Show us yer B(r)ush

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**J!MM!L!COUS**

Hi Guys,

Please excuse the horrific title of this thread, for a moment there I had delusions of humour...

I'm looking at getting some new paint brushes and I have an issue with the (low) Quality vs (high) Price of GW brushes. I'm wondering if any of you guys use 3rd party brushes and what advise you can give me about them.

Ideally I want to hear about 'detail' and 'standard' equivilent brushes, and if possible, a link to a UK store

Cheers,

Jimmi

**BrotherOmas**

TBH the best brushes I've found so far are the GW ones..

**Hatticus**

I asked a similar question in this thread - Army Painter brushes are meant to be good

**Doomthumbs**

Zees brush, aye mayde heem froom ze pubis.

**Haruko**

The Pic + Avatar i lol'd hard

**Clumpski**

o.o seriously? a pubic brush? XD WELL! erm... xD go for it XD

**Synchro**

Are you looking for the best or just better than GW? I have a few GW brushes and they are fair, but if you want the best, look for Kolinsky sable brushes from brands like Da Vinci, Escoda, Windsor & Newton, Isabey, etc.

Do you need brushes like this, no. But IMO, you can get better results faster with good brushes than with mediocre or bad brushes. You do have to take care of them though as they are natural fiber.

The other big thing is, if you find a discount art supply store, the cost of an excellent Kolinsky sable brush is about the same as a GW brush. Here in the states, that place is dickblick.com, but I am not sure of the equivalent in your neck of the world.

Cheers,
Kirk

**AustonT**

THE best brushes are natural Kolinsky Sables from a reputable maker.
Since you said "show me" and I'm a spiritual son of Missori heres a small cross section of my brushes the ones I use the most.

from left to right
18/0 round taklon Loew-Cornell, 18/0 spotter taklon Masters Touch, 10/0 Filbert taklon Loew-Cornell, 10/0 round nylon Royal majestic, 2/0 shader taklon Masters Touch, Tamiya Modeling Brush no.1 (approx 2/0 flat pretty sure it is natural hair), 4 filbert taklon Loew-Cornell, 0 round taklon Masters Touch, 0 round Kolinsky Utrechts
most of these brushes are of about a medium quality with synthetic bristles, and unless they are round are pretty much used and abused as drybrushhes or similar. the rounds are where quality is really needed.

**MightyGodzilla**

Personally I love the Army Painter Brushes. I did a little research before ordering about 5-6 about a year ago. They're great! Price range about $4-$6 per, a little more if you're going for the vehicle sized brushes. They keep on working, and they keep their tip really well. The ones I've got have a triangular grip for easy holding.

anyways, good stuff

**Aerethan**

I use Rosemary & Co. Kolinsky Sable brushes. They are the same quality as Windsor & Newton at about half the price and twice the selection.

**Nimbosa**

+1 for W&N series 7, they are only about 9 bucks each at dickblick and I get by with size 0 and size 1 round for 98% of non-basing work.

**Aerethan**

Nimbosa wrote:+1 for W&N series 7, they are only about 9 bucks each at dickblick and I get by with size 0 and size 1 round for 98% of non-basing work.

Like I said, Rosemary & Co that same brush is $4 for the same quality. W&N all you are paying for is the name.

**Hatticus**

Aerethan wrote:
Nimbosa wrote:+1 for W&N series 7, they are only about 9 bucks each at dickblick and I get by with size 0 and size 1 round for 98% of non-basing work.

Like I said, Rosemary & Co that same brush is $4 for the same quality. W&N all you are paying for is the name.

Which is the comparable Rosemary & Co. brush/range out of interest?

**Synchro**

Aerethan wrote:Like I said, Rosemary & Co that same brush is $4 for the same quality. W&N all you are paying for is the name.

Got a link of where you are buying them? I am interested.

**Hatticus**

Synchro wrote:
Aerethan wrote:Like I said, Rosemary & Co that same brush is $4 for the same quality. W&N all you are paying for is the name.

Got a link of where you are buying them? I am interested.

I imagine it's these, but not sure: https://www.rosemaryandco.com/index.php?cPath=275_365&osCsid=vo99cajuueng0gnr42ii053u00

**Aerethan**

http://www.rosemaryandco.com/

Automatically Appended Next Post:
I use series 323, 92 and 33 nothing bigger than a 1, most of which are 0 or smaller.

**Synchro**

Yeah, saw that. Their shipping rates to the states are a bit much though. I was hoping that someone in the states carried them so the shipping is more reasonable.

**Aerethan**

For example, series 33: https://www.rosemaryandco.com/index.php?currency=USD&cPath=275_365&osCsid=hkhciatm7d8auv8kmhese2plp2

The brushes you'd be using for this hobby are 10/0-1 and range from $5.61 to $6.10 which is much better than W&N prices, and that they have a ton of different series to choose from.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Synchro wrote:Yeah, saw that. Their shipping rates to the states are a bit much though. I was hoping that someone in the states carried them so the shipping is more reasonable.

CMON carries them afaik.

**Catyrpelius**

I still prefer Winsor & Newton Series 7 Minature Brushes, to me the price difference is irrelivant when talking about a brush i've had going on 3 years... IMO the biggest differance between the two is the finish on the handel is better on the W&N brushes.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also you really only need a 0 and 1 sized brushes, if it came down to it, i could probably do everything with just the #1

**Synchro**

Aerethan wrote:CMON carries them afaik.

Seems they do, but the prices are not spectacular. Dick Blick's various brands are priced about the same.

**AustonT**

Catyrpelius wrote:
Also you really only need a 0 and 1 sized brushes, if it came down to it, i could probably do everything with just the #1

Despite the dizzying array of brushes I use if I had to take just one it would be a size 0 Round Kolinsky.

**Grarg**

I got this about 5 or so months ago and have never touched another brush since (other than base coating mass infantry or vehicles).

**Wulfen Andy**

I use several brushes, some are from GW with some fairing better than other GW brushes. In all fairness, their brushes aren't too bad, but are seriously crap for detail. My brushes left to right are:-
2 sizes of GW drybrushes - 2 GW middle detail brushes (one fairing better than the other!) - one bad GW normail brush (only good for 'finer' detail dry brushing that one) - one fine detail GW brush - one seriously fine detail brush German brush 5/0 Premier - GW fine brush - (then my two babies!!!) Rembrandt 110 pure red sable and then the piggy which went wee wee weee all the way home Raphael 8400 kolinsky - both bought in France and the end one on the right being hairs fine!

So in general, GW brushes not bad but get your fine detail brushes elsewhere!!!!!!

Cheers
Andy

**MrH**

Don't talk to me about brushes.

/grumble

**Aerethan**

I've had my Rosemary brushes for about 2 and a half years now and they are good as new. I had some GW ones that went to crap after only a few months.

I agree that 90% of your painting can be done with only 1 or 2 brushes, the rest being specialty brushes for things like eyes, drybrushing, basing etc.

If I had to choose just 2, it would be my Rosemary & Co Series 92 4/0 and series 22 0.

Those and my airbrush do almost all my work outside eyes.

**J!MM!L!COUS**

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the brilliant replies - plenty for me to sink me teeth into at the weekend.

Peace,

Jimmi