Brush types

[Mosch]

Either there is something strange going on here (aka I can suddenly paint) or brushes do make a huge difference.

Thing is, up to now I have always used Nova Synthetic \"Da Vinci\" Nylon Brushes (I did not make this name up. That\'s what they are actually called, and Nova Synthetics is thew company that produces them, but part of the name) and just five minutes ago tried this single poor little red sable fellow that rested peacefully among my other brushes and never got used. I don\'t know why, call it coincidence, Kismet, whatever, I just thought \"Why not?\".

Well, hello mister. Painting with that one was amazing. I only did one coat of blue (Vallejo Ultramarine Blue) on a cape and it was the best blue I ever painted painted. It became completely opaque and even using only a single coat of thinned paint. I just wonder, does a brush really make such a difference? Really, I can not believe it...

 

[t_haye2]

yes it does, but nylon brushes suck big time. They seem to hold a big point, but the wear out very very quickly, and they leave so much more streaking than sable brushes....
I suggest go with series 7, yes they\'re expensive, but they will last you a long time, and they\'re just about the best ones out there...this reminds me, gotta do a brush comparison article for Harbinger....back to work!

 

[Calavera]

Meh, i use those davinci brushes for drybrushing and painting metals.
It\'s probably that that red sable brush of yours held much more paint than the nylons. Sable brushes hold more paint, last longer and are a joy to paint with.
I use W&N Series 7 and W&N Cotman 111 Brushes mainly for the most of my work. The cotmans are synthetic but hold a good deal of paint and paint very smoothly but their tips are getting hooked :<

 

[farseerlum]

ok i\'m sold. but i live in the backlog of the world when it comes to stuff like this.
so are there any brushes other than the series 7 you can recommend.

most of the other arty ranges should be findable.
any sable do?
if i can\'t find a series or whatever what manufacturer should i look for?

W&N are obviously good but is that only in the series 7 line or will the others do?

 

[t_haye2]

the thing is, that most art shops sell them really, they\'re not that hard to find. also they\'re quite easy to get a hold of online, it\'s really worth investing the time to get them,believe me. On the other hand, and good sable brush will do, but make sure the bristles give a lot of resistance when you bend them, by \'trying them out\' dry first in the shop. Some don\'t give any resistance, and are therefore useless...

 

[Dragonsreach]

You are gonna love this:--I\'ve just been looking for a length of Brass rod (for pinning) and found a small packet of Brushes.
Inside were:
2 series 16 000,
1 series 12 000 and
1 series 7 000.
They are all unused. The reciept was dated April 1997. lol

 

[t_haye2]

you\'re a waster you know that? sheez....I have to say tho, i get that someytimes too, finisdnig things that i didn\'t even think or know I had...weird. All though at the moment i\'m in a c\'an\'t find it anywhere\' stage, I know i got a mounted archeon somewhere, because I bought one a few months ago...can\'t find it anywhere...

 

[Anaughtybear]

I just had to share a personal story of a brush intervention. A friend of mine decided he want to paint miniatures, so he went out and got some of those horrible model kit brushes, like they sell at WalMart. I caught him painting with it, almost in tears. Of course, the miniature looked like it was painted by a group of disabled kids, but it wasn\'t his fault. Using substandard brushes is like trying to type with mittens on.

 

[Trevor]

I\'m finding that my brushes and paint are holding me back (and yes I\'m using good sable brushes), I have the necessary motor control but I can\'t get the fine tip and paint consistency I need to do the fine detail work. So yes brushes are very important.

 

[vincegamer]

Moral Dilemma

I don\'t buy or wear fur because fur animals are treated in what I find inhmane ways.
Therefore, unless I find sable are treated better for brush hairs, I am afraid I must give up sable brushes. I know the quality is better, but on moral grounds I must give it up.

 

[Cerridwyn1st]

Reaper sables

Originally posted by farseerlum
ok i\'m sold. but i live in the backlog of the world when it comes to stuff like this.
so are there any brushes other than the series 7 you can recommend.

most of the other arty ranges should be findable.
any sable do?
if i can\'t find a series or whatever what manufacturer should i look for?

W&N are obviously good but is that only in the series 7 line or will the others do?

As Tammy says, WN7\'s aren\'t that hard to get, but if you don\'t want to go through the hassle of hunting down an art store or ordering online, there is another remedy.

Reaper has a new line of Kolinsky sable brushes. Street price, they are a few dollars cheaper than what you will pay for WN7\'s at an art store. If your game store carries Reaper minis and paints, they can order them for you.

I\'ve got two Reaper Master Brushes, and I like them. I also have Vallejo and Windsor and Newton Series 7s. I enjoy using all of them. I\'ve got one WN Cirrus 110 (a lower-grade Kolinsky brush). It\'s an OK brush, and works pretty well, but IMO the other brushes I mentioned are better.

 

[Herb the bitter]

Originally posted by vincegamer
I don\'t buy or wear fur because fur animals are treated in what I find inhmane ways.
Therefore, unless I find sable are treated better for brush hairs, I am afraid I must give up sable brushes. I know the quality is better, but on moral grounds I must give it up.

I admire your adherence to your convictions(though my viewpoint differs). I was wondering if people had ethical issues with natural brushes.

Usually the strongest urge I have to give up my sables is when I\'m looking at the French or UK GD winners. I can see it now when I go to the GD\'s:
\"How did you create such a realistic fire on your base?\"
\"Oh, those are my series 7\'s burning...\"

 

[farseerlum]

dang cerridwyn thats exactly what i needed! thanks. reaper it is.