Paint brush selection

[lynx]

Hi Guys

I am just starting my first build of a 1:48 Spitfire Mk.XV1, I am planning on brush painting it but need some help on selecting the right brushes. I have read that natural flat brushes are best as I'm using Acrylic paint, what make are the best to buy or will cheap natural ones be ok? I notice that many are artist brushes, does this matter? Any advice will be appreciated.

Many Thanks

 

[Lee W]

Hey,

I use only the finest brushes...from the Works o_O, they are made by a company called Boldmers, hope this helps?

Lee

 

[Deleted member 3568]

In my experience buying cheap brushes is asking for trouble, the hairs come out (usually at the most inconvenient time) or the hairs are too stiff\course, don't hold the paint well. I am not saying only buy sable or really expensive, but definitely not cheap, ruining a model you have spent weeks doing to save 50p on a brush is just not worth it buy the best you can afford. Generally with a new brush I will soak it for an hour then work the bristles for a while, that way you get rid of loose hairs before you use it.

 

[Lee W]

To be honest with you Ken, as cheap as they are, I've never had a problem with them...touch wood (oooer!)

Lee

 

[lynx]

To be honest with you Ken, as cheap as they are, I've never had a problem with them...touch wood (oooer!)Lee

 

[monica]

mmmm i would tend to go with a mid rage cost brush, yes flat is good, maybe some thing around 10 to 20 dollars,

as Ken pointed out they drop hairs and can be on the hard side so you do get lines, and better to do a few thin layers than try one thick layer

hope thats of some help.

 

[eddiesolo]

Cheap brushes are used for washes only for me, never use them on detailed painting, always go for the best you can afford especially if you're painting a model complete with a hairy-stick.

A good quality brush will form a point and have a certain spring to the hairs-they will bend but come back to shape-they also hold more paint and will apply that paint more evenly than a cheap brush.

Sable is soft and considered a good product.

Avoid nylon...cheap, nasty and useless.

Mixed fibres like Ox and Squirrel hair are good.

Plus a good quality brush shouldn't shed and will last longer.

Si

 

[lynx]

Thanks for your views. I have found two types of brushes, both ends of the scale. Can you give me your opinion...

http://www.theworks.co.uk/p/paint-brushes/royal-brush-soft-grip-assorted-natural-hair-artist-s-sable-mop-sg995-s-paintbrush/090672027160

http://www.artsupplies.co.uk/item.php?item_id=4547

 

[eddiesolo]

Try our shop these are inexpensive and will get you started okay: http://www.scalemodelshop.co.uk/palpo-brush-pack-000-0-2-4-humbrol-humg4250.html

Si

 

[Lee W]

All I can say is, the brushes I use, yes they are cheap but they're sable and I've only had one loose hairs on a model, I've been using the same brushes for a couple of years...I like them

Lee

 

[PaulTRose]

actually you can get good brushes cheap............if you have a hobbycraft store near you go and have a look....huge range.....theres one whos name escapes me are very good and only cos a quid to 2 quid a brush.....ive got some i use a lot that are 4 or 5 years old and are still in great condition......but then i am a bit ocd when it comes to cleaning them

 

[monica]

lee, a sable, brush is a good one ever maybe not to costly at times, i mean the sets you buy for $ 2.50 for the pound shop theses one,

only good for chipping and weathering,

i should look after my better ,i must say ,but the monster cats get them,and like to pull the hairs out, i think they think there mice or some think,:mad:

i do buy nice brushers for face painting at about $ 7.oo to $12 each,, but still the cats get them on boooo.:oops:

 

[Alan 45]

I use Italieri sable hair they do a range from thin to thick and are reasonable in price

 

[john i am]

In the main I use an airbrush but for fine detail I use these sable brushes these ones are fine but the bigger set are the same price 6 for a tenner and the quality is very good with no loss of bristle to date View attachment 84622

 

[Stevekir]

Try our shop these are inexpensive and will get you started okay: http://www.scalemodelshop.co.uk/palpo-brush-pack-000-0-2-4-humbrol-humg4250.htmlSi

My best very fine brush is an inexpensive Humbrol. I also have a more expensive fine brush by Italeri (like John I Am's photo) and it wore thin very quickly. But flat brushes have more hairs to fall out, and applying paint over a large area (as distinct from tiny lines) probably needs a reasonably good quality brush. (I don't know if this helps!).

