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After only lighting touching the hobby over the past couple of years I'm thinking I want to get right back in. I've got plenty of paints (most unopened!), plenty of finished models waiting to be painted, plenty waiting to be built and I do have some newer brushes. With the talk of GWs new line of brushes has me thinking about picking up some new brushes. Has anyone used the new GW brushes? Are they any good? What brushes to people like using? What would you recommend? I don't mind paying up to a mid-range for the brushes, I just want ones that work as good as what I paid for.

As an aside, what do people recommend for cleaning, care, and maintenance for brushes? I admit, I've never been to kind to my brushes in the past. They get swished in my water pot and rubbed on a paper towel between paints and at the end of the paint session. I'm sure that isn't the best way to take care of them.

I picked up a set of Da Vinci detail brushes awhile back, and i've never been happier with a set of brushes. I even like them better than the W&N Series 7s I used to have.

Series 36 Set - http://www.michtoy.com/item-DAV-5361-Da_Vinci_Series_36_Miniature_Detail_Paint_Brush_Set.html

I don't think the new GW brushes have been released yet. I just saw the article in the new White Dwarf, and I think they are going to be pretty good, but expensive for a complete set.

I mostly use brushes from The Army Painter, but I have a couple of the current GW ones as well. I also have a large drybrush from Formula P3 (Privateer Press). As for care, I don't do much more than you do and my brushes still work. I have had to replace a couple of the army painter ones because their bristles got messed up (probably got some paint in the ferrule or something), but I'm too lazy and cheap to invest in brush soap or anything. YMMV.

Thanks to you both for the replys! I've never put much effort into my brush care because that little that I do has always been enough. I still have some of the standard or larger brushes from when I first got into the hobby 10 years ago! They are starting to look their age these days. I bought some of the last line of GW brushes, but just the larger ones that I didn't have already. My problem lies in the detail and fine detail brushes, they all get 1 or 2 bristles that start to pull out to the side. I just would take my clippers and clip it off. Out of all the brushes, those are probably not the worst ones to have stray bristles and such, easier to make bigger mistakes. I'll look into the Di Vinci brushes. I've seen the Army Painter ones and they look nice. I really have no idea what makes one brush better then the next. All that talk of bristle types and what it's bonded with and everything, just to much for me.

I've used the army painter ones (have two in the brush cup at the moment) and my advice is don't bother if you can swing the da vinci set. The quality difference is night and day.

I have quite a few different brushes, part because I like trying new ones.

One important perspective is how you tend to take care of the brushes. If you go for the most expensive ones it is important you put the time into maintaining them, then they will last you a good while. If not then they will die just as fast at the cheaper ones.

My favourites are the W&N Series 7 (Bought them in a set so about £9 a piece)

I did get in on the kickstarter for the Ichiban brushes, I really wanted to like them but I am very unimpressed. The idea with a reversible handle is awesome, I know lots of good painters have promoted them but the promotion was done on prototypes and not production sets. I really hope they get the quality up in time.

Beside that I work mostly with noname artist brushes that are dirt cheap. The last pretty ok when you take care of them. I like the fact that I don't have to be so careful.

The white "army painter" bushes for me... GW brushes suck

Army painter for me

I like Rosemary & Co. brushes - Series 33 (Kolinsky) and Series 99 (red sable) rounds. Not the absolute pinnacle of brush-making, but still damned good brushes and far cheaper than most others of comparable quality (even with transatlantic shipping - they're based in the UK). I've ranted about them plenty, before, so do a search if you want greater detail.

I've also come to love badger hair for drybrushing. It's pretty resilient, snappy stuff, without the streak-leaving coarseness of hog hair (what you get in chip brushes). Filberts were my preferred shape, but my badger hair sc(r)umbler has quickly become my favorite.

As for care and feeding, burn this into your mind: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Don't scrub a surface with fine bristles if you don't want them kinked. Rinse frequently during painting, not just between colors, to keep the bristles clear near the ferrule (crap building up there causes 99% of splayed tips). Don't let water sit above the ferrule - on the ferrule is fine, but if it gets into the handle socket then it can swell the wood, causing a loose handle when it dries and shrinks back down. Don't use harsh solvents on natural hair, if you can avoid it - you'll dry them out and those nice, springy bristles will lose their snap.

Occasional deep cleaning and conditioning is advisable. I like Master's brush soap, but there are other products that work perfectly well, many in liquid form. I you can't find a combo cleaner/conditioner, remember that these bristles are hair, not unlike your own. A reach into the shower may yield all you need to give them a bit of TLC. Again, a search will yield more detailed responses, including many of my own.

Another vote for Rosemary & Co

http://www.rosemaryandco.com/watercolour-brushes/pure-kolinsky-sable/pure-kolinsky-pointed

These are pure kolinsky priced like GW's synthetics.

They do a huge variety of bristle types, craftsmanship as good as W&N (maybe better)

~instead of Citadel, buy two Rosemary & Co, Instead of W&N, buy 3!

The only thing I might try from GW's new range will be the drybrushes ~ GW's old one was the best brush they made.


