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I'm looking to get some new brushes as I've kind of mistreated mine out of pure lazyness, any recommendations? Currently using GW's range but I'm looking at Atris Opus, any brands that have brushes that are good for a particular task? I will be painting predominantly SM so I don't want to be ordering an entire brush set, this means I can mix up the brands if need be. TIA

I use Windsor Newton cotman 111 synthetics for most of my work. They are really robust synths. I clean them with green stuff world brush cleaner. They perform well for me and my technique of painting, everyone is different. They will wear out but as they are synths they are cheap to replace.

All other synths i have used break fairly quick.

I have just bought some of the green stuff world gold series kolinsky sable brushes and have used them a bit and think they are good but I don’t have much experience with proper kolinsky brushes they are very different shape and performance and need to be used differently to synthetics. The bristles are very long but I have started to get some good results on edge highlighting with them. But I think the price of them compared to other kolinsky brushes might make them worth investing. However if your looking at artist opus I guess your looking a real high end stuff

If you're in the UK, take a look at Rosemary and Co brushes. Just as good as Winsor and Newton, and at a lower price.

Artis Opus brushes are fantastic. I just got a few of the Series M ones used by Angel Giraldes and I'm enjoying using them very much. The Seris M ones have short bristles so they are a bit stiffer overall and are therefore great for detail work. I have a few Seris S ones as well, which have longer bristles, they're more of a general-purpose brush. They also do a Series D for drybrushing, but I personally don't have any experience with them. If you do decide to get some of this brand whichever you choose you'll find it to be a huge step up from the GW brushes. I am a fan of everything GW do apart from their brushes, which I've found to be pretty poor.

My other go-to brushes are Winsor and Newton Series 7. They're really top-quality, perfect for miniature painting. I'd say W&N Series 7 and Artis Opus are of equal quality, you can't go wrong with either of them. You could go for the watercolour brushes or the miniature brushes, there's no right or wrong answer there.

Both those options are expensive, so if you want something cheaper you could look at Rosemary and Co brushes. Their Series 33 and Series 22 are the ones I've tried, and they are good. I would say they're not quite as good as Winsor and Newton or Artis Opus personally - some of the ones from them that I've owned don't hold a point so well or have started splitting not long after I've got them, and they don't seem as repairable as W&N in particular. They are good brushes though, and the series 33 are not much more than half the price of the other two.

If you don't want to use natural hair brushes, you could look at Princeton Heritage rounds, or Winsor and Newton Galeria rounds. The Princeton ones are probably a bit better, but not that easy to get in the UK, especially post-brexit. Any synthetic brushes will end up with bent tips though.

Whatever brush you get, if you're spending this much money I would recommend getting some brush soap. It's worth looking after your brushes, as you can really prolong their life, and postpone that tragic moment when you have to bit farewell to a favorite brush. I had to let a W&N size 0 that I used to paint everything with go last year. I can't talk about it. It's too painful.

I hope this is some help.

I’d advocate a selection.

GW as standard. They’re neither great nor awful.

Also look into some with longer, fine pointed bristles. Those benefit from the larger bulk of say, a medium brush, with the super fine tip of a detail brush, preventing it splaying and that.

I'm in the USA and have been importing Rosemary & Co brushes, they're very good. I've also used Winsor & Newton Series 7 and Raphael 8404s in the past, all are great brushes, but the Rosemary & co are just as good at half the price, even after paying international shipping and pound to dollar conversions

The only GW brushes I use are the dry brushes, no one else does one the same as far as I can tell.

I love artis opus. 2 and 2/0 are all I need to paint most models.

Ah, nice thread! Got some Raphael 8404 last year after my hobby store didn't have W&N in stock and am quite happy, but I'll try out some of the other ones mentioned here, eventually.

+1 for W&N Series 7. Used them for a few years now and they vastly improved my painting. I've just ordered a bunch of Daler Rowney Sapphires (50/50 Red Sable/Synthetic), so once they arrive I'll give you my thoughts. I wouldn't recommend W&N Galeria (I noticed they were mentioned). Being 100% synthetic, I've noticed they split and fray far more than natural hairs and mine have all but worn out with minimal work. That may be my fault, but I'd advocate natural hair or a blend based on my own experiences.

