# Confident Watercolors: Brushes - review & insight | Gareth B. Davies Source: https://garethbdavies.com/course-insights/confident-watercolors-brushes/ [← All courses](https://garethbdavies.com/course-insights/) Illustration & Drawing · Quick win · Rated 5 /10 # Confident Watercolors: Brushes Updated August 2026 Amarilys Henderson · Watercolor Illustrator, Design Thinker Beginner · 14 min A 14-minute brush primer that trades depth for breadth, useful mainly as a quick-reference glossary before a real painting class. [Get a Free Month on Skillshare](https://skillshare.eqcm.net/c/3155494/298081/4650?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.skillshare.com%2Fclasses%2Fconfident-watercolors-brushes%2F1359228754) New to Skillshare? Your first month is free, enough to take this course at no cost. ## What it covers "Confident Watercolors: Brushes" is a 14-minute orientation to watercolor brushes, structured as five short segments: an intro, a basics lesson on brush anatomy, a demonstration of round brushes across sizes, a tour of specialty shapes, and a brief closing challenge. Amarilys Henderson opens by explaining the parts of a brush, the tip, belly, ferrule, and crimp, and offers a simple buying rule: get the best brush affordable, and check for full, non-frayed hairs and a sturdy handle. That anatomy lesson is short but genuinely clarifying for anyone who has never thought about why a brush behaves the way it does. The bulk of the course is a live demonstration. Henderson works down from a large 24 round brush to a 16, an 8, a 3, and finally a small detailer, narrating what changes as the brush shrinks: water capacity drops, control over fine lines increases, and washes become harder to execute. She's specific about which size suits which paper, recommending an 8 round for beginners working on standard letter-size paper, and a 3 round for small motifs, freckles, or pattern work. This section is the strongest part of the class because it ties abstract brush properties to concrete outcomes anyone can visualize. ## Where it thins out The specialty brush segment covers fan, flat, filbert, liner, and angled detailer brushes, but moves quickly, often in a single sentence per brush. The filbert gets slightly more attention, with a useful aside about how hair length, not brush size, determines whether two filberts of the same shape behave differently. But brushes like the fan and flat get only a line or two before the class moves on, leaving viewers with a name and a rough impression rather than a real feel for the tool. Nothing here is actually painted to completion. The demonstrations are mark-making exercises on scrap paper, not a project, and the closing segment is little more than an invitation to go play with your own brushes and keep notes. That's a reasonable homework assignment, but it means the class delivers no finished piece, no color guidance, and no instruction on paper or paint, all of which watercolor beginners will need almost immediately after this lesson. ## Verdict As the opening chapter of a "Confident Watercolors" series, this class does what an introduction should: it removes the mystery around brush selection and gives beginners a vocabulary and a mental checklist before they start painting. The pacing is brisk to the point of feeling rushed in the second half, and the value drops off sharply once the round brushes are done. It is best treated as a five-minute reference to revisit before a shopping trip or a first painting session, not as a standalone lesson worth dedicating full attention to. Anyone who already owns a brush set and has painted with it a few times will find little new information here. The standout The side-by-side demonstration of round brushes from a 24 down to a detailer size 3, showing exactly how water capacity and control shift with brush size, is the most practically useful segment. ## What you will learn - · The basic anatomy of a paintbrush: tip, belly, ferrule, crimp, head, and handle - · How round brush sizes from 24 down to 3 change line thickness, water capacity, and control - · What to look for when buying a brush: hair fullness, tip shape, and fray resistance - · How specialty shapes such as fan, flat, filbert, liner, and angled detailer brushes each produce a distinct mark - · Which brush sizes suit which paper sizes and subjects, from large washes to fine details - · How to build a personal reference sheet of brush marks for future projects Best for: Absolute beginners who own an assorted brush set and want a fast way to understand what each brush is actually for before their first painting. Skip it if: Anyone with even one prior watercolor class, or anyone hoping for guided painting practice, color theory, or paper and paint advice. Helpful Examples Engaging Teacher Clarity of Instruction Organization of Lessons [Get a Free Month on Skillshare](https://skillshare.eqcm.net/c/3155494/298081/4650?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.skillshare.com%2Fclasses%2Fconfident-watercolors-brushes%2F1359228754)