For many years, Adobe Photoshop has preserved its status as the gold standard for raster graphics editing and it has remained the most popular painting software in the world. Packed with impressive features, extensive tools, and diligent updates, it comes as no surprise that it still has a massive appeal and a very dedicated user base.
However, even with its massive library, artists will always find themselves in situations where a certain job requires a specific tool that can’t be found on the software. What this results to is either the creation or sourcing of that tool.
In this case, specific watercolor brushes that are required for specific effects.
Yet another problem that might arise is the cost of these externally sourced brushes. The price tags are notoriously expensive and often discourage artists from even searching.
However, we are here to help.
Currently, there are many digital artists online who create and release for download, free high-quality brush sets that are tailor-made for niche artistic needs.
We have taken our time to filter and carefully curate a list of 40 brush kits that manage to be totally free while still being high quality.
This list is varied so it doesn’t matter if you’re trying to achieve a thin pen-like streak or broad splodge-like textures, you will definitely find something that will bring your work to life.
1. Five Watercolor Brushes Kit for Photoshop
First on the list is a kit of five brushes that will help you achieve that watercolor effect digitally.
The first brush is big, soft, and designed for toning down backgrounds.
The second brush is designed for painting smooth shadows and the third brush is for painting nuances and small details.
The fourth brush is for the extra watercolor sheen and the last is specifically for occlusion shadows and any other small details.
2. Watercolor Designers Kit for Photoshop
This is a set of hand-made watercolor that includes high-quality photoshop brushes, styles, and png shapes for adding unique watercolor effects easily. In this pack, you will get 74 watercolor photoshop styles, 92 hand-made watercolor brushes, 41 high-resolution PNG files, and a pdf tutorial that shows how to install and use it.
3. 28 Hi-Res Watercolour Brushes
This set consists of a variety of high-res strokes, splats, and washes. There are 28 high resolution watercolour brushes in this set that are perfectly suited for use with a soft pastel shade and come with a brush range of about 600px to 2200px which is definitely more than enough to work with.
4. Photoshop Brushes (Watercolor)
This watercolor set includes 11 high-resolution Photoshop brushes that have a very realistic watercolor texture and are free for commercial and non-commercial works. This means you have total ownership over the tools. They will lend the watercolor texture that you desire to your project.
However, this tool is only compatible with Photoshop CS2 and higher.
5. Hi-Res Watercolor Photoshop Brushes (Set II) Free
These are the 2nd set in a series of free high-resolution brushes. The more strokes are less conventional and more complex than the previous set. They can be used to create a wide variety of patterns or geometrical shapes. They are easily customizable and more convenient to use than other physical brushes or drawing tools.
6. 20 Paint Splash PS Brushes (Vol.6) Free
If what you want are color drops, splashes or stain patterns then this could be the perfect pack for you. It is the 6th volume in a series of free Photoshop brushes. The brushes can be used in both personal and commercial projects, however you will need to be conscious of its attribution and licensing details.
7. Set of Artistic GIMP and Photoshop Brushes
18 brushes are in this set and they are compatible with Photoshop 7, CS6, CC, and higher. These sets of brushes seem to emulate different globs of paints, ink drops, acrylic brushstrokes, and a lot of other artistic shapes. There are also many different settings on these that you can alter and modify to make your own unique texture brushes for watercolor painting!
8. Set of 69 Watercolor Brushes for Photoshop
You can add more style to your work with this unique set of 69 high-quality Watercolor Brushes. The realistic nature of watercolor paint is noticeable in this tool because the process of creation included digital preservation of the real thing. Included in this download is a cheat sheet PSD file that enables you quick selection and a copy & paste feature of your preferred watercolor texture at full resolution.
9. Set of 9 HQ Watercolor Brush
You can bring a sublime and artistically charged feel of watercolor paints to your projects, photos, and any other artworks you might be working on with this high-quality set of watercolor brushes for Photoshop. The 9 brushes in this pack are high-res and free for commercial and non-commercial use.
10. watercolor brushes version 2 Kit
It is impossible to have enough beautiful watercolor paint brushes and this kit proves that there is always more to offer. This Photoshop brush pack includes 20 brushes specifically crafted for watercolor paint perfection. Each brush has been pulled apart, dissected, and scanned at its best resolution for the single purpose of creating incredible and high-quality brush effects.
11. Set of 75 Photoshop Brushes (Watercolor Collection)
This gorgeous pack of 75 aesthetic photoshop Brushes will enhance the beauty of your project. Included in this pack are 4 ABR files and various Floral elements in high resolution. There are also 60 different floral elements brushes, 6arcane breathe brushes, 5 fauna brushes, 4 resplendent garlands brushes, and a PDF file that will show you how to install these brushes.
