Watercolour materials I use - Brushes, Paints and Paper
Jun 14, 2014
I'm often asked about what materials I use, so here's a summary of brushes, paints and paper.
Brushes
Brushes I use, from left 1) the largest brush, a mop size 18 'Aquario' from Escoda. It's a natural brush and a great point. I always use this for washes and painting large areas on 22" x 15" size paper. 2) Size 14 Mop, from Escoda. Used in washes. 3) Smaller mob brush size 10 'ultimo' from Escoda. Used for detail and washes over medium sized areas. 4) Large detail brush, synthetic size 12 Perla from Escoda. 5) Small detail size 8 Perla from Escoda. 6) Nice Rigger brush, with a sort of reservoir in the lower section, again from Escoda. 7) A cheap Ox Hair brush, I think it only cost 10 pence, used for foliage. I butchered the tip with a pair of nail scissors to give it a rough edge. 8) A small synthetic brush with a straight edge for painting peoples legs or masts/lamp posts. 9) Very small detail brush, mainly used for white gouache highlights. 10) A Sword or dagger brush - great when fully loaded with paint for foreground foliage detail.
Paint
I use a metal palette from Holbein. Rarely cleaned and main pigments used - Lemon Yellow, Cad Orange, Cad Red, Light Red, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Turquoise, Viridain Green, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber and Neutral Tint. Most paints come from Winsor and Newton.
Paper
I used to paint a few years ago with Bockingford rough paper, but now it's always Saunders Waterford Rough, cotton based 300 gms paper. I paint in sizes 15" x 11" or 22" x 15", mainly.
¡Curioso! Coincidimos en los pinceles. Esta mañana por ejemplo he pintado con el grupo local y he usado también 18 Aquario,14 Perla,10 Perla y 6 Ultimo con punta muy fina y reserva. Creo que con estos 4 pinceles de Escoda se pueden hacer grandes obras, como es tu caso.
En cuanto a la paleta, uso una de metal esmaltado, con 18 pocillos que relleno con Newton o Cotman.
Espero que con estos materiales, algún día pinte tan bien como tú.
Posted by: josé luis zorrilla campos | Jun 18, 2014 at 09:49 PM
Tim,love your paintings,great composition,colour,contrast and feel,always enjoy your videos,please keep painting!
Posted by: JohnDaker | Feb 18, 2017 at 11:31 AM
Thanks John
Posted by: Tim Wilmot | Feb 20, 2017 at 03:58 PM
Tim your style of loose painting has given me great inspiration.so different to my own which always seem to have sharp edges and a deliberate flat look to them. I shall continue following your style to get it right.regards Bryan.
Posted by: Bryan Harrison | Feb 28, 2017 at 04:44 PM
Tim,
I came across your video in youtube and have enjoyed watching you effortlessly achieve those fantastic watercolour results. In my experience, reaching a stage where a style of painting has such spontaneity in quickly rendered visual shorthand takes an age to master. Working in a tight and fidgety way is the easy and laboured way. Achieving such Looseness and freedom of expression takes a lot of doing. I'll keep watching and practicing!
Posted by: Paul Hampson | Mar 17, 2017 at 06:26 PM
Thank you very much Bryan and good luck
Posted by: Tim Wilmot | Apr 07, 2017 at 09:43 AM
Thanks for watching Paul and good luck
Posted by: Tim Wilmot | Apr 07, 2017 at 09:45 AM
Hi Tim.
I love your style of painting. I hope to emanate, I notice so far in your paintings its only men you paint, but I haven’t got around to seeing all of your paintings as yet.
Leila
Posted by: Leila | May 28, 2017 at 01:12 PM
Thank you for showing how Not to be afraid to let your brush & paints make their marks, but freely let them do their work. Your paintings have a feel of being very hot sunny days.
Dark against light, Very inspiring.
Posted by: Shawdian | Jun 23, 2017 at 06:25 AM
You're right. I must get more women in the paintings!
Posted by: Tim Wilmot | Jun 29, 2017 at 08:21 AM
Thank you
Posted by: Tim Wilmot | Jun 29, 2017 at 08:23 AM
Tim,i have no words to thank you for your valuable tips.It's a pleasure to see your Turkey works. I can see them for hours and not get tired.If a work grips you and leaves you mesmerized, it's the best
compliment.And your work does that to me.
Posted by: Harinder singh | Jul 21, 2017 at 07:36 AM
Thank you Harinder
Posted by: Tim Wilmot | Jul 24, 2017 at 11:15 AM
Thank you so much for the time and efforts spent to help us with this difficult technique! I like very much your style and paintings, therefore I follow your demos with great pleasure. However, I wasn’t able to find videos showing how to reproduce artificial light (ex. street lamps etc.) Is there any video on that subiect that I missed? Thank you again for your great help. Patrizia from Rome, Italy.
Posted by: Patrizia | Jan 26, 2018 at 07:10 AM
That's a good idea for a future video and thank you for the suggestion.
Posted by: Tim Wilmot | Mar 23, 2018 at 03:43 PM
Your videos have inspired met o paint again! Thank you!
Posted by: Kateryna | Jun 11, 2020 at 09:59 PM
Hey Tim, what size lead pencil do you use? Thanks love your work
Posted by: Justin | Nov 14, 2020 at 10:16 AM
I am creating whimsical pieces on polymer clay pendants and need a very fine brush for the details. I bought some from dollar store not very good as the hairs fall off and just make a big mess. I am thinking about buying more professional brushes. What is a good brush? The paintings I am trying to create are very small flowers.
Posted by: Melisa Weekley | Jul 11, 2023 at 06:38 PM
Here are some good watercolor brush options for watercolor painting:
Synthetic brushes - Synthetic bristles like nylon are a good option for watercolor because they hold a lot of water and release it smoothly onto the paper. Good brands like Princeton and DaVinci make synthetic brushes in a variety of shapes and sizes. A #8 round is a versatile starting brush.
Kolinsky sable brushes - Made from the tails of the kolinsky sable, a weasel-like mammal, these brushes are prized for their ability to hold a fine point and snap back into shape. They are more expensive but many artists feel the expense is justified by their superior performance. A #10 or #12 round is a good starter sable brush.
Squirrel mop brushes - Softer squirrel hair makes excellent mop brushes capable of holding a lot of pigment and water. They produce juicy, diffuse strokes perfect for wet-in-wet painting. A #8 mop is a useful size. Popular brands include Escoda and DaVinci.
Riggers - These long, thin round brushes are ideal for painting fine lines and details. Sable or synthetic riggers with sizes like #0 or #2 are essential for watercolor.
Hake brushes - Wide, flat hake brushes made of goat hair excel at softening edges and grading washes. A 1/2" or 1" hake is handy to have.
Start with a few brushes in different shapes and see what works for your style. High quality brushes, while expensive, often last for years with proper care.
Posted by: tim | Oct 12, 2023 at 09:36 AM