#DannyDoesArt | Aguamenti

For starters, I'm sure you Potterheads caught the reference. I thought it would be an appropriate title given that today's topic is on the magical powers of waterbrush pens.

Just recently I was able to get a hold of a set of six waterbrushes via Amazon at a very reasonable price. Just a heads up: this is neither a tutorial nor a promotional blog post. I'm not gonna go into details of how a basic waterbrush pen works or give professional tips, I'm here to mainly gush about my experiences with any cool new watercolour tool I stumble upon. I've heard many artists rave about the Kuretake waterbrush but I'm sticking to my own for the time being.

I got a request from a friend to paint an image of the Awkward Turtle and I thought it would be the perfect chance to put my new waterbrushes to good use.

Here are the materials I used:

☑️ Canson XL Aquarelle sketchbook

☑️ Holbein Artists' watercolors

☑️ Acrylic paint (white)

☑️ Zebra McKee marker pen

☑️ Waterbrush pen

Waterbrush pens are ideal for a lot of things—from activating dry paint to lifting colour directly from watercolour pencils and water-soluble crayons. Another awesome thing about these brushes is they are incredibly convenient when you travel or do some sketching on location. You can see below how I was able to use the portable waterbrushes for my special kids classes inside a McDonald's here in Tokyo.

What can I say, waterbrushes are a cooler version of ordinary paintbrushes. It's like that guy who's wearing Supreme or that chick who's rocking dreamy mermaid hair. It has a bunch of familiar-looking bristles at one end but instead of a solid wood or plastic, it sports a reservoir for a handle. Ain't that dope?

To be honest, I purchased this waterbrush set on a whim, which was expected of me, and I have no regrets. It has got me under its spell!