 

[Richi72]

Hi,

ok so here is my opinion on cheap and expensive brushes and good and bad quality.

over the years i used many different kinds of brushes and have to say,'' go for sable brushes '', most of them are soft and take the paint well enough so you can work with it.

I had some bad experience with revell kind. later I tried the Da vinci Humbrol and Vallejo brushes those are good but then I tried the Windsor and Newton brushes and ''i was blown away of the quality and the way they give of the paint''. I know these are expensive ones but they are worth every penny.

here is what i use my brushes for:

Faces : Windsor & Newton

Clothes : Humbrol Vallejo and Da Vinci

washes : old and cheap

dry brushing : old and cheap

Chipping : Old hard brushes.

As in your case you will need to put on several thin layers of paint build, up to avoid brush strokes i would go with good quality size 3 brush.

Its just my opinion. But i hope it helps.

Cheers Richi

 

[Laurie]

Hi Lynx. Which ever brush you use the most important part is the spring in the hair. To test press it on the table and it will form a nice curve with out spreading and will keep it's tip.

If you use a "sprung" brush you can place it on the starting point and you have to gently press to keep the hairs sprung under pressure which will make it follow the paint line you want it to.

When I first started in an architect's office moons ago all the brushes were the best as painting one eighth scale walls on plan was a delicate job

Laurie

 

[PaulTRose]

i have a bit of a ritual when it comes to cleaning brushes, especially since i only really use acrylics, i saw it on another forum a loooong time ago when a similar topic was discussed and it seems to work

i rinse in a pot of clean water to remove most, wipe in kitchen paper, (never twist the brush and you gently pull it thro the paper or you will ruin the bristles) then whilst its still in the paper give it a little squirt of air brush cleaner and and gently pull thro again.....repeat til theres no colour being left on the paper.............then dip in water again to rinse and gently pull the brush through your fingers so it reforms the bristles into a 'brush' shape.....dont squeeze it so all the water comes out, idea is to leave it damp so that it will air dry leaving the bristles in the right shape

seems to work as i have brushes that are years old and still perfectly usuable

i always try and buy the decent quality brushes, i like HobbyCrafts range cos theres so much choice.....if i ever go in there or a model shop just to have a look round (normally whilst swmbo is shopping elsewhere :rolleyes: i will always buy a paint brush and a pot of paint......not often i buy a kit in a shop but always buying a brush or paint soon builds up a stock of them, and i dont think you can ever have enough brushes

a while back i took a punt by buying a set of 25 random artists brushes on ebay for about a fiver......you didnt know what you were getting, totally random......out of the 25 a few were useless cos of the shape or type but on the whole they have been a good buy.....the synthetic ones have been used for weathering, some of the natural ones are great for detail work

 

[lynx]

Evening all.

Thank you for all the replys and all the information. I am totally new to this hobby and have so many questions about various topics, that I could probably take up most of your time! Anyway, back to brushes! I have decided to go for the best that I can afford, I found what Laurie was saying about the spring in the brush very interesting and seemed to make sense. I am going out at the weekend and having a look and will test some brushes out.

 

[eddiesolo]

Evening all.Thank you for all the replys and all the information. I am totally new to this hobby and have so many questions about various topics, that I could probably take up most of your time! Anyway, back to brushes! I have decided to go for the best that I can afford, I found what Laurie was saying about the spring in the brush very interesting and seemed to make sense. I am going out at the weekend and having a look and will test some brushes out.

Nice one, glad we helped. Look forward to viewing your builds...don't be shy...we love piccies.

Si