BRUSH
DaVinci Petit Gris squirrel mop in size 3/0
DaVinci Casaneo... I love them all! Great synthetics.
DaVinci Cosmo Top Spin are my most used synthetic brushes right now. I love the 3/0 for fine detail.
Silver Brush Black Velvet pointed round sizes 6 and 8 (half squirrel, half synthetic. This is an excellent brush, and probably the brush I use the most, besides my squirrel mop)
Princeton Heritage Synthetic, pointed rounds and pointed filberts
Escoda Perla (synthetic) pointed rounds in size 6 and 8. These brushes are quite stiff, if you prefer a stiffer brush.
And my favourite very fine (expensive!) brush: Winsor & Newton Series 7 pointed round in size 6.
My Favourites:
Our paintbrush is an extension of our hand, and our hand is an extension of our mind and our heart. Such a simple tool of hair or fiber connected to a stick becomes the vehicle of our very personal expression. It is this tool that I hope you take the most time in selecting. It does not have to be expensive, but there are some things to consider to make sure it serves you well.
Size: Short-handled brushes are more amenable to the intimacy of watercolor work on small pieces of paper. Many brushes come in short or long handles; always choose the shorter. We will usually be using pointed round brushes in size 6 or 8. Some of the brushes I have shown here are called squirrel mops, and these have a different sizing system. If you select a mop brush, choose the smallest size available, such as a 3/0. If you choose a brush with a very fine point it is not necessary to buy tiny brushes.
Hair/Fiber: Watercolour brushes are available in either synthetic bristles or natural hair bristles. Synthetic bristle brushes have come a long way and the best quality examples are just as wonderful to work with as traditional sable or squirrel. This is often a personal choice for the artist. I work with both, but have been replacing my natural bristle brushes with excellent quality synthetics. The most important quality is that the bristles can hold a lot of water and paint, and that they come to a very fine point with a springiness that allows them to snap back to a point after each brush stroke. I have listed my favourites of both natural and synthetic brushes.