Brush Shoot-out

[Avelorn]

http://mito0.20megsfree.com/brushes.html

This is a link to a comparasion between a few brushes. W&N series 7, Raphael 8404 are amongst them.

It doesn\'t give the final answer which to choose (and I doubt there is any), but it gave me some clues. And it also gave me the explanation why one of my new expensive W&N series 7 went fish tail after 1/2 hour of careful painting. (I\'ve returned it, hope I get a new one)

 

[Shawn R. L.]

I ONLY buy real cheap brushes (5$ and under) and have had no problems. Keep em clean and dont abuse them. Synthetic brushes always get a small \'hook\' on the end.

 

[Avelorn]

Originally posted by Shawn R. L.
I ONLY buy real cheap brushes (5$ and under) and have had no problems. Keep em clean and dont abuse them. Synthetic brushes always get a small \'hook\' on the end.

Synthetic brushes seems to hold together better then natural-hair brushes. But they do get that anoying hook, although it can be used for various purposes too.

I frequently use Yakloon-hair (I think they are called that) nylon brushes, they work fine.

Do you use Nylons or sable hair? They seem to have somewhat different uses.

 

[No Such Agency]

I have very good experiences with W&N \"University Series 233\" (red/white handle) synthetic brushes. They of course hook or separate eventually but they are *cheap*, and last quite a while before they are no longer able to hold a point.

I have a W&N Series 7 #00 brush for \"special occasions\" (mostly very fine detailing and freehand) but it is not really that much better although I imagine it will last quite a while. The tip on it is incredibly fine and it holds a lot of paint in the \"belly\" without soaking under the ferrule (bad!).

 

[Mosch]

I have used synthetic brushes for a long time and my results were always pretty awkward. I have no idea how people actually paint with those

I use DaVinci brushes and, while I am sure that there are better brushes out there, they are a lot better thn the GW brushes and I have yet to find other brushes here - I will absolutely NOT buy brushes via the internet.

 

[freakinacage]

i have a variety of brushes. for fine brushes, i tend to use the natural, more expensive ones but other than that is use whatever. i have a couple of gw ones that have lasted a while. i have bought a couple of w+n series 7 sables from www.artsupplies.co.uk and they are very good. i wouldn\'t trust anyone else

 

[Shadzar]

i use Testors - 8731 #3/0 Hobby Artist Brush.

seems i cant even find it on the testors site now tho. glad i got 3 spares.

also use

(Item 7050-18/0) Script Liner

also the testors generic plastic brushes that come in the kits for aplying PVA glue for bases and such.

 

[Shawn R. L.]

I find nylon to be a bit stiffer and you can \'draw\' with them better. That can also work aginst you in that they press the paint in such a way as to leave vallers and ridges. Most brushes, as long as their shape is consistant, I find a use for. Even the hook. I have gotten used to it and it dosent get in the way. For some freehand it can acturlly be a benifit. You can hold the brush at a lower and more natural angle and the tip (because of the curve) will be perpendicular and thus gives a more accurate line. Sometimes on a brush that dosn\'t have a pointed tip I will carefully trim the hook off. I use Mr Hobby - Mr Color Thinner to clean the dried stuff that builds up at the base of the bristles and splays them. That stuff has saved some brushes that were destined for the trash. Made them like NEW.

 

[TAB Studio]

My stable has Reaper 20-0 and 30-0 kolinsky held for all detail and flesh ( no brush strokes show )and I replace them often keep the new to the side for good stuff,
Then a bunch of armory gold nylon for all other stuff yes including the hook function which I employ often

 

[Astonia]

Well, since I bought my first Kolinsky Sable brush I\'m not going back The quality is outstanding, it\'s still in perfect shape even after several months of full time painting (8 hours/day, 6 days/week). I also use GW brushes for basecoats and washes, and when drybrushing the base.

 

[Shadzar]

8/6.

you paint for a living? how do you find time? have you been outside lately?

