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Howdy, I was just wondering what are the best brushes to use to paint GW mini's?
I have GW brushes but they just seem to be too fragile for the job and just end up falling to peices.
Any ideas?
Cheers

Rosemary and Co. all day long.

I was gonna say Winsor and Newton series 7, as "best" for mini painting, but in your case perhaps not because they are less durable than gw brushes.

Rheumatoid wrote:
Howdy, I was just wondering what are the best brushes to use to paint GW mini's?
I have GW brushes but they just seem to be too fragile for the job and just end up falling to peices.
Any ideas?
Cheers

Go to any proper art store (Michaels will do if you can't find better) and buy any brush for acrylic paints. Try to use any coupon the store offers (Michaels often has large discount coupons). I never had any problems with brushes falling apart though, are GW brushes really that bad?

They shouldn't be falling apart; the bristles can flay easily if you let paint get into the ferrule, just like with most brushes. You can fix that by cleaning them out using isopropyl, or a proper brush cleaner.

If they're too far gone, reinvest in some Army Painter brushes; they're cheaper, and are roughly the same quality, and also offer a bigger range of sizes.

G.A

I'll second elbows... rosemary & co. Series 33

I second Rosemary and Co. I used acrylic brushes for a while and they always get a hook point. I spent a good amount of money on different acrylic brushes at whatever hobby store but they are all the same quality in my opinion.

I caved and looked for red sable brushes but couldn't find w and n. So I tried rosemary and co. I bought quite a few brushes to get free shipping, at about $7 a brush. I just checked their website and they look a little cheaper now. It's been a few years and I'm still using the first brush I started using. It works perfectly.

A few hints: get size 2, 1, and 0. The points on these brushes are sharp and you really don't need those extra small sizes. I got the riggers (script brushes). You should always use the largest brush possible. If you use metallics, use an old acrylic brush until you can't stand the quality difference. If you use one of these brushes for metallics, use it only for metallics. I dipped the end of mine into some metallic paint so I know. Don't use these brushes to mix paints or to mix paint and additives like drying retarder or thinner, use an old acrylic for that. Don't use these for brush on primers or sealers either. Do clean them with clean water and brush soap after each use. Do name your brush and talk to it about what a good job it's doing.

Tydil wrote:
I second Rosemary and Co. I used acrylic brushes for a while and they always get a hook point.

Hook points have their uses, though. They're great for when you have to highlight while holding the brush at a steep angle to avoid other surfaces.

Winsor/Newton long hair ones. I use the no.1 for pretty much everything: details, basecoating, layering - how good it is.

Im not getting paint anywhere near half the brissles never mind the top, they just seem to flair out and i cant find anyway to get it to hold its shape again.
I just need brushes that will stand the test of time
Cheers for the help mates!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Could anyone point out the main differences between Winsor and Newton series 7/rosemary and co?
Sorry for the noobie questons, Ive been out of the hobby for nearly 10 years and just trying to regroup all things hobby related.
Cheers again for the help!

You may have just got a bad one. I've got a GW brush where the head just splits in half each time I try to paint with it, I've just written it off.

I'm looking at buying a few Rosemary & Co for my next brushes. Sounds like they're not far off the quality of W&N but for nearly half the price.

W&N series 7 (size #1 and size#0), and a Raphael 8404 ( size #2) are my go to set. Also an IMEX #000. For crazy level detail/highlighting.

If the brushes are falling apart... Are you cleaning them with hot water? If so, then stop doing it. Use tepid water to clean, and don't use dish-soap. It really damages the bristles. Use The Master's brush cleaner. Great stuff.

Stop using metallic paints with sable brushes, if you are doing that. Get cheap synthetic brushes ( like Golden Taklon) for metallic paints.

I use a mix of GW and Army Painter brushes. Both ranges are solid, although the GW ones are expensive for what you get. I've never tried the vaunted Windsor & Newton ones, but I hear good things about them. Maybe when I learn to take better care of my brushes.

You're in the UK so might be worth checking out Brokentoad. Sable brushes like W&N but around half the price. Only just picked some up but very impressed. I think the brush heads are smaller than the W&N equivalents though so bear that in mind. Go for a larger size up.

W&N Series 7