael soft aqua to princeton neptunes, they are also synthetic squirrel but in my experience the tips are more consistent. they also cost less
Great vid, Denise! Thank you. You showed my fav brand, the Silver Black Velvet, #8 is my go to brush... I tried the Mimiks, but did not like them very much. My vote is for the ‘Journal’. 👍🏾😘😃
I've considered the Mimiks several times, but didn't make sense to spend more money on them when I already have some SBVs :) Glad to hear that I'm not missing out!
This is such a useful video!
awesome to see, I'm looking at getting a range of escode brushes, I've heard many great things about them. I've heard Rosemary brushes are a bit of a lottery when it comes to quality. Im also curious about the black velvets, i've seen so many artists use them.
Oh interesting about the Rosemary brushes! I like my Escoda and I have a travel size 6 as well, but I don't think I have a need for others in the line. I do love my SBV as I mentioned, as it has such a wide range of uses.
I’ve got 105 Rosemary brushes for oil and Watercolour and they are all great! So maybe I’ve been lucky😀
Hi Denise! This video popped up on my related and I saw you didn't list my new favorite- Da Vinci Casaneo! My local art store had a 50% off anniversary sale so I splurged on the 5, 10, and 12 rounds. They are AMAZING! Despite being synthetic they're as good as or even better than my real squirrel hair Rembrandt brushes and they retain their shape and point when running out of water; my Rembrandts splay when that happens. It's much easier to control the water with the Casaneo than with the Princeton Neptunes which are too soft for me. I have a Silver black velvet brush but I found it was too stiff for me, since I like something with both some give and some bounce to it and the Casaneo brushes are perfect! I highly recommend them!
I have yet to try Da Vinci brushes!
Thank you for this kind of review on the Brushes!
Got the Grace Art brushes. Thanks.
thanks so much for this! i spent hours looking for some good brushes, and this helped me make my final choices. Appreciate this video a lot! thanks!
One of my favorite topics! I agree with many of your choices here, though a couple I need to look into, as well. Princeton has left me disappointed with bristles that just didn't last over time. Not sure if it was just a couple of bad brushes or the brand overall, but I stopped using them in favor of others. One question is with regard to fan brushes. I bought a $3 Loews Cornell Soft Comfort #4 fan and really enjoy it, despite being a cheaper tool. I don't have a big need, but when I do, it comes in quite nicely! Wondering if you have any recommendations on fans or if you even use them? Thank you and as always, wonderful work! Cheers! :)
Hey Mark! I have to agree with the Princeton comment. I definitely notice that their tips don't hold up super well. But oh I wish that they did! I do love them when they're fresh and new. I have little to no experience with fans unfortunately. I have maybe one? But I rarely paint environments or detailed fur so I haven't come across a burning need... would love to see more with your experiments with them though!
Im getting the perla 2 travel brush 🥰
Oh my, this was sooo helpful!
Thanks! Can you please give some uses of Oval brushed, Rake brushes and Fan brushes for beginners? Thanks
Love your videos! Had to subscribe:)
Just ordered my first watercolours which are White Knights.
Tempted to order the Grace Art brushes but not sure whether it would be better for me to order 1 or 2 nicer brushes instead.
Welcome! While the Grace Art brushes are great for beginners, I almost exclusively use Silver Black Velvets these days. No brand deal or endorsements - they're just my favorite!
Hi. For natural hair, i use Tintoretto's 334 (Martora Kolinsky) number 8, 4 and 0. Have tried many common marks of synhetic brushes. Now i am trying brushes with mixed hair (Sable/Synthetic). I actually prefer those from Winsor&Newton "Sceptre Gold" II series. Nice video. Like the way you make your proofs systemathically and that you speak clear. 😊 👍
I'm glad the videos are helpful! I haven't heard of the Tintoretto. Thank you for sharing.
In Liquid Color Thanks for your answer and comment. I first heard about Tintoretto 's brushes in an art video. Saw they had some in Amazon.it ( also but fewer in Amazon.com/co. uk). Bought them in an art shop in Italy.
I'm ashamed to admid that i only use my majestic flat for background washes and the angular brush is currently unemployed,lol. I am a round brush fan for most of my paintings. I am only familiar with synthetics so i cant tell the difference,but the two brands i have now are my davinci junior brushes a davinci 2 round and my majestics;my max size is an 8 but i can do with bigger; but it isnt a preference since i work for now with mostly half pans. So it is mainly practical rather than a preference. The davinci jr brushes have a nice grip that i like and they are student brushes; for eu watchers most art stores sell them under 10 euro.
