What brush should I buy for a watercolor wash?

Answer 1

Oh man what a can of worms you just opened!

The right brush for a wash depends entirely on the situation. Sometimes a small round will do the job--sometimes you need a great big round--sometimes a flat works best and sometimes you may need a great big mop.

All that aside, the best brushes to start with are a medium to large round and a medium to large flat. Since all brush manufacturers use a different system to number and identify the sizes of their brushes giving numbers won't help much. Don't shy away from big brushes--they're actually easier to handle and acheive results with than little ones. You want a brush that will hold a lot of water and color without dumping it all at once. The best material for that is either red sable or a synthetic fiber called Golden Taklon or a combination of the two.

You can spend a couple of hundred dollars on a big Kolinsky sable brush--probably not what you're looking for right now.
On the other hand, don't buy the package of twenty "artists" brushes for $3.99. They'll be garbage and you'll end up thinking watercolor is the hardest thing ever. Best rule of thumb--buy the best brush you can afford. If that's fifteen dollars, get the biggest Taklon brush you can get for it. It will perform for you and you'll enjoy painting with it. If you can afford more get a sable brush. They'll perform better and will give you years of good wear.

Go to Artist's Supply Warehouse or Cheap Joe's Art Supplies. They both sell lots of different possibilities and have good prices. Don't buy from an art supply store unless you have no other choice--your money will go way farther shopping at a discount art supply store.

Answer 2

Best answer has been given. David is right on the money.

If you go cheap one addition: Feel the brush. Soft and flexible is what you want.