Interesting on the badger Oadie, I'l try that next time I order R&C, I've tried loads of different ones, and found Master Choice to give the nicest marks, but too costly to be drybrushing with tbh.

W&N Series 7. Solid workhorse brushes. 00, 0, and 1 sizes and some good brush cleaner and you will get years of hard use out of them.

I really will have to try these Rosemary & Co... just need to get painting again first.

HairySticks wrote:
Interesting on the badger Oadie, I'l try that next time I order R&C, I've tried loads of different ones, and found Master Choice to give the nicest marks, but too costly to be drybrushing with tbh.

That's the rub - badger hair isn't particularly cheap. R&Co don't actually have a suitable shape, either (mostly large blenders and varnishing brushes). My badger drybrush is a cheapie no-name I picked up on clearance. It's only awesome due to 1) the qualities of the hair type, itself, and 2) the fact that the shape doesn't require precision in assembly to be useful.

The new GW brushes cone out this week, and will probably be a serviceable midrange option that you can pick up cibceniebtky at a FLGS. It's certainly the most comprehensive line of hobby paintbrushes I've seen to date. Army painter has a few good brushes and a bunch of crappy ones, and P3 basically has almost all crappy brushes.

If you want to move a step up, there's Winsor Newton Series 7, Raphael 8404, Rosemary and co, Scharf, Da Vincci, and Tamiya, to name a few Kolinsky Sable offerings. I am partial to the W&N S7 for my layering and detail brushes, but I think a lot of that is preference.

For a brush cleaner, I HIGHLY recommend W&N Brush Cleaner and Restorer for everyday brush maintenance. Decant it into a small glass spice jar, and simply roll the brush against the glad side of the jar and all the paint, even the dried stuff will simply float off before your eyes. If it's a big brush, dip it for a couple of seconds, take it out and wipe on a paper towel and repeat. I swear the stuff is magic, and being liquid rather than a solid soap, it's a lot easier to use.

Master's brush soap is also an excellent product. It's more work, though, brcauseit's a solid bar of soap that you have to work up to a lather.

 Talys wrote:
The new GW brushes cone out this week, and will probably be a serviceable midrange option that you can pick up cibceniebtky at a FLGS. It's certainly the most comprehensive line of hobby paintbrushes I've seen to date. Army painter has a few good brushes and a bunch of crappy ones, and P3 basically has almost all crappy brushes.

cibceniebtky?

I'll give a shout out to the other end of the brush spectrum - the good el-cheapo nail detail brush, 3 for a buck.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/291315666263?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I have four W&N 7 series that I use, but some days you just don't feel like doing rigorous cleanup and babying a brush. Or maybe you're on your fourth drink and feel like painting, but not giving a damn if you get anything in the ferrule. They're also what I recommend to people starting out. No sense in buying a $15+ brush you're not going to know how to take care of.

Just get a cheap brush. I bought a bundle from the craft store. one brush usually last through a squad or two. No point getting an expensive one at the beginning. You end up worrying about the brush more than the painting.

I've got to disagree with the el cheapo brush route ~ cheap brushes have their place sure, they make good basecoat brushes, wash brushes, varnish brushes ~ any task that doesnt need so much precision and speed might be preferable.

That said the premium Kolinsky brushes are only advantageous if you are thinning the paint out. Being water colour brushes, theyre a bit flexible for dealing with out of the pot acrylics (Citadels atleast) working much better with a thinner fluid. (theres more than just this reason to thin paints)

If youre not comfortable with thinning the paint out appropriately ~ either learn, or use synthetic brushes.

Rosemary and Co have us covered for this too ~
http://www.rosemaryandco.com/acrylic-brushes/golden-synthetic-acrylic

And for a blend of sable and synthetic, a happy medium, great for basecoats.
http://www.rosemaryandco.com/acrylic-brushes/red-sable-blend-acrylic/pointed-sable-mixture

Gw's new range of brushes coming out this week has a mixture of sables and synthetics, they seem to be pushing the idea of synthetics for basecoats, allowing thicker paint to be used effectively.
Except from the price (as usual) they look alright, although I dont need them ~ Having a pot of 30or so kolinsky brushes already I only have need for a nice drybrush (as opposed to whatever brushes are most wrecked already)

Hobby lobby pack of hobby brushes with the thick arse handles. 6.99 for a pack, in the model car aisle.

 oadie wrote:


I've also come to love badger hair for drybrushing. It's pretty resilient, snappy stuff, without the streak-leaving coarseness of hog hair (what you get in chip brushes). Filberts were my preferred shape, but my badger hair sc(r)umbler has quickly become my favorite.

Heyas, oadie! Do you get these from Rosemary & Co.? I do not see them. You said you like filberts, but in what sizes? I'd like to give these a whirl.Thanks!

See my earlier response to HairySticks, hurtmypony - R&Co. do have some badger hair, but they're mostly larger flats. Mine is a "Marseille" #8 scrumbler, according to what is still legible on the handle. Snagged it out of a clearance bin a while back, so I can't give any more info than that.