I just love your review videos! You are always so thorough, and in this one, tried all the things I'd like to try when I pick up a new brush. Thank you for being you!
Excellent information. Thank you💕!,,
Wonderful information, thank you.
Glad to hear!
Great demo!
Thank you for including the glazing test!:) I was waiting for this video yesterday since you said you would upload it on friday but it is finally here!
Daniel Morales I know I'm sorry :( I was in too much pain to finish on time so it got pushed back. I do updates on twitter if your or anyone else is wondering! It's the best platform for real time updates.
In Liquid Color oh! Don't worry Denise now I understand, health is first than anything else and I do hope there's a way you get better from your back pain and I'm sorry for adding some pressure, it is just a day after so it doesn't really matter:) Rest how much you have to. Sadly I don't have twitter:( or I don't remember but it is my least used social media😂 maybe I will use it again to keep updated:) thank you!
I wouldn't be in Twitter either if it were for business, so I don't blame you haha
Hello, Denise, thank you for this wonderfully informative video/review on watercolor brushes! I have found it very helpful!
I wanted to point out that your link to the grace art brush set takes us to a set priced at $1000+. I went to check it out for a kid's starter brush. I don't think it was like that when you made the video, but that's what it looks like right now. Lol
It's been that way for a bit. I don't think they are in production anymore :(
Good news, they're regular price again! amzn.to/2Ll7PA3
I've found that with squirrel watercolour brushes, if you lightly suck on the tip of the brush, the point will reform and stay while wet.
Please be careful putting paint brushes in your mouth! Many pigments we use are toxic.
@@InLiquidColor true, but I avoid those. And I make sure my brush is very clean before doing that
Is the first want to color precious that I can sort out the different different first and 10 make up my mind which I would enjoy I particularly enjoyed the one on the black velvet I’m interested in the silver black velvet but Question my desire to have a real hair although I have used Kalinsky’s for years in my own oil painting landscapes and there just is no other brush like it I have one my Kalinsky’s downtown number that was many years ago
I would like to see a comparison of all the flat washes. Most looked acceptable, but one or two looked like they were almost flawless. So which one came out the winner?
do you suggest a soft brush or stiff brush for a small detail brush? I've used cotman brushes and princeton heritage, which are relatively stiff but they all eventually start curling at the tip
I do prefer the stiffer brushes for details, but they do wear out quicker. Right now I'm on the escoda perlas and loving them so far!
What do you think about Snow Holic brushes?
Thank you
Have you tried Polina Brights synthetic brushes? I’ve heard they are amazing!💜
Great video! I also use mostly rounds, I however, have in my Urban Sketch kit a flat and a filbert which for the life of me, I cant find a use for but for some reason cant quite move to my home kit. Curious if you or anyone here uses either one of these for quick plain air sketching!
Pentel aquash really is the best value watercolor brush
You ARE amazing!!!
Bless you for this video ❤️❤️💕
Do you find that the black velvet sheds? I have one and every time I try to do a flat wash or anything that will take up space on the paper, it has little hairs that show up and get stuck in the painting.
Hi Denise. Thank you for all your videos... They are so invaluable and helpful for choosing materials! I know you made this one a while back but do you happen to remember the exact color you were using (With the Rosemary & Co brush)I just love it! Kindest regards Mary.
Great video!
Thanks for this video ! I really want to try the princetone and the rosemary ! My favourite are the Da Vinci 418 and 428
My favorite brushes are the pentel aquash in literally any size you hand me, and the Escoda versatil (Travel, so it’s got the same setup as your rosemary one). I like the synthetic bristles a lot because I get a lot of control, and the brush feels so solid in the hand. It was honestly love at first stroke. And I just got some grace art brushes to review because I was so shocked that they were only $6 for the small pack I got. Hadn’t gotten a chance to try them yet so it’s really nice to see them here!
I have some SVB brushes, and they’re definitely nice but I’m pretttttty sure that squirrel just isn’t my jam, especially because I’m turning out to value control highly in the capabilities of my brush. Which is funny considering I love the unpredictability of the flow and granulation in Daniel Smith paints. =>..
I do have an Escoda travel as well! The size 6 I believe. I wish I used my travels more but I'm so in love with the pentel aquashes that I never reach for any other travel brush on the go... I really do intend to set up a proper plein air set up some day with water cups and everything haha.
