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Hey dakka, I've noticed over the years that GW brushes aren't the best, they don't last long enough and do not keep their shape (I do look after my brushes extremely well)!
So, if some of you are kind enough to share your secrets it would be greatly appreciated!
(I think this is the right forum; questions about P&M?)
Windsor and Newton Series 7. I like. Also try Rosemary & Co, they're pretty good. I don't buy mine online- I like to check the point myself before I buy so I pay a little more than online prices at the local hobbycraft. I'm just about to retire my size 1 S7 after just over a year of (full time) service, so they last pretty well when looked after.
Problem with hobbycraft is they take all their brushes out of the plastic tubes they should come in, Ordering online from a reputable dealer should mean fresh brushes in the protective tubes.
Have myself some windsor newton artists watercolour brushes. Would like a series 7 myself too though.
winterdyne wrote:Windsor and Newton Series 7. I like. Also try Rosemary & Co, they're pretty good. I don't buy mine online- I like to check the point myself before I buy so I pay a little more than online prices at the local hobbycraft. I'm just about to retire my size 1 S7 after just over a year of (full time) service, so they last pretty well when looked after.
I agree with the above, I recently invested some money into 3 Winsor and Newton series 7 brushes they are just flawless compared to GW brushes and most on the market. I know the same company makes a little less expensive series of brushes that perform much better than GW brushes as well.
I’ve used GW brushed because I didn’t know any better. Then our local game shop started carrying Army Painter which I really liked the type of handles so I bought a bunch of those but the more and more I paint the more and more I use brushes that I’ve gotten at the local arts supply store , mostly mixes of different brands, L&N cricket has been a good brush but 3/0 is the smallest. I got some Reaper brushes for the holidays which are Kolonsky and are doing very well.
I use Windsor & Newton brush cleaner and restorer before I put my brushes away but would really like to find some where to buy Windsor & Newton brushes because I’ve heard so many good things about them.
Because of where I live and there are no “real” art supply places close (usually 1 + hour drive) I would appreciate someone sharing an on-line shop that carries them and knows how to care for them when their shipped.
For The Greater Good….. says who?
7000 pts + Going through a re-do & growing
3500 pts + growing
Cygnar - 100 pts + growing
IG slowly gathering
Samus_aran115 wrote:They look pretty good. 'squaty' brushes are better. GW brushes are really lanky looking.
How small would you say the 3/0 one is compared to the citadel fine detail brush?
I have a few GW brushes still and a couple Fine Detail Brushes, PT # 9919999026 and the other 3/0’s I have are Langnickel which are almost identical bristle length and diameter.
I am not 100% sure but from what I saw today at my local paint and art supply store the 3/0 are almost all in the same neighborhood.
Maybe some with shorter bristle length but I didn’t see a whole lot of differences.
The Langnickel’s I use have a little more “give” and are not as stiff as the GW brushes.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Funny I should be posting so much on this topic but it really interests me, probably more than anything because I’m painting so much lately.
My local (1 hour away) Art & Crafts store, which is A/C Moore carries Winsor & Newton brushes, couple of different “grades” for a lack of a better word.
I asked about the Series 7 brushes and was told by the clerk that he’s never heard of them…. I thanked him and went about my research… looking at other brands and bristles.
Looks as if I’m going to own Series 7 I’m going to have to buy on-line.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2011/01/03 01:21:00
For The Greater Good….. says who?
7000 pts + Going through a re-do & growing
3500 pts + growing
Cygnar - 100 pts + growing
IG slowly gathering
W&N Series 7s are high quality watercolor brushes. The resilience and flexibility of the Kolinsky bristles gives them good snap, they can hold a fine point, and they have a large belly (believe it or not, watercolors are rather wet, so holding a lot of paint is a benefit ), which all work well with finely diluted acrylic paint, such as many mini painters use.
They're great brushes, but they're not for everyone. If you use thick paint, plan on drybrushing, don't clean and condition your brushes, etc. then you're better off using something else and saving your money.
Personally, I use a combination of white nylon, golden Taklon, Kolinsky sable, and weaker fine natural fibers, depending on the task at hand, and what I found at a reasonable price. My sable brushes rarely get used, honestly, as, at my skill level, they don't make much of a difference (and, therefore, might as well be preserved).
If your brushes don't last as long as you'd like, ask yourself first if it's the brush or your painting method/care. Some painters are better off with expensive brushes and make them last for years. Others are better off buying relatively cheap and replacing worn out brushes as they go.
The Dreadnote wrote:But the Emperor already has a shrine, in the form of your local Games Workshop. You honour him by sacrificing your money to the plastic effigies of his warriors. In time, your devotion will be rewarded with the gift of having even more effigies to worship.
W & N gak all over GW brushes. i've tried a few brushes from diff brands and i love the W & N's. i'm not a fan of synthetic stuff unless it's for basecoating or large areas.
after you compare better brands to GW brushes you'll never go back. That said i do like GW medium drybrush
i'd encourage people to try all diff brands and find what you like, whetehr it's rosemary and co, Privateer, army painter etc....
7000 pts + Going through a re-do & growing
3500 pts + growing
IG slowly gathering 
), which all work well with finely diluted acrylic paint, such as many mini painters use.
