Help with paint brushes

[Drewbacca]

I am currently using the Citadel brush line and I have a problem with the base brushes. Regardless of how well I clean and condition them they still fuzz out rather quickly. Does someone have any recommendations for other brushes?

[Starbuck]

are we talking about round or flat brushes?
the base brush range from citadel uses synthetic bristles (afaik). i recommend using kolinsky sable (Marderhaar).

for round brushes: Habico 122A or the da Vinci Maestro range. The Habico brushes are more reasonable than daVinci, but tend to have a shorter life span.

concerning flat brushes for base coating or sealing i switched to kolinsky sable as well. i am using Askia 100 flach and Boesner 20/315.

hope this helps

Grüße aus der Hauptstadt  :)

[00Dawg]

The Winsor & Newton line (Miniature Series in particular) has now been my go-to for almost a decade. 
They are pricey, but if you clean and condition semi-regularly, they will last for...well, almost a decade.  There's a size or two I've replaced in that time period or moved to use in working with basing material, but in a pinch they can still perform their original purpose.

[NeonKnight]

Yeah, CITADEL is crap!

I too use Winsor and Newton as well as HJ Gold Sable, and Artists Loft. Basically whatever fin brushes I can find in Stock at my local Miccaels' Art Store, or OPUS art supply

[Weirdo]

I get my brushes from Wal-Mart. Craft section for most, makeup section for those destined for drybrushing. When $3 gets me a set that covers all my needs and lasts at least a couple years, I don't care if there's better stuff on the market.

As for Citadel, unless you're looking at their paint, it's never worth it. Never. You can ALWAYS find what you're looking for elsewhere for a fraction of the price. Their paint is pretty good(I can't live without their washes), and they're one of the few companies that doesn't try to foist those never-sufficiently-damned dropper bottles on you.

[Psycho]

The key difference is the brush material, as others have noted. Synthetics are cheaper, but you've already noticed the downside. Sable is a natural hair, and will stand up much better with some care. Don't get sold on "red sable"; it's just a marketing ploy for synthetics. I still manage to beat up my main brushes, but when I'm painting a lot, that ends up being a cost of doing the work. I reserve my top-quality brushes for fine work, and they're still sharp after 5+ years.

[Sartris]

I get my brushes from Wal-Mart. Craft section for most, makeup section for those destined for drybrushing. When $3 gets me a set that covers all my needs and lasts at least a couple years, I don't care if there's better stuff on the market.

i'm not a good enough painter to warrant spending more than a few bucks on a brush. most of mine come from Michael's

[Bedwyr]

i'm not a good enough painter to warrant spending more than a few bucks on a brush. most of mine come from Michael's

I'd put the calculation this way. I spent about $12 on a WN brush. I had previously spent $40 over time on detail brushes (1, 0, 000) that kept pulling apart and hooking over time. I still have the WN brush and saved money over the long haul. Doesn't mean that's the right decision for you and there are crystal brush competitors that do very well with cheaper synthetics, but going for the nicer WN one has saved me money and frustration.

[Sartris]

yeah, i usually only paint in spurts and end up chucking the workhorses at the end of it.

i'd say if you're going to spend on nice brushes, learn on cheap ones to find out what you like / need first.

[Drewbacca]

OK a follow up question. For base coating, what size brush would I need?

[Weirdo]

Something 3-4 tunes bigger than your detail brush. Base coating is all about covering the entire surface of the mini without laying things on too thick.

[Drewbacca]

What numbers should I be looking for?

[carlisimo]

A number 3 might work for basecoating.  Maybe a 2.  I use a 1 for most things and a 0 for fine details. Any smaller and the paint dries before I reach the mini.

Citadel brushes used to be pretty good back when they had red or dark blue handles.  Still good when new, but they don’t hold a point for very long.

Windsor & Newton No. 7s are popular.  Don’t get the Miniature series - they aren’t called that because they’re designed for painting miniatures, but because they have shorter bristles.  I don’t find that to be a good thing.  But a few years ago they started having quality issues where 1 out of every few brushes will split right from the start and never be usable.  Not good, given the price.

