Many of you who watched my earlier brush stroke videos asked about the difference between a flat head brush and a quill (round) brush, how and when to use a flathead for your painting.

Flathead is the second most versatile brush in watercolor painting (after quill brush). It’s capable of creating marks and textures quill brushes cant, thus further diversifying your brushworks, it can be more effective for and much easier to handle for specific shapes and subjects:

It can be used to apply large washes with greater control
For painting architectural subjects and straight lines with ease
For reaching fine corners and creating uniformed lines
For creating dry textures in select places.

However, flathead cannot replace quill brush entirely in your watercolor painting, because it does not hold as much moisture as the quill and therefore requires reloading much more frequently which introduces the risk of the wash drying out too fast, and becoming blotchy. Plus, the marks made by flathead brush is more repetitive by itself and thus less energetic and interesting than those made by quill brush. However, when you use flathead as an addition to your quill brush, and leverage it for specific painting scenarios, you will be able to leverage it to enhance your work.

I covered flathead brush more in depth in my floral workshop on Patreon, where I taught how to create dynamic edges and interesting textures using flatheads.  
👉 Watch the workshop here: Patreon: recordings-and-152325257

Develop your brushwork skill comprehensively by downloading my 30 Day Watercolor Bootcamp for beginners, through which I show you how and when to create bold brush marks with real life painting subjects, not just in theory!
📣 Get the course: https://www.inaxiwatercolor.com/produ...

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🧰Supplies I use
A complete list of supplies with links to purchase them. I may earn a small commission for some of these links at no extra cost to you. Earnings help sustain this channel.

📄Paper:
Meeden 100% Cotton Watercolor Block, 10x7, Cold Press, https://go.meedenart.com/4srtE1Z
For practice: Richeson Bulk Watercolor Paper, 9”x6”, Cold Press https://tinyurl.com/26yae5y2

🖌️Brush:
🖌️Quill:
Da Vinci Petit Gris Pur Blue Squirrel Brush - Quill, Short Handle, Size 6 https://tinyurl.com/3p2spy9s (0.75” diameter)
Or: Escoda Último Synthetic Squirrel Brush - Mop, Size 16 https://tinyurl.com/4xr2p5xh
Or: Princeton Aqua Elite Series 4850 Synthetic Brush - Quill, Size 6 https://tinyurl.com/yz4x4994
Or: MEEDEN Professional Watercolor Brushes, 4 pc set, https://tinyurl.com/7wccskmw
Read this guide to compare the 4 options and pick what’s best for you. https://www.inaxiwatercolor.com/blogs...
🖌️Synthetic rounds:
Escoda Prado Tame Synthetic Brush, Round, Size 8 https://tinyurl.com/yk8az552
Escoda Prado Tame Synthetic Brush, Round, Size 12 https://tinyurl.com/2b4wwdmt
🖌️Flat heads:
Isabey Siberian Blue Squirrel Flat, Size 18  https://tinyurl.com/mrybkx48
Princeton Aqua Elite Series 4850 Synthetic Brush- Stroke, Size 1/4" https://tinyurl.com/2pavtbwv
🖌️Rigger:
Princeton Aqua Elite Series 4850 Synthetic Brush - Rigger, Size 8 https://tinyurl.com/yz4n7d4r

🎨Colors and paint:
M. Graham & Co. Ultramarine blue 15ml https://tinyurl.com/4pa3a73r
M. Graham & Co. Burnt Sienna 15ml https://tinyurl.com/ybu99mae
M. Graham & Co. Alizarin Crimson 15ml https://tinyurl.com/4vx8s8dk
M. Graham & Co. Burnt Umber 15ml https://tinyurl.com/2t2d5m9d
M. Graham & Co. Cadmium Yellow 15ml https://tinyurl.com/2fehmtnr
M. Graham & Co. Cadmium Red 15ml https://tinyurl.com/3fsr9nhw
M. Graham & Co. Yellow Ochre 15ml https://tinyurl.com/yvfzds6h
M. Graham & Co. Cerulean Blue 15ml https://tinyurl.com/mr2w9k26
M. Graham & Co. Cobalt Teal 15ml https://tinyurl.com/2p8rxxb
M. Graham & Co. Indigo 15ml https://tinyurl.com/4xrx3kuc
M. Graham & Co Viridian Green 15ml https://tinyurl.com/bdd4dv77
M. Graham Dioxazine purple 15ml https://tinyurl.com/45jp5n7u
M. Graham Artists' Gouache - Titanium White, 15 ml https://tinyurl.com/2za6n7p6
Daniel Smith Lavender 15ml https://arttoolkit.com/supplies/danie...

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👤More about me
Ina Xi is an award-winning painter and educator who’s committed to teaching fine art watercolor in an highly accessible, student-centric way!
Website: https://www.inaxiwatercolor.com
Instagram: Instagram: inabear
Facebook: Facebook: inaxiwatercolor

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"Music from #Uppbeat
https://uppbeat.io/t/night-drift/refl...
License code: 29HMWABR6HEPQAHQ"

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Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:57 Different types of flatheads
01:59 Apply large wash
04:46 Carve out fine shapes
07:53 Geometric shapes and straight lines
10:40 Steady thin lines
11:28 Small architectural details
14:15 Add textures
15:50 Conclusion