I have no idea why I originally got the grace arts, but I remember seeing them in some super popular youtuber's videos once, and was like "man I have those, I need to go back to them," so very sillily (not a word?) asked for another set for Christmas and they showed up in my stocking :) I have several cheap art videos I want to do including those and some Daiso supplies!
Oh, and yes, the squirrels I mostly use for my big, juicy washes and when I float colors off onto the page. I switch to my detail brushes for all the detail work on my paintings. So especially if your designs feature line work, control would be the way to go.
In Liquid Color PRO TRAVEL KIT TIP!!! (Because honestly here, I have a problem. And that problem is called “being obsessed with creating travel kits but then pretty much never leaving the house.”)
For water, I have multiple super convenient options! I have a small, collapsible, metal shot glass that has a lid and a keychain hook (actually, I have four. But you technically only need one.). You can use the shot glass itself to rinse your brush, and the lid to get fresh water from.
OR. I also have some of those “two small little round cups that are meant for turpentine for oil painters to clip on the edge of their large wooden palette” things, but mine have screw on lids and are completely water-tight. You can add water to them before you leave if you know you’re going to paint, or you can just literally always have a water bottle with you, like I do. Whatever works. =>.
I travel with my Portable Painters most often so vessels are not the problem, haha. I just hate filling them with water because I'm a klutz and WILL spill them, regardless of how tip-proof the design is, hence the need for a proper plein air set up and a dedicated mentally-focus trip rather than just casually sketching haha.
In Liquid Color I have a sort of ghetto designated plein air set I made out of a clipboard and I took it oot and aboot a couple of times but have found I’m less productive than expected wile using it, rather than when I just take out my tiny little palettes when I’m bored or anxious in public places. Super small and minimalistic seems to be the best way of working for me, personally. But I recognize that’s probably unusual among those of us that really like to paint.
And man, I feel you pretty hard on the klutz thing. I saw I’m a disaster zone. =>.
Hello. I have a question about Black Velvet Silver brushes. On Walmart.com there is note about them which says “preposition 65: titanium dioxide, other chemicals” and it made me to not buy them even if they work great. What would work as a substitute for them? I didn’t see similar note next to Princeton Elite and Princeton Neptune brushes- which one would be better choice if any? I want to buy a set. Thank you
Loved this. Glad I found you.
Thanks Rosemary! Glad to have you here :)
Hi madam. I want to buy a mini detailer brush set. Well now that both silver and Princeton mini retailers are finally in stock in our country, both hv more or less the same number size in a set. However, I had some doubts regarding the stiffness as well as the hair that is used.
Princeton is claiming to have stiffness of 3/5 while silver 1/5.
While Princeton is synthetic sable and silver is golden taklon. How is this different?
Looking at these properties, would you recommend a stiffer one for mini paintings? There are no reviews whatsoever on these two.
Kindly advise.
Waooooo wonderful thumbs up stay connected ❤️❤️❤️
Denise, what 3 brush sizes do you recommend a starter to have? Looking to get some SBV now that I've seen this video.
Thanks for all your videos here and on skillshare. Always looking forward to more!
wich brush would u recomend for a beginner
can you please provide a link to the channel for "Mary" who uses the angled brushes? Thank you!
Im just getting Good Enough to get A Quill..and Professional Paper..I just got my 1st Block and a Tong Brush....Now A Quill....
Hi there. I am looking for a rigger brush size zero.. what will u recommend? And also for a flat brush - would u recommend a squirrel or sable? I am looking at mix or synthetic one.. what’s the size that’s recommended in flats
I pretty much only use Silver Black Velvets these so I apologize that the other questions are out of my wheelhouse.
My RUclips obsessions are watercolour and Reddit videos someone help
mine too lol
Does anyone know if the Prado is better than the Versatil? or if the versatil is better than the Prado
versatil holds a lot more water.
I lift with my delicate natural brushes by getting that spot wet with a puddle of water. Wait for the water to soak and reactivate the color. Then with my almost dry brush I suck that puddle off the paper XD
Sooooo helpful!
So glad!
Has anyone tried the derwent waterbrushes? I received a pack of three and want to buy myself a pentel aquash but don't want to get one thats the same size to the ones I got. Anyone has tried both or seen the difference in sizes?
ok synthetic will work as long as i have one.
haha just ordered.......no candy for month .....
I hope you like it!
I bought the silver brush size 6. I'm considering buying a synthetic brush but I'm not sure which one to buy. Have you heard of silver brush Silk 88 Silver ? It's a new line from silver brush and I'm curious how they compare with other synthetic brushes like versatil
I've not used them before, I'm sorry!