Squidworth wrote:
I'm looking to get some new brushes as I've kind of mistreated mine out of pure lazyness, any recommendations? Currently using GW's range but I'm looking at Atris Opus, any brands that have brushes that are good for a particular task? I will be painting predominantly SM so I don't want to be ordering an entire brush set, this means I can mix up the brands if need be. TIA

You're in for a treat. GW's brushes are some of the worst I've ever used. I bought some no-name synthetic brushes for oil paints that I genuinely prefer to GW's brushes (Army Painter's brushes are not much better). I believe both brands are a mix between genuine Kolinsky sable hair & some kind of look-a-like synthetic (although sold as Kolinsky sable) and it just doesn't work. My GW brushes are now used for mixing glue, dry-brushing and other such stuff.

Windsor & Newton Series 7 are the "industry standard". Rosmary & Co. are a popular alternative. Both are pure Kolinsky sable.

I have W&N Series 7 in their "miniature" range, but I think I prefer them with longer bristles as they hold the paint better.

To be honest, I've been using my cheap no-name synthetics more and more. They hold and transfer the paint just fine, have longer bristles and are a bit firmer, they last longer, and I get a buzz out of making something nice with cheap throw-away brushes. I doubt I'll ever buy another expensive artist's quality brush.



.

The opus brushes are just rosemary and co rebrands if i recall correctly. Jacksons art ship worldwide dirt cheap

 feltmonkey wrote:
Artis Opus brushes are fantastic. I just got a few of the Series M ones used by Angel Giraldes and I'm enjoying using them very much. The Seris M ones have short bristles so they are a bit stiffer overall and are therefore great for detail work. I have a few Seris S ones as well, which have longer bristles, they're more of a general-purpose brush. They also do a Series D for drybrushing, but I personally don't have any experience with them. If you do decide to get some of this brand whichever you choose you'll find it to be a huge step up from the GW brushes. I am a fan of everything GW do apart from their brushes, which I've found to be pretty poor.

My other go-to brushes are Winsor and Newton Series 7. They're really top-quality, perfect for miniature painting. I'd say W&N Series 7 and Artis Opus are of equal quality, you can't go wrong with either of them. You could go for the watercolour brushes or the miniature brushes, there's no right or wrong answer there.

Both those options are expensive, so if you want something cheaper you could look at Rosemary and Co brushes. Their Series 33 and Series 22 are the ones I've tried, and they are good. I would say they're not quite as good as Winsor and Newton or Artis Opus personally - some of the ones from them that I've owned don't hold a point so well or have started splitting not long after I've got them, and they don't seem as repairable as W&N in particular. They are good brushes though, and the series 33 are not much more than half the price of the other two.

If you don't want to use natural hair brushes, you could look at Princeton Heritage rounds, or Winsor and Newton Galeria rounds. The Princeton ones are probably a bit better, but not that easy to get in the UK, especially post-brexit. Any synthetic brushes will end up with bent tips though.

Whatever brush you get, if you're spending this much money I would recommend getting some brush soap. It's worth looking after your brushes, as you can really prolong their life, and postpone that tragic moment when you have to bit farewell to a favorite brush. I had to let a W&N size 0 that I used to paint everything with go last year. I can't talk about it. It's too painful.

I hope this is some help.

All of this,
I have had the Artis opus Series S for about 6 months and they still have live to them.
for about 60$(Even less honestly) you can get the 1, 0,00, and 000
God brushes save money in the long run.

kb_lock wrote:
The opus brushes are just rosemary and co rebrands if i recall correctly. Jacksons art ship worldwide dirt cheap

That’s good to know, I’ve been tempted by them but wary that they’re not just fancy marketing and a pretty presentation.

I’ve just picked up a pair of Raphael 8404’s, I’ve been using a mix of GW, Army Painter and Humbrol brushes so felt I needed something a little more reliable.

kb_lock wrote:
The opus brushes are just rosemary and co rebrands if i recall correctly. Jacksons art ship worldwide dirt cheap

Not quite - they are apparently made by Rosemary & Co, but they're not the same brushes as the Series 33s or Series 22s, they're made to a different spec, and designed specifically for miniature painting.

Until you're not going to be lazy about brush care, there's little point in buying top-end brushes - 8404's, Rosemary, W&N, or any other sable.

Get yourself some packs of golden taklon or similar inexpensive synthetics. Any hobby or arts & crafts shop carries them.

Thanks, peep's, quite a bit to mull over before I buy anything I guess. I will certainly be buying a mixture and may buy myself a set of rosemary's and a mixture of W&N/Artis just to see what the difference is. A common consensus on quite a few of the mentioned, which is good.