Rosemary & Co. No. 33 brushes are nearly as good, and more reliable.

[Bedwyr]

Windsor & Newton No. 7s are popular.  Don’t get the Miniature series - they aren’t called that because they’re designed for painting miniatures, but because they have shorter bristles.  I don’t find that to be a good thing.  But a few years ago they started having quality issues where 1 out of every few brushes will split right from the start and never be usable.  Not good, given the price.

I do have both the miniature ones (that look more like a cone) and the regular series 7. I don't think I can compare adequately yet (and mine may be before the QC issues you're talking about), but I actually like the bristle organization in that stiffer cone. Maybe because it's easier to control.

[00Dawg]

As you guys posted, it occurred to me that I, too, am using some of the standard W&N series brushes in addition to the Miniature line.
I need to make a list of which is which, but off the top of my head, I think I may be using a Standard 1 for most of my work.  The Miniature ones come in handy for certain detail work.

[NeonKnight]

Here some of my common goto brushes:

Winsor & Newton 0 - 111 Round

HJ Gold Sable Series 750 - 10/0
HJ Gold Sable Series 700 - 0
HJ Gold Sable Series 700 - 000

American Painter 4650 Spotter - 5/0

Artist Loft Vienna Round 1

And I abuse the CRAP outta my brushes, so they usually start for one purpose (fine work) and as they start fraying/dying etc, they more over to more general use....nothing ever gets tossed...probably why I have 3 mugs worth of brushes on my desk  :-\

[carlisimo]

I do have both the miniature ones (that look more like a cone) and the regular series 7. I don't think I can compare adequately yet (and mine may be before the QC issues you're talking about), but I actually like the bristle organization in that stiffer cone. Maybe because it's easier to control.

The QC thing doesn’t mean they’re all bad, just enough that I’m wary of paying those prices any more.  You find out the first time you use it - it’s either good or bad from the start.

And I guess I spoke too soon about the miniature line because I get what you’re saying.  Maybe where I’d use a standard 00, I could use a miniature 0 or 1.  It’d have a wider base and that should hold paint better without it drying so quickly.  Yeah, I should give that a try...

[Bedwyr]

And I guess I spoke too soon about the miniature line because I get what you’re saying.  Maybe where I’d use a standard 00, I could use a miniature 0 or 1.  It’d have a wider base and that should hold paint better without it drying so quickly.  Yeah, I should give that a try...

And likewise I get the digs at the miniature brushes as I've seen them from other artists. A good regular SN7 size 1 brush should be a fine workhorse for years if treated well. It just takes some extra effort to learn brush control and where the bristles bend and move as you apply color. I simply find the miniature brush a bit easier to learn to control and might recommend it to a noob having trouble with brush control.

[Bedwyr]

Also, I moved the thread to Hobby Tips because obvious.

[Psycho]

What numbers should I be looking for?

Ask a dozen painters, get a dozen different answers... ;)

My standard trio are a 6 Round, 2 Flat, and 0 Round. The 6 is for base coats and if I need an overall wash. The 2 is my primary brush, and I'll use it for virtually all the main surfaces. The 0 is for when I get to the metals, cockpits, and gun barrels, etc. I've got finer brushes for really small cockpits and freehand stuff, but the three I mentioned work for me across probably 90% or more of the minis I paint.

[shadowdancer]

Use some Simple Green to clean them with. Buy the concentrate it works better. You can get it at Walmart or Home Depot. All natural and eco friendly. At Walmart it is in the car cleaner section.

[Nomad]

I'll echo 00Dawg and Psycho. I use W&N as well as Raphael brushes (I think they're French). Both brands have been great. You can sometimes find them discounted - I bought a whole bunch of the Raphael brushes for like $2.50 a piece about 15 years ago - the place I bought them was clearing out inventory. In terms of sizes, right now I use a W&N 1 and a 000 for very fine detail. Don't really need much else than that.

[worktroll]

Plus drybrushing chews up brushes, sable or other - so I often buy cheap sets to use for that purpose, and keep my sable purchases for the detail & mid-size work.

W.