 

[Avelorn]

The kolinskys that are in my local art-store aren\'t good enough quality. The cheap synthetic ones I use beat them easily. It\'s a huge difference between different synthetics. Some are just limp and difficult to paint with. What they all seem to do however is spreading the paint a bit more uneven than natural hairs, making large, smooth, blendings more difficult.

Right now I\'m thinking about ordering a Raphael 8404 brush.. to test them out. I\'ve heard that some of the more wellknown Rackham painters use them to a large degree.. and that has to count for something! The problem is that I would want to be able to test all brushes before i buy them, but that seems to be impossible where I\'m located.

 

[Modderrhu]

Originally posted by Astonia
8 hours/day, 6 days/week

Really, Astonia? By your productivity, I thought you painted 8 days a week, 25 hours a day.

It\'s all very well to go to a shop and buy W&N Series 7 - the only way to do it - until you whip the little plastic cap off and the sales person asks you to put it back on again. I tried a couple of shops in the UK, and not one would let me test the brushes. When I asked about returning bad brushes, they couldn\'t allow that either. So now that I\'m in ZA, what\'s to be done, when decent brushes are not even imported? Luckily only one had a stray hair.

It\'s really refreshing to read about W&N\'s less than perfect quality though, kinda takes those brushes off their pedestal.

 

[freakinacage]

Originally posted by Modderrhu


It\'s all very well to go to a shop and buy W&N Series 7 - the only way to do it - until you whip the little plastic cap off and the sales person asks you to put it back on again. I tried a couple of shops in the UK, and not one would let me test the brushes. When I asked about returning bad brushes, they couldn\'t allow that either.

that really sucks. tell them to shove it - would they buy a brush that they haven\'t tested? i have to say that, thankfully, i have never had that problem

 

[Astonia]

Hehe, no I haven\'t been outside lately (which is good cause it\'s lots of snow and below zero here), except from when I have to go to the Uni. But I do take friday nights and saturdays off. And I don\'t paint for a living, but at least I\'m saving up for the summer

 

[EricJ]

so while I promised myself I\'d upgrade my brushes, I\'m still using citadel fine detail for basically everything, although it\'s now costing me more and more, and I am finding myself quicker to get fed up and just toss the brush in the garbage every time it does something I don\'t like. I figure it will at least put a little fear into the next brush watching that, to make sure it behaves.

Although it was a new years resolution to upgrade my brushes (and paints for that matter), so I have 10 months left to do it

-Eric

 

[E-Arkham]

I have very good experiences with W&N \"University Series 233\" (red/white handle) synthetic brushes.

Same ones I use for detail work. Ditto, they are very good brushes for the price.

I use various other ones, mostly Loew and Cornell cheapies for washes, base coating, etc but I rely on the 233\'s for control.

Kep

 

[ralfmetal]

i use dental brushes used in the production of ceramic crowns they come in a huge selection and are v good quality (top kolinski) and are alot cheaper than most \"artist\" brushes on the market.

 

[No Such Agency]

Originally posted by EricJ
so while I promised myself I\'d upgrade my brushes, I\'m still using citadel fine detail for basically everything, although it\'s now costing me more and more, and I am finding myself quicker to get fed up and just toss the brush in the garbage every time it does something I don\'t like. I figure it will at least put a little fear into the next brush watching that, to make sure it behaves.

Although it was a new years resolution to upgrade my brushes (and paints for that matter), so I have 10 months left to do it

-Eric

Do yourself a favour - buy some good brushes NOW. Even if they\'re just nylon ones, not sable. GW brushes are cack. I can\'t for the life of me figure out how you paint so well with them, unless you pick through and find the 1 in 100 that doesn\'t look like a spread out tuft of grass.

 

[Avelorn]

Originally posted by ralfmetal
i use dental brushes used in the production of ceramic crowns they come in a huge selection and are v good quality (top kolinski) and are alot cheaper than most \"artist\" brushes on the market.

um.. how can a creature like me get my writhling little tentacles on them?