@feltmonkey - cheers for the pretty in-depth breakdown.

@Fire_Forever - chill dude, the GW set I have is 7 months old and the only brushes I have, so they kind of get used for everything. My intention for them once I get some new brushes is to use them for mixing paints, dry brushing, and any work that could potentially damage my new set - this idea may be replaced by a set of Rosemary now.

(The artificer XS lost its shape/form really fast so that was benched like a month in and my glaze brush is only just starting to lose its tip, which I'm sad about)

Considering I've got a lot of painting to be going on with and a lack of time to do it I think brushes, a file set, and some brush cleaner isn't a bad call this month.

Seconding the Raphael plug above, as well as synthetic being ok for cheap but good sable hair really makes a difference. Many quality brushes out there... GW is not one of them.

Squidworth wrote:
@Fire_Forever - chill dude, the GW set I have is 7 months old and the only brushes I have, so they kind of get used for everything. My intention for them once I get some new brushes is to use them for mixing paints, dry brushing, and any work that could potentially damage my new set - this idea may be replaced by a set of Rosemary now.

When you open with "mistreated out of pure laziness", it's hard to infer that you're planning on doing anything different, dude. Totally chill over here, just don't want you wasting your money if brushes are lasting you so short a time anyways. Sorry if it sounded like anything else; tone doesn't carry well over the internet.

I have sables from the '00's that are still in service, and not as dry brushes. If you are going to get kolinsky's, do 'em right and get some brush cleaner to go with them. Get in the habit of cleaning your brushes after every session or anytime they get truly gunked to the ferrule (accidentally dropped in a pot, for example) and they'll keep on truckin' for many a year. Even if you do go the sable route, a pack of synthetics is still worthwhile for rough tasks like basing, dry brushing, base coating, mixing paint, etc.

GW brushes are rubbish, can't argue with the consensus on that. They just rebrand whatever the lowest bidder happens to be for the year. Even their premium line isn't as good as a decent sable watercolour brush from an art store.

Edit to add: You might be able to rescue some of your older brushes and restore them to workable tips with brush cleaner. There's two basic kinds, the soap cake and liquid. The liquid version tends to be a more aggressive set of solvents for deep cleaning / old paint. The cake kind is usually marketed as 'brush cleaner and preserver/conditioner', and can be left in the cleaned bristles after a session to help keep the point. Simply rinse out the dry soap when you're ready to paint again. It'll also work on old paint, albeit more slowly and will take multiple sessions to work it all out. The liquid kind tends to strip natural hairs, so condition with normal brush soap afterwards. If you're getting just one, go for the soap cake kind.

Fire_Forever wrote:
Edit to add: You might be able to rescue some of your older brushes and restore them to workable tips with brush cleaner. There's two basic kinds, the soap cake and liquid. The liquid version tends to be a more aggressive set of solvents for deep cleaning / old paint. The cake kind is usually marketed as 'brush cleaner and preserver/conditioner', and can be left in the cleaned bristles after a session to help keep the point. Simply rinse out the dry soap when you're ready to paint again. It'll also work on old paint, albeit more slowly and will take multiple sessions to work it all out. The liquid kind tends to strip natural hairs, so condition with normal brush soap afterwards. If you're getting just one, go for the soap cake kind.

This was really useful for me at least, I always used just water and occasionally a tiny bit of Fairy liquid when it’s really bad. Are there any brands of cleaner/soaps that people would recommend here? I have a pot of Vallejo brush restorer but that’s not a soap or a solvent.

Right I've done a bit of mulling over this morning, apparently contrast paints and ink can be detrimental to sable brushes - does anyone have any experience with this, it causes them to split/lose form faster apparently? This really has me now adamant on a cheap set and a 'my precious' set. I think I'm just going to take the hit and buy a full rosemary set, Artis Opus M set (I like the notion of shorter bristles compared with the S range - I'll be getting a couple of S for edge highlighting though - possibly a set of synthetic for the ink/contrast if the above is true. Plus a couple of real cheap ass brushes for mixing and just to see how they do vs higher priced brushes. Going to have a delve into Raphael's at some point today.

Does anybody have any UK sources/suppliers of W&N, not really up for the new customs fees!?