12. (Vol. 2) Free Watercolor Stroke Brushes
This volume 2 set of brushes are very popular and have been able to bridge the gap in making very important and valuable connections between traditional and digital art. Designs with this watercolor Brushes have skyrocketed in recent years and there is no sign of it relenting any time soon. Included in this pack are 31 free incredible photoshop brushes and stroke textures .
13. A Set of Watercolor Brushes and Textures (Free)
This selection of 36 watercolor vector brushes and 6 textures are a hand drawn set. They work perfectly in creating that sense of a manually created feel to any of your designs. The colors, opacity and size are especially easy to edit. All you need to do is select the desired brush you need from the brush panel and then choose the color and begin creating.
Included in this pack is 1 Ai. CS file and 1 EPS 10 file with all its brushes on its artboard with a PDF file that explains installation.
14. Pack of Watercolor Textures (Free Photoshop Brushes)
This is a 25 photoshop texture pack that comes in an ABR and PNG file format with a size range of 1200-2500px. It is free for personal and commercial projects under certain ‘Freebie Files Usage Terms’. It would be helpful to check it out. The limitation of use expressly condemns redistribution or sale of files.
15. Pack of Watercolor Landscapes
This pack will appeal strongly to oldies. It is a set of 12 brushes of watercolor landscapes that are cast on a vintage backdrop. Included in its pack are an array of individual PNG files and an .abr file. These brushes are absolutely free for commercial and non-commercial projects.
16. (Free) Top Brushes for Adobe Photoshop
This is a free splatter and Splash Watercolor pack that includes 36 creative watercolor brushes for Adobe Photoshop CS2 and older. It has a myriad of possible applications. It is a high quality watercolor paint pack that comes in a very high resolution and is completely free for commercial and non commercial use.
17. Free Watercolor Brushes (Photoshop)
To get a feel of the unique texture of this brush, it is advisable to set the spacing of the brushes to maximum so that there can be a constant stream. However, when you reduce the spacing, it will give a more lush feel to them but there will be less texture in its middle. These brushes can be used without credit and they are free for personal and commercial work.
18. Watercolor Brush Pack 93 (free)
There are 93 watercolor brushes in this pack and they all come in varying sizes. These brushes are also super high resolution which means that you can zoom into a smaller section of any or the 93/brushes to use as a background or texture or even to just add more watercolor paints.
19. Free Watercolor Brush Pack (5)
This is a pack of 5 free watercolor brushes that are high-res and can be used in creating a lot of different fun shapes and textures in your artworks. They are so aesthetically pleasing that you might even consider creating standalone art pieces using these brushes. They are free for both commercial and noncommercial use
20. Pack of Watercolor Brushes (Vol 1)
The first volume in a recently launched series of watercolor brushes, this pack contains 20 high-res brushes that are around 2000×2000 pixels and are perfect suited for paper texture applications. There are a myriad of ways to apply these brushes. They are free and do not require any kind of licensing.
21. Free Artistic Studio Watercolor Toolkit
This watercolor Toolkit was created to serve almost any kind of creative project that it is applied to! It works perfectly when used in combination with other design assets. Included in this toolkit are 38 Seamless Pastel Textures, 35 Photoshop Brushes, 16 Hand-Drawn Vector Rectangle Shapes, 35 Hand-Drawn Vector Strokes, 16 Hand-Drawn Splash Vectors, 16 Hand-Drawn Circles, 6 Spray Splashes, and Art brushes for Illustrator.
22. Free Hi Res Watercolor Brushes
A set of 30 Hi-Res Watercolor Brushes that have been created in CS3. They were designed to appear as though you are painting with actual watercolors, so they are very transparent. This means that you will have to paint on a colored layer because if you paint on a transparent layer or background, the strokes will not appear.
23. Free Watercolor Brushes V.202
With ease, you can quickly create very different artistic backgrounds and artworks with this 202 Abstract & Floral Watercolor Brushes for Adobe Photoshop. Especially suited for nature lovers with an abstract side, this massive collection of brushes is high quality and aesthetically pleasing. It is also free and requires zero licensing to use.
24. (Free) Water-Color Reloaded
You can adjust the opacity of this water-color reloaded pack to add some delicate style and texture to your art piece. You can also use the brushes to apply a very whimsical color to your graphic designs. This massive pack offers 83 brushes with a resolution of about 700 – 1200px and it is readily compatible with Photoshop version 7 and higher.
25. (Free) Water-Color Extremum
The Watercolor Extremum is a very versatile set of brushes that has amazing sets of different watercolor stroke qualities.
You can either use any of the 41 brushes to splash, blot, shade, or highlight your complete art piece.
This pack offers exactly 41 brushes with a resolution of 2500px that are compatible with Photoshop 7 and higher!
26. (New) brushes for Adobe Photoshop Free
Create artistic smudges with this set of watercolor brushes. There are 18 high-resolution horizontal paint brushes in this pack and they are made specifically for Adobe Photoshop version 7 and higher. This pack is completely free and can be used without a license in your personal or commercial projects.
