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Battle Ready Studios wrote:I do not use the dip, but their primer is amazing. I don't see a huge difference in most primers, but the AP primer seems thinner and with a more powerful propellent.

just picked up a couple brushes, hope to test them out later tonight or tomorrow.

As for brush price, there is NO WAY a $6 set of brushes is going to be anything but garbage, they will lose their point quickly and fray or warp. High quality sable brushes are worth the expense, but as someone with an art background, I am used to paying much more for good brushes, so $5 or $6 seems like a bargain.

You are an artist that is used to working on higher end projects. For table top, a cheap brush taken care of and a drive to get it table top ready is worth paying $6USD to get them done. If you are prepping and painting for the Golden Demon then yes pay the $6USD+ for the better brushes, but dipping and spending $30USD for it is ludicrous.

Henners91 wrote:
I kind of want to look into paint cleaner and proper brushes because A. My skills have come along and B. Bristles dropping off on the model you are painting and getting stuck under the paint have a habit of ruining *many* models of mine.

http://www.dickblick.com/products/the-masters-brush-cleaner-and-preserver/

Get a tub of this and look online for a good guide on using it properly.

Taking care of your brushes is an amazing habit, it really really saves you money in the long term and provides better looking models. Clean brushes hold paint better and deliver it more steadily.

Once you think you have a handle on taking care of your brushes, it's a good idea to invest in some Kolinsky's. They are absolutely amazing.

Most companies support their products....

GW have sent me tons of free stuff lately =].... Thanks to Finecast issues.....

I have the following Army Painter brushes - Hobby: Highlighting, Wargamer: Detail and Wargamer: Insane detail. I use the Hobby one all the time even for details and the same time really dislike the Wargamer ones, they were used once and now lay unused. The question is, is it just a matter of preference or am i simply a crap painter?

Second question, could anyone point me to some really high end brush? I would love to try one to see how much of a difference it makes...

 Emerett wrote:

Henners91 wrote:
I kind of want to look into paint cleaner and proper brushes because A. My skills have come along and B. Bristles dropping off on the model you are painting and getting stuck under the paint have a habit of ruining *many* models of mine.

http://www.dickblick.com/products/the-masters-brush-cleaner-and-preserver/

Get a tub of this and look online for a good guide on using it properly.

Taking care of your brushes is an amazing habit, it really really saves you money in the long term and provides better looking models. Clean brushes hold paint better and deliver it more steadily.

Once you think you have a handle on taking care of your brushes, it's a good idea to invest in some Kolinsky's. They are absolutely amazing.

+1 to this.

The stuff brings out crap in the bruses that you'd not have thought possible. It pulls it out of the base of the brush. down in there, thats what makes the brush spread out and curls the tips.

Another thing to do is to not use the whole brush. just the tip, and trade out those brushes for different sizes for the different areas.

Smaller for details, then trade it for the slightly larger ones, and npot use one brush for the whole job.

I tried the synthetic Army Painter brushes, was not impressed. IMO they are not worth the price.

Of Citadel brushes I only tried two, they were absolutely terrible, unusable even. But I heard that they vary a lot.

I'm getting my regular brushes in art store, both synthetic and kolinsky, for about $2 per brush. I wouldn't say these brushes are best in the world, but they are pretty decent compared to any wargaming brand (even before considering the price). Plus, I like kolinsky brushes more, and brand name ones are mostly synthetic.

I bought the silver primer for my GK and has to switch back to white primer because it sprayed off in weird globs no matter what technique I used. Mind you I want to buy the dragon primer for khorne and chosen >.<

Synethetic brushes are no longer on my shopping list, I used to go through several of them within a few months, the tips would warp very quickly and they just dont flex like higher end brushes. I have the GW set, and the detail brush, and large brush are still my favorite.. The Standards (gotten 2 now) always seem like gak though.

I guess it depends how much you paint and how detailed you paint, I hear tournament legal is 3 or 4 colors? I have a hard time not coming out with atleast 10-16 on my models.


Check out Lester Bursleys guide to cleaning and maintaining brushes if your serious about your painting, he explains how to clean them, and that he uses a special wax that maintains a good tip and brush shape!

I only use army painter brushes now, they vary in price at my local craft store from about £3-5 dependant on the type of brush, but they are far higher quality than most brushes and considering this stores other brushes are all in the £2-3 range I can't say I'm overly upset about the slight price increase for far better quality and lasting longer than any other brushes I've ever owned.

I do like the GW brushes but they are quite expensive in comparison and the quality I find isn't much higher in comparison.

The older Citadel brushes make the best drybrushes, which is about as backhanded a compliment you can give a serious brush. They don't hold a fine point, but don't split, meaning they are great for metallics and other dry work.

I use the Dick Blick Studio brushes, which the clerk told me were basically the house brand equivalent, and I've been pretty happy. they've lasted a few years, and I'm not easy on my brushes. With good sable brushes, you have to remember that they are hand made with actual animal hairs. Bad ones will happen. Contact the manufacturer, and they'll usually replace it.

Getting back on-topic, I'm glad Armypainter stands by their brush like that. Somebody commented that for the price they charge, they should. While I agree, remember that this was a $6 retail, which means the shop paid about $3 for it, and the distributor probably paid ~$2. Add in the costs to manufacture two brushes, and ship one personally to the OP, and there's not a lot of meat left on the bone for Army Painter. that's business, and you take the good with the bad, but ain't nobody getting rich selling $6 hobby brushes.

You know, I've had the same two fine detail brushes from GW for three years and each is just as pointed as the day I got them. I kinda wish people wouldn't say gw=crap so easily.

Scipio Africanus wrote:
You know, I've had the same two fine detail brushes from GW for three years and each is just as pointed as the day I got them. I kinda wish people wouldn't say gw=crap so easily.

I don't think they are crap, just a bit over-priced, If I can get roughly equally high quality brushes for cheaper, I'm going to take the cheaper option.

By all means the GW brushes are great and I know plenty of people who use them and even I occasionally still do, but army painter are my brushes of choice.

That's a better thing to say.

I still have a few red handled Citadel brushes from way when I started out well over a decade ago. It's all about caring for your brushes.

Also, depending on the age of the speaker, Citadel brushes can refer to severl different iterations of the same product.

True enough, the blue ones weren't as great as the red ones in my experience.

Scipio Africanus wrote:
That's a better thing to say.

Sorry about that

Also I'm old enough to have used the previous blue brushes, I even still have some in use, but the newer black ones (colour coded at the bottom) are better quality I think.

I'd like to know i anyones tried the 'fancy' ones, I think you still get them, they are 'Eavy Metal brand GW brushes and they were quite expensive if I remember right.

But isn't dipping cheating? (I kid, I kid!)

It's good to hear about AP having good enough service to stand behind their products.

The thing that I actually like more about my Army Painter brushes, compared to my more "usual" Citadel ones, is the shape... That rounded triangular shape they have fits the way I hold the brush much much better than the round brushes. I feel like I have more control of the paint and the brush, and the little bit of painting I've gotten to do with them I think has come out absolutely fantastic.

Man, those 7s are expensive. The red GW brushes were pretty good, lasted a while even with abuse. Might have to give the higher end brushes a try, i took a long break from painting and my brushes are mostly junk now.

I got my Series 7s from here. Still not cheap, but a lot better than elsewhere:

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

I use Dork Tower Primer it costs $5.95 USD a can and has never failed me.

With that said I'm not sure if this primer is a regional or national product. Does anyone have this primer at their flgs?