![]() ![]() Once rinsed out, the brush should return to its ideal factory shape by making a simple downward snap of the brush. Before use, this must be carefully washed out by working the hairs between the thumb and forefinger under lukewarm water. A small amount of water-soluble gum arabic is used to saturate the brushes at the factory. Gumming is a common practice that manufacturers of professional watercolor brushes-whether sable or synthetic-employ to preserve the perfect shape of the brush hairs and keep them from damage during shipping. Professional quality brushes should be "gummed" when you purchase the brush. Expect some paint cracking to occur on the handle over years of service. There should be minimal warping or swelling of the wood over long periods of soaking. The handle should not come loose in the ferrule. I personally prefer perfectly round handles. Shedding after a break-in period may indicate poor construction. ![]() I would much rather paint with a blunt, unpointed brush with loads of action/snap than the converse.Įxamples of Problems with Sables: Top, Kolinsky Brush with No Snapīelow, An Older Kolinsky with No Point to It, LiterallyĪ good watercolor brush should not shed more than a few hairs. A brush with no snap bends and does not rebound at all and has no action. Snap refers to the action of the damp brush hairs snapping upright after they are pulled down and sideways to the handle.This is most important, for this resiliency allows the artist to create a variety of paint widths within the same stroke of the brush, sometimes referred to as “action”. The brush must also have a quality called “snap”, which allows the brush to respond and rebound quickly as the amount of downward pressure applied to it on the surface of the paper is varied. It must load and release paint evenly and consistently across all angles to the surface. It must have a large capacity (for the size), be readily absorbent and able to execute fine details from a sharp point. The watercolor brush should come to a clean shape once wet, with no broken, bent or stray hairs hanging out or any evidence of having been trimmed to shape. Watercolor brushes are traditionally short-handled to enable close-up (and sometimes detailed) work on a horizontal surface. ![]() So we will discuss what minimum qualities a professional-grade brush should have. Each artist is looking for certain specific attributes and may ignore others. There is no way around it.ĭeciding what is the best brush for you will require some trial and error. One must have professional paper, paint and brushes in order to learn and advance. A novice oil or acrylic painter can make good progress with student tools for a long time. Unlike any of the other plastic media, proper watercolor techniques rely on a tool which can delicately release a thin layer of paint onto the surface rather than physically push a more viscous liquid around like oil or acrylic. Anyone who has tried to paint with watercolors quickly realizes the necessity of having a really good brush to work with. ![]()
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