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OK so I'm new to the hobby as some of you will have read in the introductions section and I have managed to get quite a few brushes bought in the last couple of weeks mostly synthetic

As I am really enjoying it thus far I want to get the best tools to help me succeed as much as possible esp when it comes to the fine detail painting.

Id like to pick up some nice brushes at size 1 / 0 / 00 and maybe even a 000

Can anyone recommend a good brush supplier in the UK or maybe someone has purchased some nice ones from Amazon and can recommend pls?.

I'm really looking for great quality that will last me years if cared for properly and for these 4 sizes in particular I don'd mind if the budget is up in the £10-£15 per brush but ofc would prefer it as cheap as possible pls.

Thank you all in advance.

Winsor and newton series 7 are always a good bet. I've recent bought myself sizes 2-0 myself... they're kinda pricey but from what I understand they'll last forever if you take care of em.
They hold a point really well too so you don't necessarily need the smaller size brushes.

Also you should probably search the forums a bit more thoroughly brother, there's legit hundreds of threads about brush advice and discussion ><;

EDIT: I got mine off of amazon

Jacksonsart is a UK based store that sells all kinds of brushes. For international customers; they'll do free shipping on brush orders (site says on orders over £20, but I've gotten on smaller orders as well).

I've bought a few Raphael 8404 from there, I've not tried W&N so I can't personally compare, but they're both Kolinsky Sable and from what I've been told the Raphael brushes hold more paint.
fairly cheap, around £7 per brush I think, if memory serves.

Rosemary and Co - 9/10 quality, quite cheap
Windsor and Newton - 10/10 quality, quite expensive

Also, don't rule out horridly cheap brushes - you are going to need brushes for drybrushing, texture paints, stippling, and all those other things that you don't want to be throwing your 15 quid brush at

The Winston and Newton Series 7 are incredible. I have the 0, 00 and 000 and they are brilliant to use. It's like painting with a pen if you have the right paint consistency.

They were about $20 US each, but well worth it imo.

You also MUST get this product for all your brushes. It keeps them clean and doesn't allow paint to dry and collect at the ferrule. For the Kolinsky Sable brushes, it also keeps the bristles conditioned as they are natural hair.
http://www.dickblick.com/products/the-masters-brush-cleaner-and-preserver/?clickTracking=true&wmcp=pla&wmcid=items&wmckw=05702-1004&gclid=Cj0KEQiArou2BRDcoN_c6NDI3oMBEiQANeix5jAKACV-nY4a1csTGxjtayOCWKVUyAo6HIxtiEfPjMwaAgUc8P8HAQ

**DO NOT use regular dish or hand soap on your natural hair brushes. It will ruin them by removing the natural oils on the hairs.

kb_lock wrote:
Also, don't rule out horridly cheap brushes - you are going to need brushes for drybrushing, texture paints, stippling, and all those other things that you don't want to be throwing your 15 quid brush at

This is very true, never kill a good brush on dry brushing.

http://www.brokentoad.co.uk/

These guys are in the UK. these brushes are great especially for the price.

Heard good things about the Games & Gears brushes, as another alternative:

http://www.gamesandgears.co.uk/

The Masters brush cleaner gets recommended a lot too:

https://www.artsupplies.co.uk/item-the-masters-brush-cleaner-and-preserver.htm

Rosemary and Co series 33. I use a size 1 for 90% of my work. Can be ordered direct from them. I have always had great quality and superb replies to email enquiries.

My friend swears by Raphael brushes. He prefers the feel of them.

In the UK it's hard to beat Rose,ary & Co. Kolinsky Sable 33 series. About half the price of equivalent Windsor Newton brushes, but extremely close quality-wise. .

Although I am quite new to the hobby, I have been making due with some cheaper brushes from art supply stores. IMHO, just because a brush is cheaper or synthetic doesn't mean it cannot be a a great brush if you keep them clean and in good working condition.
Buy some brush soaps,make sure to "train" your brushes to keep their pointed tip if you are using a synthetic brush, and never let paint dry on your brushes EVER.

Aside from that, I recommend purchasing something that feels good in the hand and is as stiff or soft as you like. Experiment with as many brands as you can afford or pick up some of the brushes mentioned by other users. Try synthetics, try sables, try any exotic or unique brushes you can find and see what works for you!

Peff,

Rosemary and co 33. Size 1 will just about do you for anything bar drybrushing.
Size 2 or 3 for inking.
Cheaper than Windsor and newton and IMO just as good.

 PeffGoesPunk wrote:
Although I am quite new to the hobby, I have been making due with some cheaper brushes from art supply stores. IMHO, just because a brush is cheaper or synthetic doesn't mean it cannot be a a great brush if you keep them clean and in good working condition.

I've had the opposite experience. Cheap brushes fray quickly, lose bristle quickly, and don't make a nice point for detail work.

