Best Watercolor Brushes 2022
Watercolor painting has long been considered one of the top mediums for creative art. The semi-transparent look of watercolor allows the paper to give a painting a natural luminosity. As a fast-drying medium, the artist must work quickly as they blend colors while managing the water balance. That sense of urgency can create spontaneous and beautiful results.
However, that balance and the overall delicacy of the medium requires the artist to wield a top-quality brush. For watercolor brushes, the most important characteristic is how well it holds water. Traditionally, natural sable hair brushes have been considered the top choice, but synthetic brushes are making inroads. The key strength that artists cite for sable is the water holding strength, but synthetics offer a vegan-friendly alternative at a more affordable price.
Choosing the right brush for watercolor can be challenging, but we asked the top Brushware artist brush manufacturers to present their best options. Here is your list of the best watercolor brushes for 2022.
SABLE BRUSHES
Gordon Brush: Pure Red Sable Round Pointer Watercolor Brushes (0430-Series)
These watercolor brushes from Gordon Brush are made with a short black lacquered handle with a nickel-plated ferrule. This brush is ideal for one-stroke painting as well as many other techniques. A round brush comes to a fine point and its stroke is more organic. More information at www.gordonbrush.com/brushes/artist-brushes/pure-red-sable-round-brushes.
| Part # | Trim | Size | Overall Length | Diameter |
| 0430-00000 | 3/8″ | 0 | 6-1/2″ | 1/16″ |
| 0430-00200 | 1/4″ | 2/0 | 7″ | 3/32″ |
| 0430-00300 | 1/4″ | 3/0 | 6-5/8″ | 1/16″ |
| 0430-01000 | 3/8″ | 1 | 7″ | 3/32″ |
| 0430-03000 | 1/2″ | 3 | 6-5/8″ | 1/8″ |
| 0430-04000 | 9/16″ | 4 | 6-7/8″ | 1/8″ |
| 0430-05000 | 5/8″ | 5 | 7-3/8″ | 5/32″ |
| 0430-06000 | 3/4″ | 6 | 7-1/2″ | 3/16″ |
| 0430-07000 | 3/4″ | 7 | 8″ | 9/32″ |
| 0430-08000 | 1″ | 8 | 7-1/2″ | 7/32″ |
| 0430-09000 | 1″ | 9 | 8-3/4″ | 1/4″ |
| 0430-10000 | 1-1/8″ | 10 | 8-1/8″ | 15/32″ |
| 0430-12000 | 1-3/8″ | 12 | 9″ | 5/16″ |
Gordon Brush: Pure Red Sable Flat Watercolor Brushes (0611-Series)
This series of brushes from Gordon Brush will retain its body when wet, which is the true test of a sable brush. The seamless nickel-plated ferrule and lacquered handle, make these brushes a great value. A flat brush is more angular, and the stroke appears straighter. More information at www.gordonbrush.com/brushes/artist-brushes/pure-red-sable-flat-brushes.
| Part # | Trim | Size | Overall Length | Diameter |
| 0611-02000 | 1/4″ | 2 | 7″ | 1/8″ |
| 0611-04000 | 3/8″ | 4 | 7″ | 3/16″ |
| 0611-06000 | 7/16″ | 6 | 7-1/4″ | 1/4″ |
| 0611-08000 | 7/16″ | 8 | 7-1/2″ | 3/8″ |
| 0611-10000 | 1/2″ | 10 | 7-1/2″ | 7/16″ |
| 0611-12000 | 9/16″ | 12 | 7-5/8″ | 5/18″ |
Gordon Brush: Pure Red Sable Scripto Liner Watercolor Brushes (6146-Series)
These watercolor brushes from Gordon Brush are made with a black lacquered handle and a seamless nickel-plated ferrule. The extra-long liner is designed to hold a lot of paint so you can make thin lines longer. More information at www.gordonbrush.com/brushes/artist-brushes/sable-sable-sabeline-brushes.