As for the filberts, I find them to be a nice blend between rounds and flats - wider coverage per stroke than a round, when you want it, while the curve allows for narrow control that concentrates the paint deposits toward the center of your stroke. Size really depends on what you're using it for - anything from, say, a #2 up to fractional inch sizes could be the right brush for a given job. Also, like rounds, different companies vary in what the actual size, hair count, and bristle length will be for a given numerical size. Best thing to do is check them out in person and grab what looks about right. When you get really big, chances are you're working on terrain that would be served equally well by a big old synthetic house-painting brush. When you get super tiny, there's practically no difference between a round, a flat, and a filbert.

 oadie wrote:
Best thing to do is check them out in person and grab what looks about right. When you get really big, chances are you're working on terrain that would be served equally well by a big old synthetic house-painting brush. When you get super tiny, there's practically no difference between a round, a flat, and a filbert.

Thanks for the reply! I was so eager to find out I didn't read all the way down to your followup before asking.

As a fellow appreciator of Rosemary and Co. brushes, I would have followed suit had you purchased your badger hairs there. Seeing R&Co. brushes in person would be an expensive proposition* for me, so I would have trusted your sagely advice and blindly ordered a few!

Since that isn't the case, I'll just head over to Blick's or Utrecht's when I am in the neighborhood to appraise size and shape of whatever badger hair they are sporting.

Your mention of "streak-leaving" hit a note with me, so acquiring some badger-hind-hair-on-a-stick will be my next endeavor!



*East Coast Yankee like you, it appears!

HairySticks wrote:
I've got to disagree with the el cheapo brush route ~ cheap brushes have their place sure, they make good basecoat brushes, wash brushes, varnish brushes ~ any task that doesnt need so much precision and speed might be preferable.

I use them for basic detailing. I bought them on a lark and was very pleasantly surprised. They hold their tips well and are surprisingly springy as they're designed to do detail work on fingernails. I'd rate them higher than Army Painter, GW, your basic Hobby Lobby brush, etc even before factoring in price. You'll get the occasional bum one which was made at a weird angle, but a good one will last longer than I'd expect to give it credit for,

HairySticks wrote:
Another vote for Rosemary & Co

http://www.rosemaryandco.com/watercolour-brushes/pure-kolinsky-sable/pure-kolinsky-pointed

These are pure kolinsky priced like GW's synthetics.

They do a huge variety of bristle types, craftsmanship as good as W&N (maybe better)

Spoiler:

~instead of Citadel, buy two Rosemary & Co, Instead of W&N, buy 3!

The only thing I might try from GW's new range will be the drybrushes ~ GW's old one was the best brush they made.


Interesting on the badger Oadie, I'l try that next time I order R&C, I've tried loads of different ones, and found Master Choice to give the nicest marks, but too costly to be drybrushing with tbh.

I'm always interested in getting the same/more for less. I've noticed several art dealers on Amazon sell W&N series 7 size 0 for around $13 with cheap to free shipping. Looking at your link, a similar brush from R&Co is about half the price but shipping is over $10 to the US. A quick internet search and I didn't see any other vendors. Any tips for getting Rosemary & Co in the States?

Local availability, by the way, is a big plus. If your fine art store carries the brush, there is a good chance you can get it on sale; plus, if you need another, you don't have to wait. None of these premium brushes seem to be greatly discounted on the Internet.

Regarding the new Citadel brushes, I'm excited to see what they're all about, and whether there are any standouts, especially for flat and angled, as well as the terrain size brushes.

WN7 currently enjoying the 00

sub $20 and i dont really need to replace it for a LONG time with care.

I've tried quite a few from Rosemary for a drybrush my findings are thus~

Chunking Bristle is durable enough, and cheap enough, but the bristle is coarse.

Ebony Bristle Was too soft with not enough spring, and shed hair really fast when drybrushing.

Masters Choice was perfect except fort he high price, but Mongoose became endangered and protected, the substitute seems to curl at the ends while the true mongoose didnt.

Goat Hair is really soft, the domed round I have reminds me of a makeup brush but small. I think this would do well with pigment powders instead of paints.

I cant find anything liekt he ox hair that the citadel drybrushes are made of, and the soon to be old citadel large drybrush is still my best one. I'l be trying the new ones out.

As for any other brushes, R&C have me covered on sable of varying qualities and shapes for a good price. ~ I've got a pot full of em to choose from.

@HairySticks - I just painted 6 Crater pieces (last night) using the new drybrushes to give them a whirl.

I'll post up some pictures later on to share, but the brushes are quite serviceable. I wish they had them IN ADDITION TO the old ones, rather than instead of.

The large brush has much shorter bristles, which makes it easier to control, but takes away the ability to do the techniques possible with longer bristles.

The new medium brush is a great size addition.

The new small brush roughly the size of the old medium brush (actually larger). I really like the old medium brush better.

There is no direct replacement for the old small brush, which was very useful for doing things like little skulls on terrain or picking out detail.

On the other hand, I have so many medium/small drybrushes in my drawer (new, unused) that I don't think I'll run out for 10 years. I will miss the old large brush the most, as I think I only have 4 or so of those :(