27. Free Grungy Watercolor Photoshop Brushes
These are very large grunge brushes and are 10 in this set. You can create a dark mood with them by applying them to buildings, machinery, or any artwork you are creating. They were created from a combination of actual watercolor and India ink. Free to use without licensing for commercial and noncommercial projects.
28. Set 2 of Watercolour Brushes Free
Included in this set are 25 high-resolution watercolor brushes that have a range of 1500px to 2500px. This brush set perfectly imitates the feel of watercolor inkblots and the way they flow, bleed, and even appear on an actual paper. You can definitely use this to add a look of moodiness to your project or artwork.
29. Watercolor II (Free)
The second set of watercolor brushes in this series, it operates with the same rules as with stock brushes. These series are STAMP brushes and not continuous brushes which means they imprint and do not appear to ebb or flow. These brushes were created in Photoshop CS3 and are free to use.
30. Free Messy Watercolours 2
This is the 2nd part of the Messy Watercolour Photoshop Brush Set series. It offers 18 ultra high resolution brushes with a range between 2136px and 2500px. They have a very wild and expressive style and will spice up your artwork, undoubtedly. You are allowed to use them without any licensing in your personal and commercial projects.
31. The free Watercolor brushes
Dive into more watercolor brushes with this pack of 8 Watercolor Photoshop Brushes. They will give a light and fairy-like quality to your artwork. In this pack, there are 8 high quality brushes compatible with PS 7 and CS series. They are absolutely free to use.
32. Free (13) Grungy Watercolor Photoshop Brushes
You can’t go wrong with more grunge and so here is more. These are called 13 Grungy Watercolor Photoshop Brushes and the pack includes 13 high quality brushes with a resolution of about 2500px. They are made for the PS 7 and CS series but can also function with higher versions. These brushes are free to use for both commercial and noncommercial projects.
33. Free furry and soft Watercolor Brushes
Adorable, cute, and light-hearted; this brush set will add that delicate aura to your artwork or picture. They are called the Soft and furry watercolor Photoshop brushes and they work impressively for creating soft and interesting backgrounds that look incredibly realistic. They are free to use in both commercial and personal projects.
34. Free Watercolor Splatters Kit
Who doesn’t love a good splatter? Whether it is paint or blood simulation, these brushes will help you achieve your desired effect without any hassle. They come in a varied series of 32 high-resolution splatter brushes and were created based on actual high-quality watercolor brushes. They are completely free to use.
35. Free kit (Watercolor Splodges and Drops)
A free kit of 22 high–resolution splodges and drops, these Photoshop brushes each has beautiful nuances such as realistic shades, strong and alterable contrasts, and enhanced edges. They have a wide variety of uses and can be applied in the most creative ways. They are free to use and not require any attribution.
36. (Free Kit) Splashes Watercolor Adobe Brushes
This kit offers free smudges/splashes Watercolor Paint Brushes that have been deliberately tailored for Adobe Photoshop. There are 25 smudges/splashes brushes in this set that were created using watercolors for Adobe Photoshop 7 and newer versions. They are completely free to use in both personal and commercial projects and do not require any licenses or attributions.
37. Pack of 64 Watercolor Blob Kit Brushes
You can use this pack of 64 Watercolour Brushes to create some truly wonderful overlay effects for your typography pieces and digital artworks. They come in very high resolution with a varied range between 850-1200px that can be scaled a little higher if that is what is intended.
In this pack, you get 64 high resolution Brushes and a Readme.txt file.
38. 20 Free Watercolor Mask Brushes (Vol 10)
Straight from the volume 10 collection is this set of Watercolor Mask brushes. They have a resolution of about 2500px and a very high resolution. It has a wet Grunge Texture that will give a slick, dark, and metallic feel to any artwork you apply it to. It is free to use in both personal and commercial projects.
39. Free Kit of Hero Artistic Brushes
These are some of the most artistic brushes you will ever find for Photoshop. Designed for Photoshop CC, CS6, and CS5, they can also work with newer versions. There are 30 brushes in this kit and they are free to use in both personal and commercial projects without the requirements of attribution.
40. Watercolor Kit and Free Gold Texture Pack
This is a set of dazzling watercolor and gold elements that is perfectly suited for website headers, apparel, business cards, fancy logos, and more. Included in this set are 41 total elements in png format on a transparent background, gold elements in different colors, and 13 plain watercolor elements along with 2 bonus splatters in 300 dpi.
While this comprehensive list of watercolor brushes will definitely serve one artistic need or the other. It is still possible that you might not find what you are looking for.
In light of that, do not let the inaccessibility of a tool or effect deter or stop you from creating your art, it is your skill that e determines the function of your tool.
