Watercolors made their mark in art as far back as 30,000 BC when they were used in cave paintings. Today, they are also the most convenient and approachable painting applications for beginning artists, though it cannot be said that they are the easiest to master. Watercolor paints are easy to apply – just add water and a bit of creativity. The only other items you really need are brushes and paper.

The pigments used in creating watercolors are similar to those used in oil and acrylics; some are natural and some are synthetic. These pigments are ground and mixed with a natural sap binder called gum Arabic. The most sophisticated watercolors also contain glycerin as a moisturizer. Watercolor paints are sold in grades created for both the student and professional. Student paints offer an economical way to experiment with the media while professional paints are more expensive because they contain a higher concentration of better quality pigments. Watercolor paints can be bought in pans, which offer the most convenience, and tubes are especially useful when mixing large amounts of paint. Watercolors are also available in concentrated liquid form that come in bottles with dropper tops. These are useful for large washes but, because they are essentially dyes, they lack the subtle qualities available with pans or tubes.

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All the professional watercolor artists understand the importance of a good watercolor brush. However the problem is that most of the beginners do not understand how to select the watercolor brush for different types of paintings. Here is a guide on how to select watercolor brush. It is important to choose a watercolor brush which is made of really fine hair. You can select a brush made of sable as well as other types of hair fibers. The sable or other hair fibers make it possible for you to perform better brush strokes. It helps a lot to improve the painting techniques. This is because such fibers tend to retain a higher quantity of paint when you use them on a canvas or a drawing paper.

Always select a watercolor brush with a good handle. Most of the watercolor artists follow a certain standard when it comes to the brush handle. You should select a brush with a handle that is 6 to 7 inches long. This type of handle is easy to grip and is not too tough to use. Many water color artists use a Kolinsky brush. It is a natural hair brush with a properly pointed round tip. It is preferred by most of the artists because of its slender tip as well as the inherent flexibility. If you do not want to spend too much money on a Kolinsky brush, there are other less expensive offerings that you can use. You can opt for brushes made from squirrel hair. These brushes are perfect for various simple techniques. However it can be used for limited purposes only.

You should go for at least two flat brushes. The two brushes should be of 3/4-inch and 1-inch size. Also select at least a total of 3 round brushes. You should go for number 3, 6 and 10 brushes. These brushes will help to complete most of your painting projects. While buying flat brushes keep in mind that they are labeled based on the brush end’s width. When you buy round brushes keep in mind that they will be labeled with a number. The smaller the label number is the finer the brush will be. You will find these labels on the handle.

Select different types of brushes for different tasks. For an instance you should select riggers when you want to create fine detail. You should select fan brushes when you are looking forward to create special effects. If you want to cover large areas, you should select wash brushes. A wonderful way to learn about a lot of wonderful watercolor brushes being used by the professional artists is to attend the various watercolor art events like seminars and workshops.