Watercolor Paint Brushes

Brush department

Wash, mop and quill watercolor brushes

Cover skies, background areas and loose shapes with brushes designed to carry a larger load. Use head shape to choose the kind of edge, then compare width to the size of your paper.

Brushes in this department

Choose by the job

Flat wash

Use the broad face for a band of color and the narrow edge to place a line where the background meets a building or horizon.

Mop or quill

A rounded mop suits soft coverage. A quill adds a tapered point to a fuller head for a wash that narrows into an irregular edge.

Questions before buying

What would I use for a narrow rectangular wash?

A narrow flat lets you keep the edges aligned as you fill the rectangle. Compare head width to the area between your guide lines.

Is an oval wash a substitute for a large round?

An oval wash offers a broad face and a rounded edge. Compare a large round when you also need a finer tapered mark from the same head.

Which dimension matters for avoiding repeated reloads?

Look at the overall head shape and its fullness as well as width. A full belly carries more paint than a similarly wide shallow head.