Synthetic watercolour range covering rounds, flats, riggers, and more. Reliable and affordable.
The Winsor & Newton Cotman range is the brand's synthetic watercolour brush line, named after the landscape painter John Sell Cotman. It covers a comprehensive range of shapes — rounds, flats, riggers, filberts, mops, and more — all using W&N's synthetic fibres designed to mimic natural hair performance.
Cotman brushes are the go-to recommendation for watercolour beginners and students, offering reliable point retention, decent paint capacity, and consistent quality across the range. They are also practical for experienced painters as utility brushes for masking fluid, mixing, and techniques that would risk expensive sable. The short-handle format is standard across the range.
What makes this brush special
Comprehensive synthetic watercolour range covering all essential shapes. Reliable W&N quality at an accessible price point. Good point retention and paint flow for synthetic brushes. Short handles suited to watercolour and close-up work.
Medium compatibility
Watercolour
Smooth flow for washes, controlled lines and fine points.
Gouache
Handles opaque water-based paint when thinned to a brush-friendly consistency.
Great for
Watercolour beginners and students building a brush collection
Oil painting — the Galeria range is designed for that
Painters who have outgrown student-grade materials
Click a row to select sizeTap a row · Swipe for price & stock →
Units/
Size
Tuft Length
Belly Diameter
Price
Stock
4/0
—
—
$7.46
Sold Out
3/0
5.0 mm
—
$7.46
In Stock
2/0
7.0 mm
—
$7.77
In Stock
0
8.0 mm
—
$7.77
In Stock
1
9.5 mm
—
$8.74
In Stock
2
11.0 mm
—
$8.74
In Stock
3
13.0 mm
—
$9.56
In Stock
4
15.0 mm
—
$9.56
In Stock
5
16.0 mm
—
$11.17
In Stock
6
19.0 mm
—
$12.32
In Stock
Brush sizes are not standardised across brands — a Size 1 from one maker may differ from another. These brushes are handcrafted, so individual dimensions may vary by 1–2 mm.
How we measure a brushA visual guide to the measurements shown in the size chart above.
These are the same measurements shown in the size chart above. Brush sizes are not standardised across brands, so use these dimensions when comparing brushes within a series or between manufacturers.
Tuft Length
The visible length of the brush hairs, measured from the ferrule to the tip.
Belly Diameter
The widest point of the brush head. On round brushes, this is the widest part of the belly.
Total Length
The full measurement from the tip of the brush to the end of the handle.
How to care for your brush
Rinse after each session. Cotman synthetics are durable and forgiving. Clean with brush soap as needed. Reshape and store normally. These brushes tolerate more casual handling than natural hair but last longest with proper care.
