How long do drybrush brushes last?

mczolton

Member
Hopefully a simple question. I have a couple of small, flat drybush brushes - one from Reaper and one from GW. I\'ve noticed that after drybrushing a dozen or so skeletons that the brushes have started to curl a bit. Is this to be expected given that I am cleaning them with soap and water after each paint session? Does it really matter if a drybrush curls? I understand that drybrushing is a harsh technique, but I figured the bushes would hold up a bit longer than they have.

Thanks,
Mark
 

cookster

New member
Drybrushing will kill brushes. Its best to use a certain brush for drybrushing so only that one gets beat up. It doesn\'t really matter if it gets worn out because that doesn\'t really affect drybrushing (unless of course it disappeaers). Im hoping that answers your question.
 

mczolton

Member
Thanks, that is pretty much what I wanted to hear. I knew drybrushing would destroy the brush. I was just under the impression that a dedicated drybrush would take longer to show signs of wear.

Thanks,
Mark
 

Naukhel

Active member
Wow. My oldest brush is almost 28.
It\'s one of those old plastic bristled ones that came in the Testors paint wheel thing. I got it when I was 6.
I use it for mixing, now.
 

bayrodney

New member
I believe if you keep all the paint and crap off the drybrushes they can almost last forever, Drybrushes are ment to be flayed.

28 Year Old Brush!!!:eek::eek:
 
A synthetic brush will curl like that when used a few times.. not sure exactly why but its the nature of the material. A brush made from natural hairs will last longer. Also when done make sure your really clean your brush. Dry brushing tends to clog up the root of your brush near the farrel ( the netal tube) and force your bristles apart.
 

airhead

Coffin Dodger / Keymaster
Originally posted by Albert Moretó Font
i cant believe you have brushes that are 10 years older than me!!!:eek: :D
I have shoe laces older than you. and nearly all of my brushes are older than you too.
 

TiberiusZ

New member
If you have brushes dedicated to just drybrushing, they get better with time.
Yes, they go frizzy, but with drybrushing, that is indeed a good thing, as you get a more \'feathered\' and soft blending.

I use a fairly large flat headed brush with horsehair. To the scale of the screen the size and cross-sectional shape of the tip is something like this: [[[[[[]]]]]]
That way it can be used on large things like tanks aswell as a rough shade on smaller minis.
If you intend to use it on skeletons, the only consideration is to finish drybrushing all the bone before you begin working with any other colour.

I\'d recomend spraying skeletons with black primer; then painting the whole thing a dull dark drown; then drydrushing liberally a few coats of a dull meduim brown with a larger flat headed brush, and finally drybrushing to taste with a bleached bone colour and a smaller flat headed brush to complete the drybrushing stage.
I would then water down some of the bleached bone adding just a touch of the dull medium brown, and gently wet-shading with that just to neaten up any areas you arent quite satisfied with.
 

freakinacage

Well-known member
Originally posted by TiberiusZ
If you have brushes dedicated to just drybrushing, they get better with time.
Yes, they go frizzy, but with drybrushing, that is indeed a good thing, as you get a more \'feathered\' and soft blending.

i agree. what i did a couple of years ago was buy a crappy kids brush set. you\'d cry if you needed to use them properly. but i cut the tips off and rounded them a little and they are great. i think someoneonce described the tip as a \'cats tongue\' shape. why specifically a cat, i dont know. anyway, as long as you clean them thoroughly and maybe use some brush soap every now and again, i see no reason why they shouldnt last 26 years (28 years is pushing it though!!)
 

Legacy Account

Active member
Synthetic brushes make fine dry brushes. They splay out, which is useful, and they take a serious amount of pounding. I have several, with the smallest being a 3/0 and they have lasted years.
 
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