I think the tools make a huge difference. That doesn't mean you need to spend $20 per brush, but buy good, buy once. Buy crap, well, you keep buying until you find a good one, then you'll wonder why you wasted all the money on crap.

I think there are levels to it, really good painted can easily tell between a W&N S7 and any other generic kolinsky sable easily, but for average joes like me, it doesn't matter so much.

That said, there is a big difference between good brushes, and dollar store brushes for rookies, and that is mainly longevity. Good brushes will eat a lot more punishment before fishtailing or otherwise losing their tip - we may not appreciate the nuances of how well paint flows, but they will keep on living longer than they should!

Getting a brush with a nice, fine tip is more important for detail work that actually getting the tiny sized detail brushes. A 000 brush is going to dry out on you every other stroke unless you thin your paints with drying retarder. A size 1 or 0 - with a properly formed tip - is usually more than enough to hit all those same details, and will have a large enough belly to keep the paint wet while you do it.

Other than that, I'll echo the above recommendations:

Rosemary & Co Series 33.
Wisnor & Newton Series 7.
Raphael Series 8404.

All reputable makers of Kolinsky Sable watercolour brushes, that will perform well and last you a long time provided you care for them and clean them with something like The Masters Brush Cleaner after each use.

How to the brushes recommended compare to the game workshop ones? They are all I have used but would change if there are significant benefits!

I've not used the new citadel brushes, but the old ones i have get used like cheap and nasty brushes, they just cost the same as my extremely good brushes

kb_lock wrote:
I've not used the new citadel brushes, but the old ones i have get used like cheap and nasty brushes, they just cost the same as my extremely good brushes

As is the case with most (if not all) of GW products, you're paying a premium for the branding and the convenience. That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with their stuff, just that you can usually get better quality gear elsewere for cheaper.

Absolutely, but while their dry brushes are good, the rest are utter rubbish.

Idk KB I use their brushes and I enjoy them quite a bit. Especially the artificer brush

Yeah I've not tried their new ones, i think that is actual sable isn't it? The previous gen brushes (detail and fine detail specifically) fishtailed on me almost immediately - they're still usable now, which is good, but they're not worth anywhere near the 65% of my w&n brushes or whatever they cost

Mdlbuildr wrote:

You also MUST get this product for all your brushes. It keeps them clean and doesn't allow paint to dry and collect at the ferrule. For the Kolinsky Sable brushes, it also keeps the bristles conditioned as they are natural hair.
http://www.dickblick.com/products/the-masters-brush-cleaner-and-preserver/?clickTracking=true&wmcp=pla&wmcid=items&wmckw=05702-1004&gclid=Cj0KEQiArou2BRDcoN_c6NDI3oMBEiQANeix5jAKACV-nY4a1csTGxjtayOCWKVUyAo6HIxtiEfPjMwaAgUc8P8HAQ

**DO NOT use regular dish or hand soap on your natural hair brushes. It will ruin them by removing the natural oils on the hairs.

I can't second this strongly enough.
Pink Soap is good to have on hand (especially if you're doing multiple colours/coats with the same brush in one sitting) but at the end of the day there's nothing better than Master's brush cleaner.

Anyone have any experience with the Army Painter series brushes? The wargamer ones (white handle) are some sort of Sable (not Kolinsky) and the black handle ones are Kolinsky Sable.

In the UK you can go to the Range which has an arts section. Here you can pick up Windsor & Newton cotman brushes at about £3 each. It's nice being able to pick out the best brushes (no splayed ends)They also sell loads of other types but not anything super high end.
Over time you'll end up with plenty of different types (including cheap ones)which you will naturally use for different things. The key is always choosing the right brush and keep cleaning them, even if your using the same colour for a long time.
The Masters brush restorer as linked above is something I only started using about year ago but it is very good and one pot will last for ages.

 keezus wrote:
Anyone have any experience with the Army Painter series brushes? The wargamer ones (white handle) are some sort of Sable (not Kolinsky) and the black handle ones are Kolinsky Sable.

They're ok, nothing more. A step up from proper cheap brushes, but a way below the W & N 7 series (or equivalent) gold standard.

Here in the UK, for the price, you may as well spend a tiny bit extra and go Rosemary & Co.

 keezus wrote:
Anyone have any experience with the Army Painter series brushes? The wargamer ones (white handle) are some sort of Sable (not Kolinsky) and the black handle ones are Kolinsky Sable.

They're a blend of natural hairs, much like the old GW wash brush (the purple handle tip one). On the bright side, they don't kink, and the brushes really stand out because of their triangular handles. I use the Regiment brush to do a good chunk of medium-detail washes.

The insane detail brush, though, I think is junk. It doesn't hold any paint; moving from the brush to the model, the paint on it dries, making it more frustrating than anything to paint insane detail. You end up putting on more paint than you should, which has a negative effect on control.