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.

Hi all, thinking of asking for some nice brushes for xmas

Am I right in thinking the Windsor 7 series are generally considered top doggy for painting miniatures?

Generally they are considered one of the best lines out there for miniature painting, although at the end of the day, it is about personal preference as you'll find different brushes might suit you better. Your own methods and brush control is where the brush will shine.

I have a size 00 for my fine detail work and it's honestly one of the best brushes I've ever owned, but it's not my workhorse. I get more mileage out of other larger brushes for glazing, blending and the like.

Yes, just be sure not to get the ones labeled miniature.
Those are for painting miniature pictures.
Just get series 7
Davinchi meastro are good too.
I personally use Artis Opus brushes.

I use a W&N size 1 for 95% of what I do. I never appreciated how important a brush was until I got one of proper quality. It has a decent sized belly and holds a perfect point so that I can even paint the dots of white on a marines eyes, or the writing on a purity seal without any real trouble.

If you do invest in good brushes, make sure you get some Master brush soap. It's essential for keeping them going. If you care for your brushes they'll last a lot longer.

For my W&N I stick to a few rules;
- I don't ever let paint into the ferrule.
- I never use it to pull paint from a pot or mix paint, use a cheaper brush for this.
- I don't use it for washes as these soak up deep into the brush and harden
- I only use it for acrylics, never oils
- I avoid using it for metallic paints as they can be very harsh on the bristles.
- Always spend the time to use brush soap to clean it out after a session.

Following this, I've had mine for well over a year and it's still got a perfect tip. I have been looking to get a second one but the size 1 is unfortunately like gold dust right now.

W&N brushes are great.
Certainly the best brushes I have.

Also, one rule for your brushes that make them last longer.
Dont use them
Seriously, use synthetics for your rough work, your metals, your basecoating, your washing. Use your good brushing for glazing, layering and such

Thanks all,

Yes I mostly use synthetic and have 1 good brush I just thought I’d get the right brand and series if I’m asking for expensive brushes as a gift. It was a good point about the miniature brushes not being for minis

I like the W&N brushes, but I'm not sure they're worth the cost over Raphael 8404s or Da Vinci Maestros. I use the latter two more often nowadays.

If you do want to go with W&N, advise whoever might be purchasing them not to get them from Amazon. They have a massive problem with Chinese knock-offs getting added to the same inventory as the real deal.

Yeah, agreed.

Winsor and Newton (note no D in Winsor for accurate googling) have an advantage that they're relatively easy to pick up in person in an art shop in the UK, as they're a prominent oil and watercolour brand as well as being a popular hobby choice.

But you should absolutely do this as the common denominator between my excellent W+N brushes and the gakky ones is the same as the ones I ordered online Vs the ones I picked up in person. Aside from possible fakes, they're a natural product and vary from brush to brush (albeit some of the quality of W+N is their consistency) so picking them out in person allows for choosing one you feel has the best shape for your purposes.

I'd also happily recommend Raphael 8404 and Rosemary and Co as well. The only one I personally wouldn't recommend that I own of the premium brands is Broken Toad, but that's not a quality issue so much as a preference problem, their bristles tend to be proportionately longer than others I use and that doesn't suit me. I've seen people say they prefer it though, so YMMV.

I use Winsor Newtown cotman synthetics and they are great and really durable. With a decent brush soap you can treat them quite bad and they will last longer than any other I have used

Rosemary and Co are fantastic brushes and are based out of the UK. Get those if you can, quality is similar if not better than Winsor and Newton(I've heard that W&N can have a wild range of quality control issues).

Windsor & Newton, Rosemary & Co. and Raphael 8404's are all top notch. You can't go wrong with any of them, so pick what's available to you locally or most affordable. Bigger is better; a #1-3 will do all the jobs a #000 can, and many it can't. If this is your first prime brush, don't get a teeny tiny one. And absolutely get brush soap.

Shipping brushes can be a bit of a minefield, as they're fragile if not properly boxed or reinforced.

Yeah.

The 00 I own gets used maybe like once or twice to do some minute detail like dot highlight but most of the time i decide its not even worth getting out.

 Mr. Grey wrote:
Rosemary and Co are fantastic brushes and are based out of the UK. Get those if you can

I used these quite a lot, namely the Series 66 Filbert and 323 Spotter, both from their Watercolour Pure Kolinksy line.

I also have the Artis Opus M and S brush sets, and a fair few GW brushes, theyre a bit average quality, although the M Base is awful, hence the Series 66 Filberts.

GW's brushes have always been mid-tier at best, and overpriced at that vs. the same brush at an art supply shop. They sell rebranded brushes from other companies, picked more for how cheaply GW can acquire them than quality. Their newer 'professional' line is supposedly better but again, paying a huge markup just to have their logo slapped on it.

Always keep some inexpensive brushes at the ready with your good brush, so you won't be tempted to use it for things like mixing paint or drybrushing.

For the price GW hardware in general is always sub par to other options at similiar price ranges; brushes, clippers glue etc.

I would say that their free mold line scraper and the minature saw thing is pretty dang good though..

I'll just add to go shopping. Black Friday is over, but you might have luck finding a sale.

If you're in no hurry, subscribe to every art store that carries these brushes. Jackson Arts used to sell these brushes once or twice a year, but didn't in their last BF sale. ):

+1 for Series 7's (not S7 miniature), currently on my second set, be sure to get some proper brush soap (like Masters). I also have some W&N Cotman synthetics for metallics and general abuse. Size 0 and 1 do 95% of all my painting.