| Part # | Trim | Size | Overall Length | Diameter |
| 6146-00200 | 11/16″ | 2/0 | 6-1/2″ | 5/32″ |
| 6146-00300 | 5/8″ | 3/0 | 6-1/2″ | 1/16″ |
| 6146-01000 | 3/4″ | 1 | 6-3/4″ | 3/32″ |
| 6146-02000 | 7/8″ | 2 | 7″ | 5/32″ |
| 6146-03000 | 7/8″ | 3 | 7″ | 3/16″ |
| 6146-06000 | 1″ | 6 | 8″ | 7/32″ |
| 6146-08000 | 1-1/8″ | 8 | 8″ | 9/32″ |
SYNTHETIC BRUSHES
Water Lily® by Dynasty®
Hand-made by the fine people at F.M. Brush Company, Water Lily is crafted from a cruelty-free synthetic, lightweight glare-free ferrule and light shimmer coral handle. These brushes are soft and thirsty. The proprietary blend of material has spring and snap. You’ll find its unique combination of synthetic fibers make it the perfect tool for traditional watercolor, inking and art journaling. The rounds bounce and the flats chisel. A brush for every need, Water Lily has 11 different styles and 55 different brushes. More information at www.dynastybrush.com/water-lily/.
| Series | Size | Shape | Item# | Barcode |
| 7700-A | 1/4 | Angle | 28140 | 0183762814045 |
| 7700-A | 3/8 | Angle | 28141 | 018376281411 |
| 7700-A | 1/2 | Angle | 28142 | 018376281428 |
| 7700-B | 2 | Bright | 28145 | 018376281459 |
| 7700-B | 4 | Bright | 28146 | 018376281466 |
| 7700-B | 6 | Bright | 28147 | 018376281473 |
| 7700-B | 8 | Bright | 28148 | 018376281480 |
| 7700-B | 10 | Bright | 28149 | 018376281497 |
| 7700-B | 12 | Bright | 28150 | 018376281503 |
| 7700-CT | 1/2 | Cat Tongue | 28155 | 018376281558 |
| 7700-CT | 3/4 | Cat Tongue | 28156 | 018376281565 |
| 7700-CT | 1 | Cat Tongue | 28157 | 018376281572 |
| 7700-DAG | 1/4 | Dagger | 28160 | 018376281602 |
| 7700-DAG | 3/8 | Dagger | 28161 | 018376281619 |
| 7700-DAG | 1/2 | Dagger | 28162 | 018376281626 |
| 7700-FAN | 2 | Fan | 28165 | 018376281657 |
| 7700-FAN | 4 | Fan | 28166 | 018376281664 |
| 7700-FAN | 6 | Fan | 28167 | 018376281671 |
| 7700-FIL | 2 | Filbert | 28170 | 018376281701 |
| 7700-FIL | 4 | Filbert | 28171 | 018376281718 |
| 7700-FIL | 6 | Filbert | 28172 | 018376281725 |
| 7700-FIL | 8 | Filbert | 28173 | 018376281732 |
| 7700-FIL | 10 | Filbert | 28174 | 018376281749 |
| 7700-FIL | 12 | Filbert | 28175 | 018376281756 |
| 7700-FW | 1″ | Flat Wash | 28180 | 018376281800 |
| 7700-FW | 2″ | Flat Wash | 28181 | 018376281817 |
| 7700-L | 0 | Liner | 28185 | 018376281855 |
| 7700-L | 1 | Liner | 28186 | 018376281862 |
| 7700-L | 2 | Liner | 28187 | 018376281879 |
| 7700-L | 3 | Liner | 28188 | 018376281886 |
| 7700-L | 4 | Liner | 28189 | 018376281893 |
| 7700-OV | 1/2 | Oval | 28190 | 018376281909 |
| 7700-OV | 3/4 | Oval | 28191 | 018376281916 |
| 7700-OV | 1 | Oval | 28192 | 018376281923 |
| 7700-Q | 3/0 | Quill | 28193 | 018376281930 |
| 7700-Q | 2/0 | Quill | 28194 | 018376281947 |
| 7700-Q | 0 | Quill | 28195 | 018376281954 |
| 7700-Q | 2 | Quill | 28169 | 018376281961 |
| 7700-Q | 4 | Quill | 28197 | 018376281978 |
| 7700-Q | 6 | Quill | 28198 | 018376281985 |
| 7700-R | 3/0 | Round | 28200 | 018376282005 |
| 7700-R | 2/0 | Round | 28201 | 018376282012 |
| 7700-R | 0 | Round | 28202 | 018376282029 |
| 7700-R | 1 | Round | 28203 | 018376282036 |
| 7700-R | 2 | Round | 28204 | 018376282043 |
| 7700-R | 3 | Round | 28205 | 018376282050 |
| 7700-R | 4 | Round | 28206 | 018376282067 |
| 7700-R | 6 | Round | 28207 | 018376282074 |
