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I know this sounds like a really lame question, but what paintbrushes do you guys use. The ones I have suck.

Not sure what they're called off the top of my head - Master's Touch or something. Usually I just go to Hobby Lobby and buy whatever sable brushes they have for about $6 a pop. I use them a few months and replace when they start getting fuzzy.

I use brushes from art shops for good quality painting and cheapo brushes from the 100 yen shop for slopping paint onto terrain.

I generally get my art shop brushes in sales. I look for the ones which are expensive and are heavily discounted, and for the ones specified for acrylic paint.

Rosemary & Co. Kolinsky Sable Brushes.

Best priced sable brushes on the market and easily the best quality brush I own.

I use series 22, 33, 92 and 323 brushes from size 1 or less.

Average price of a brush there is usually $4 for the smaller ones.

Cidatel brushes.

The one i use most often is the red one (can't remember what its called).

I use Pro Arte, Winsor & Newton, Daler Rowney, I have got some pure sable brushes as well. I do a lot of other painting besides Minis (a lot more).

Art and hobby stores have a good range between synthetic and sable fibres for a multitude of uses and at different price points.

I use Winsor & Newton (I think). Works fine for me. They're green with golden yellow bristles.

Note: synthetic or taklon brushes will start to curve at the tip FAR faster than sable brushes. Dollar for dollar it is worth it to invest in sable brushes as they will last far longer than synthetic brushes. Also, use The Masters Brush Cleaner to clean them out every so often as this will extend their life even longer.

Agreed, Sable is the way to go

www.dickblick.com

Windsor and Newton Series 7 Miniature or regular. Miniature has a shorter tip. I use a size 2, 1 and 0 for everything. Regular tip for me A size 1 for about 90% of my paining.

Buy some brush soap for $5 and you these will last you 2 to 3 years or more.

http://www.dickblick.com/products/winsor-and-newton-series-7-kolinsky-sable-miniature-brushes/


Stuido Cake size will last a life time for brush cleaner. Use after every paint session.
http://www.dickblick.com/products/masters-brush-cleaner-and-preserver/

While I will agree to the quality of Windsor and Newton brushes, Rosemary and Co. are the exact same quality at a significantly reduced price. A $9 W&N brush goes for under $4 for the same brush by Rosemary & Co.

I have a thin one from citadel that I use for fine details and then a multi-assorted brush pack that I got from Michael's. They're just generic brushes with different head types.

aerethan wrote:While I will agree to the quality of Windsor and Newton brushes, Rosemary and Co. are the exact same quality at a significantly reduced price. A $9 W&N brush goes for under $4 for the same brush by Rosemary & Co.

In the US the Windsor and Newton and Raphael brushes are much easier to get and they are both incredible brushes... not cheap though. ASWExpress.com has a good brush sale nearly every month.

I really like the Citadel brushes. I have a fair collection, and I mostly use the fine detail brush. The smaller drybrushing brush is really great quality too.

I haven't used any other brand of brushes though. The Citadel brushes are easily available to me and don't really break the bank

Rosemary & Co. brushes can be bought from the CMON web store in the most popular hobby sizes, so availability in the US isn't really an issue.

A good alternative would be to use Blick Studio series sable brushes. A little lower in quality than R&C, but at a very reasonable price and rather easy to find. They are my second favorite brushes I own.

Windsor and Newton series 7 minis and Raphael are the ones I'm using currently and I'm very pleased with how they're working out.

I buy my brushes from the craft section of Walmart.

I can't comment on the Rosemary and Co. Brushes.

I have used Raphael as well as DaVinci. Both excellent.

I'm always amazed that people complain about $11 bucks a brush that lasts over 3 years when properly taken care of. That a $5 brush is just fine or the hobby lobby ones. I've used the hobby lobby and tip curl is pretty rapid usually.

Regardless, my point is a single man sized metal miniature nowadays is $11 to $20 bucks. A unit box $25 to $30. Given the fact you will spend over between $200 to $500 on an army, it is a small investment to pay 2% to 1% of the total army cost on a good brush to paint it with. At least that is how I see it.

Regards,
J

I am a huge fan of 2/0 and 3/0 sized brushes. I usually use synthetic but now reading the forum I want to try sable.

I just bought 4 sable brushes by Rosemary & CO. With shipping to the US (from England) it came to about $24, not bad at about $6 a brush.

The brush I use most often, is no name #2 flat from Michaels. It's lasted, holds its shape, and has been an excellent brush all around.

I agree that the relative cost of brushes versus their longevity and importance is not that bad. However, why pay $11 when you can pay $6?

And unfortunately most people won't maintain their brushes with cleaner like they should, so they end up replacing them sooner than they would under better circumstances.

I remember Wal Mart used to have Scotch brand brushes, a 10/0 and a 0 for $3, they were taklon. At that price I didn't bother to wash them or take care of them, and in the course of 4 years I must have gone thru some 20 brushes.

No one likes expensive tools in this hobby, and no matter the price someone will think it too high. I just like finding alternatives that are the same in quality but different in price.

If I am being lazy , like I normally am I just buy them from the store and waste maybe £10 lol. The Range is good you can buy packs of them pretty cheaply , plus there are some other things foam ect you can pick up at the same time . I would try different places though see which you think are best.