@Fire_Forever, all good - crossed wires more than anything. I'd just not been particularly careful with them as I have had the above in my mind for a while now, didn't explain it very well at all, and to a degree correct as I've only ever cleaned them in warm water and detergent (rarely like twice in their lifespan). I'll give my GW brushes some TLC with the cleaner when it arrives and see if I can do anything with them. I'm looking at GreenStuff's? brush cleaner, just through the ease of ordering through Element. (Looking at the Kolinsky price I understand your sentiments now bud)

Basically, I'm going to have too many paintbrushes by next month the way things are going, will hopefully find differences in all and specific use for each with some trial and error.

Squidworth wrote:
Right I've done a bit of mulling over this morning, apparently contrast paints and ink can be detrimental to sable brushes - does anyone have any experience with this, it causes them to split/lose form faster apparently? This really has me now adamant on a cheap set and a 'my precious' set.

Yup, it can be really handy to keep some cheap brushes on hand for washes, applying glue, and anything else that might be a little rough on the brushes.

I don't know about inks or contrast being inherently worse for the brushes, but the way they are used certainly can be. It is a lot easier to get paint up into the ferule of the brush as it is so much thinner and soaks up. And, of course, given that washes are often slopped on in volume (and Contrast is specifically designed for just that) it tends to require overloading the brush. As a result, it can be more difficult to properly clean the brushes afterwards. Hence the cheap set, so it doesn't matter as much.

Jackson's art or ken Bromley art supplies are both UK based, also cheapest for Aussies. Masters brush soap in the round container is the winsor and newton of brush cleaners.

Squidworth wrote:
Right I've done a bit of mulling over this morning, apparently contrast paints and ink can be detrimental to sable brushes - does anyone have any experience with this, it causes them to split/lose form faster apparently? This really has me now adamant on a cheap set and a 'my precious' set. I think I'm just going to take the hit and buy a full rosemary set, Artis Opus M set (I like the notion of shorter bristles compared with the S range - I'll be getting a couple of S for edge highlighting though - possibly a set of synthetic for the ink/contrast if the above is true. Plus a couple of real cheap ass brushes for mixing and just to see how they do vs higher priced brushes. Going to have a delve into Raphael's at some point today.

Does anybody have any UK sources/suppliers of W&N, not really up for the new customs fees!?

@Fire_Forever, all good - crossed wires more than anything. I'd just not been particularly careful with them as I have had the above in my mind for a while now, didn't explain it very well at all, and to a degree correct as I've only ever cleaned them in warm water and detergent (rarely like twice in their lifespan). I'll give my GW brushes some TLC with the cleaner when it arrives and see if I can do anything with them. I'm looking at GreenStuff's? brush cleaner, just through the ease of ordering through Element. (Looking at the Kolinsky price I understand your sentiments now bud)

Basically, I'm going to have too many paintbrushes by next month the way things are going, will hopefully find differences in all and specific use for each with some trial and error.

I didn't know that about Contrast paints and ink. I suppose it makes sense that a paint designed to flow into recesses might be more inclined to flow up the bristles into the ferrule. I might have to read up on this a bit more. It might just be one of those myths that fly around though.

Here's something else that might just be a myth - apparently if you don't have brush soap, it's better to use shampoo to clean your brushes than ordinary soap or washing up liquid or anything, as shampoo is formulated to clean hair, and your brushes are made of hair. I think with anything like that the worry is doing something to the glue that's holding the bristles in place though.

Right, I've decided on these so far:

Artis Opus S.
- 000
- 00
- 2

Artis Opus M.
- 000
- 00
- 0

Plus some cheap brushes from Element;

Hobby Brush - Basecoat, Highlight & Super detail for the really harsh work.

I'll probably end up with a few more from some of the above mentioned and certainly a set of Rosemary's as a middle ground.

I'll grab the Greenstuff brush cleaner and also the Master's soap (sounds wrong?) just to see what the fuss is about.

Cheers, plenty to think about now.

 feltmonkey wrote:

Here's something else that might just be a myth - apparently if you don't have brush soap, it's better to use shampoo to clean your brushes than ordinary soap or washing up liquid or anything, as shampoo is formulated to clean hair, and your brushes are made of hair. I think with anything like that the worry is doing something to the glue that's holding the bristles in place though.

I use a gentle shampoo and conditioner on my sable brushes. I can't say how it compares to 'proper' brush cleaner as I've never used one, (and it would probably be best to avoid overly harsh shampoos) but it's done a good job of keeping my detail brushes looking snazzy so far. It also works wonders for cleaning dried paint out of large drybrushes.