| 7700-R | 8 | Round | 28208 | 018376282081 |
| 7700-R | 10 | Round | 28209 | 018376282098 |
| 7700-R | 12 | Round | 28210 | 018376282104 |
Faux Squirrel® by Dynasty®
Conventional wisdom has always said that Natural Hair brushes give the artist the best results – but times have changed and so has conventional wisdom. The right synthetics in the right shapes can open up a whole new world of possibilities for the artist. Combine the perfect synthetic with fine craftsmanship and you have a brush that surpasses the original. That’s exactly what F.M. Brush has done with the Faux Squirrel Collection. Master Brush Makers use only synthetic that best matches natural hair in color, quality, strength and flag. Each brush is handcrafted to exacting specifications – the same specifications used on natural hair brushes. More information at www.dynastybrush.com/faux-squirrel/.
| Style | Series | Size |
| Angle | 1827A | 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 3/4, 1 |
| Aux Reservoir Liner | 1827RL | 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 |
| Dagger | 1827D | 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 |
| Fan | 1827FN | 2, 4, 6 |
| Flat | 1827F | 1/2, 3/4, 1 |
| Oval Wash | 1827OV | 3/4 |
| Quill | 1827Q | 3/0, 2/0, 0, 2, 4, 6 |
| Rigger | 1827RIG | 10/0, 2, 4, 6 |
| Round | 1827R | 10/0, 3/0, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 |
| Shader | 1827S | 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 |
| Super Flat Wash | 1827SF | 2 |
| *Wave® Angle | 1827WVA | 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 |
| *Wave® Filbert | 1827WVFIL | 8 |
| *Wave® Flat | 1827WVF | 8, 12 |
| Whale’s Tail | 1827WT | 1/4, 1/2 |
Faux Kolinsky® by Dynasty®
With over 93 years of brush-making experience, F.M. Brush Company has developed a proprietary blend of techno-synthetics that recreate all the attributes of Siberian Sable brushes, but is a socially responsible alternative to animal hair. The Faux Kolinsky series by Dynasty mimics the elusive natural tip of a kolinsky brush, paying special attention to replicating the very fine tip. Its performance is unmatched, with its generous reservoir. Faux Kolinsky is assembled in America. The brushes are elegant with a cupro-nickel ferrule and long satin black Albata handle. It matches the traditional Kolinsky sizing, ranging from round sizes 3/0 to 16. More information at www.dynastybrush.com/faux-kolinsky/.
| Style | Series | Sizes (contents) |
| Fan | 1114FN | 6 |
| Flat Wash | 1114FW | 3/4 |
| Liner | 1114L | 2/0, 2, 3, 4 |
| Oval Wash | 1114OW | 3/4 |
| Round | 1114R | 3/0, 2/0, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 |
| Spotter | 1114Spt | 5/0, 3/0, 1, 2, 4 |
Zahn Unique Brushes: Meisterklasse Kolinex
Founded in 1907 and located in Bechhofen, Germany, with 110 employees, Zahn Unique Brushes manufactures high-quality synthetic brushes for private label distribution. So, while artists may not know the name, there’s a strong chance they’ve come across a Zahn brush under one of the many brand names as the company sells approximately 5.2 million artist brushes per year (8.6 million overall brushes). The brush maker says the private label option allows the company to focus on producing top-quality brushes instead of distribution and consumer marketing.
