A water tank brush, often called a water brush, is a versatile tool for artists, particularly useful with water-soluble media like watercolors. It integrates a water reservoir into the brush handle, allowing for easy blending, washing, and painting without needing a separate water cup.
How to Use Your Water Brush
Using a water brush primarily involves controlling the flow of water from the tank to the bristles and applying the wet bristles to your chosen medium.
According to the provided reference: "And with the wet bristles. You just apply that to the paint pan there the little cake. Add it to your water to get the desired amount and then you can start painting right away."
Based on this, here's a breakdown of the core steps:
- Ensure Bristles are Wet: The brush is designed to keep the bristles wet from the internal water tank. You might gently squeeze the barrel or the designated push button (depending on the brush design) to encourage water flow and ensure the tip is adequately damp.
- Apply to Paint Source: With the wet bristles, apply them directly to your paint source. This is commonly a paint pan containing a little cake of dry watercolor or gouache. The moisture on the bristles will reactivate the dry pigment, allowing you to pick up color.
- Mix and Dilute: As you work, the water from the brush continues to flow, mixing with the picked-up pigment on the brush head. You can control the intensity of the color by:
- Picking up more pigment for stronger color.
- Allowing more water to flow from the tank (often by squeezing the barrel) to add it to your water on the brush tip, diluting the pigment to get the desired amount or consistency for washes and blending.
- Start Painting: Once you have the desired color and consistency on the brush tip, you can start painting right away onto your paper or surface.
Practical Tips for Water Brush Use
- Filling the Tank: Most water brushes have a screw-off barrel to fill with water. Use clean water for best results.
- Controlling Water Flow: Different brushes have different mechanisms (squeeze barrel, push button, or simply capillary action). Experiment with yours to understand how to get more or less water to the tip. Gentle pressure on the barrel is a common method.
- Cleaning: To change colors, simply squeeze water through the bristles and wipe the brush tip on a paper towel until it runs clear. This allows for quick transitions between hues.
- Mediums: Water brushes are ideal for watercolors, water-soluble pencils, markers, and inks.
By following these steps and understanding how to manage the water flow, you can effectively use a water brush to paint directly from paint cakes or other water-soluble media, offering convenience and portability for sketching and painting on the go.
