Escoda, DaVinci, Raphael

[Darkmessiah]

Considering buying some new brushes, been using W&N s7 for a while now, but iv had to buy them online since the art stores around me are very limited and the quality has been varied.
So iv had a look through past topics and Escoda, DaVinci and Raphael seem to be the favoured brushes, now my question is which series in each brand is the best for mini painting?

Darkmessiah

 

[Einion]

Originally posted by Darkmessiah
So iv had a look through past topics and Escoda, DaVinci and Raphael seem to be the favoured brushes, now my question is which series in each brand is the best for mini painting?

Unfortunately that\'s going to be dependant a bit on what each person likes in a brush. I like longer hairs as a rule and I prefer bristles with a lot of spring, other people prefer a shorter head and/or softer hairs.

Einion

 

[DaRat]

I\'ve got an Escoda Tajmyr (Pointed Round, series 1212) that I like. A bit on the thin and long side for its size (compared to the Winsor & Newton Series 7), but a very fine point. Good snap and spring.

 

[Darkmessiah]

am just after peoples opinions on which they beleive is the best series in the brush ranges so i can take somethin away and have a proper look at the brushes and decide for myself, as you can imagine dick blick is a tad confusing with the amount of brushes they offer, especially when the series 7 is in the watercolour catergory..

 

[Wren]

Most of the brushes you\'re looking at (if not all) are going to be in the watercolour area. We use pretty thin paint compared to what a lot of 2D artists think of for acrylic, I believe.

The Davincis I\'ve tried have been from the Maestro line, based on others\' recommendations. The Escodas have been from the Tajmyr line. Between the brushes I\'ve tried I\'d say I like the Davinci Maestro 1 and the W&N 00 the best for the bulk of my painting.

 

[freakinacage]

i quite like the gree ones that i got with my vallejo paint set. they hold their point nicely, and the price was right!!

bought a w+n series 7 a while back and it fishtailed immediately! just goes to show..

 

[Dragonsreach]

I\'ve got hold of some W&N Water Colour Brushes. (Matty1001 was with me at the time)
They are just as good as Series 7 as far as I\'m concerned, but HALF the price.
Link

Handles are ergonomically shaped and comfortable to use for protracted painting sessions.
Plus if like me you try to dabble with Wtaercolours in 2D (I know I\'m a heretic :d ) they are good as they are designed to be.

 

[airhead]

Mike, I just checked on those watercolor brushes. Dirt cheap here at Dick Blick.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[jahminis]

i\'m of two minds about these brushes...
i have a few W&N, and da vinci...the W&N 00 is an awesome brush...i\'m not so sure i dig the shape of the 1 and the 3... i\'m too accustomed to my gw brushes that have served me loyaly for over 20 years...i can hear the boos and hisses already...
the da vinci 5 is great for basecoats, and cheaper than the W&N 5...
the main thing for me is the 00 versus the gw fine detail brush...the gw brush is always great for a couple months, and then hairs start to stray...we\'ll see how the W&N is holdin\' up in a couple months...maybe i will be convinced that it is a higher quality brush...maybe not...
my standard and large gw brushes always hold up for a year or so, which is not bad for a $8.50 investment...

cheers
jah

 

[Dragonsreach]

Originally posted by jahminis
i\'m too accustomed to my gw brushes that have served me loyaly for over 20 years...

Ah yes but 20 years ago GW brushes were re-badged W&N series 7\'s. (Often found a series 7 in with them. )

The GW \"Collectors brush set\" was exactly the same as the W&N boxed set only with GW\'s logo and a bit of Brass in it. (Oh and twice the price).
Plus I\'m very sure that the brushes GW are getting are produced by W&N just not to the same standards as the series 7\'s.

@Airhead: Glad to help, hope that they suite the bill for you.

 

[jahminis]

yeah, i thought that the collectors set was a rip-off, so i didn\'t bother, and i\'m a fanatical collector of things labelled collector\'s serieslol...
the main thing is that the w&n miniature series is super fat, and gets super skinny at the tip...it\'s takes some adjustment after the smooth transition from tip to ferule on a gw brush...
new shape equals new approach...

dick blick is the way to go for sure...gotta love deep discounts...
when i lived in NYC i was like a kid in a candy store when i would go to there store in chinatown...it\'s was huge...
don\'t know if it\'s still there...

cheers
jah