Zahn’s 2022 recommendation is the Meisterklasse Kolinex series, The vegan, ecological and powerful alternative to natural Kolinsky and sable hair. The Meisterklasse Kolinex hair filament is made of high-quality PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) with superior lifetime and resistance. The individual filaments are highly tapered in order to receive a perfectly pointed brush shape. Additionally, the filaments are slightly crimped in order to imitate the natural inhomogeneity of Kolinsky hair. Single brush sizes and shapes are made of individually composed blends of different hair diameters (e.g. 0.07mm, 0.10mm, 0.12mm) in order to obtain a maximum density of the brush body.
The Meisterklasse Kolinex series imitates the typical “belly shape” of a Kolinsky hair brush through the optimal composition of different lengths and crimping positions of the individual filaments.
KOLINEX vs. Natural Kolinsky / Sable
- KOLINEX brushes are 100% vegan
- KOLINEX brushes have a longer lifetime because of high-quality PBT filament
- Due to the perfect imitation of the “belly shape” and the high density of the brush body, KOLINEX brushes have a nearly identically superb paint holding capacity as natural Kolinsky /
sable hair brushes - KOLINEX brushes are easy to clean and have a very good chemical resistance
- KOLINEX brushes come to a needle-sharp point due to the highly tapered filaments and show a great shape retention even under extensive use
- The elasticity and spring of KOLINEX brushes is considerably higher
- KOLINEX brushes offer a much better cost-performance ratio than natural Kolinsky / sable hair brushes
- KOLINEX brushes work with all kinds of painting media
- KOLINEX brushes are available in every possible size and shape
More information at www.zahn-pinsel.com/en/brushes/artist-brushes/water-color-brushes.
Watercolor Brush Components
The Handle
Hardwood handles are always preferred by watercolor artists, but the key to a good handle is finding an option that is durable and feels comfortable in the artists hand.
Ferrule
The ferrule is generally metal and connects the brush to the handle, while also serving as a barrier to protect the handle from any water held in the brush belly.
Heel
The heel is where the brush fibers are bundled and clamped in. It should be neatly packed and no glue should be visible.
Tip
The tip of brush is where the bristles actually apply the paint to the paper. There are many options for the shape of the tip ranging from a fine point to fanned, with the options providing various effects.
Belly
Above the tip is the belly, where the brush head holds the water and paint. The amount of water it will hold directly affects the artist’s stroke.
Gordon Brush: Watercolor Brush Guide
Watercolor painting is delicate and unforgiving in nature, which is why using the best watercolor brushes can help you work within the medium and help you deliver exceptional, beautiful results.
A good watercolor brush should do at least one fundamental thing: hold water well. Watercolor brushes made of synthetic hair do a fine job, but those with natural hairs have much better liquid-holding capacity. Watercolor brushes have soft bristles that can be easily moved around the page. This is due to their fibrous anatomies, which excel at picking up and retaining water for lengths of time. They also tend to feel more like extensions of the artist’s hand since they’re more sensitive to shifts in pressure.
Watercolor paint brushes come in a variety of shapes, sizes and hair types. Pure Red Sable brushes are some of the best and most versatile for water coloring. As with most kinds of art supplies, watercolor paintbrushes ultimately come down to personal preference. The choice rests on the watercolor techniques you like to use, how much you’re willing to spend, and how certain brushes feel in your hand.
Round brushes are the most versatile and widely used brush for watercolor painting. Their shape makes them suitable for small details and delicate lines, but also for broader strokes and washes. Watercolor brushes are optimized to work well with the fluidity and delicacy of watercolor paints and techniques. A good watercolor brush should not shed more than a couple of hairs and should balance well in the hand; the handle should not feel too fat. The brush should be durable, and the handle should not come loose at the ferrule. Lastly, there should be minimal warping or swelling of the wood over long periods of soaking.
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. 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.” A brush with no snap bends and does not rebound at all. This is not a good watercolor brush to use — it has no action.