Edited for typos...

Everyone who paints should have a pack of synethtics or a bunch of retired brushes at hand, at all times. There are many painting tasks that will prematurely wear or outright destroy a fine kolinsky sable. Better to avoid the temptation of 'just this once' by having an appropriate tool at the ready.

Thin paints like Contrast and inks aren't inherently more harmful to a brush than acrylics, as long as you're rinsing them well after use and cleaning after the session. The problem stems from lots of painters skipping out on the cleaning of their brushes after every session or letting the paint build up in the brush while they're working, and/or really dirty rinse water. Brush care only takes a few minutes but makes a great deal of difference in how long your expensive brushes will stay in top form. And yes, that jaw-dropping price is exactly why I'd never recommend W&N to any painter who doesn't already have good brush care habits!

"The Master's Brush Cleaner & Preserver" is what I've always used and it's never disappointed. Ask anyone in the fine arts field and that's what they'll all recommend.

Watch a couple vids on how to actually properly clean a brush. It's not just the product, but the technique that matters. Try to avoid barber pole'ing your brushes - twisting them only in one direction, or forcing the bristles to splay. Stroke from ferrule to tip, same as you'd paint. When lathering up aim for a fairly equal number of rotations counter and clockwise. Rinse and repeat until the foam stays clean. Shampoo/conditioner is better than just water, but for the cost of a top-end kolinsky there's no reason not to toss in the few extra bucks for a lifetime supply of dedicated brush cleaner.

Smaller brushes are not better brushes! It's tempting to think 'oh, I'm painting small stuff, so a small brush will give me better control'. This is not true. The point of the brush dictates how good it is. A bigger brush has a bigger belly, the pack of hairs in front of the ferrule and a bigger belly holds more paint, won't dry out as fast, is in less danger of getting paint up in the ferrule ruining the point, and can cover more surfaces quickly with less visible brush strokes. The only thing I break out a 0 or smaller for is eyes. You don't need four brushes of size 0 or smaller. I'd recommend a 0/1/2/3 set. To add to that, brushes with shorter hairs are easier to wreck with dried paint up in that ferrule. They will be a bit stiffer which some people like, but be aware of the tradeoff.

Fire_Forever wrote:
Everyone who paints should have a pack of synethtics or a bunch of retired brushes at hand, at all times. There are many painting tasks that will prematurely wear or outright destroy a fine kolinsky sable.

I just use cheap nylon synthetic brushes for almost everything these days.

I spent a small fortune on a variety of Windsor & Newtons & Rosmary & cos thinking it would take my painting to the next level, but I never really noticed a big difference. I find these days I'm most often reaching for one of my cheapo nylons for whatever reason. They do the job just fine, cost pennies and last way longer.

The exception is very fine detail work, I'll use a size-0 W&N for that.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Fire_Forever wrote:
It's not just the product, but the technique that matters. Try to avoid ... or forcing the bristles to splay.

Can't really agree with that to be honest. In fact, I would recommend the exact opposite. They're tougher than you might think and it's important to clean them thoroughly.

When I clean my brushes, I press the brush down hard into the soap (The Masters Bush Cleaner & Preserver) so that bristles and splayed out in a circle at all angles and get the soap right deep into bristles, right up to the ferule. It's amazing how much gunk is up there, particularly if you've never cleaned them that deeply.

Afterwards I rinse it all out thoroughly under hot water, then gently reform the sharp point with soapy fingers. I let them dry like that to set the brush shape and rinse the dried soap out before I begin painting.

These brushes are over a year old and then thinnest nylon one is over ten years old. Granted, I sometimes go for long periods of time without painting, but they've all seen a lot of use.



`

I agree with what’s being said here, it’s not necessary to do all of your painting to kolinsky sable. A good set of synthetic brushes will let you get you minis up to a good standard of basing and layering, save you kolinsky brushes for when you need them and make them last longer. Especially considering the price.

Also if you are working with inks and contrasts and shades, or covering larger areas you don’t need to worry so much about how kind you are to the brush of you using an easily replacable synthetic.

Not all sythns behave like GW brushes, which just suck.

mrFickle wrote:
Not all sythns behave like GW brushes, which just suck.

I much prefer my synthetics to GW brushes.

I dunno what crap they make their blend with, but cheap nylon brushes are superior to GW brushes imo.