Brushes

[cgarcer]

What brushes do you suggest? I always used the cheap white Testors with the black bristles. Now that I'm starting over buying all new stuff, what other brushes should I look at. Anything that Hobby Lobby might have since they are convenient for me? I will be using Tamiya acrylics.

[lordairgtar]

Head to a good artist shoppe and buy good quality art brushes. Soft natural bristles are what you want. Get a lot of differnt sizes and shapes for different work. I have some nice Windsor & Newton brushes from England that I like. There are other brands. Might find these at Micheals.

Edited January 1, 2010 by lordairgtar

[Harry P.]

Cheap brushes are a bad idea. Yeah, they're cheap... but they don't last, they don't hold a point, and they don't have the right "spring" to the bristles.

I agree with Gregg... go to to an art supply store or a well-stocked hobby shop and get some good brushes. Red sable are really nice, and they will last for YEARS if you take care of them the rght way.

Windsor and Newton is a very good brand, but they tend to be pricey.

The Hobbytown USA nearest me has a nice selection of red sable brushes by "Royal Langnickel." They're made in China (what isn't!!!) but that's why they're less expensive. They come in dozens of sizes and shapes and cost 3 or 4 bucks apiece. Getting yourself a set of 3 or 4 good red sable brushes in various sizes is a good investment.

[CAL]

good quality golden synthetic

[Guest arni]

A good brush is worth buying I would say.I have about 20 brushes in total,but most of them are for large scale brushing or even dusting off..

I have a couple of brushes by J. Perkins,an English company and they are very nice.Cost? probably $5 each.

The Vallejo range is pretty good too,same sort of cost over here..

[Roger U]

I see that top quality brushes are recommended, which makes sense. What I need help with is how to clean the brushes so they can be used again. I'm sure it depends on the type of paint but let's use the Tamiya acrylics as an example - what cleaner should be used and what is the proper procedure? Do you dip the brush in and wipe it off several times, or let the brush soak for awhile then wipe it off, or what? This is an area I have problems with, getting all the paint out of the brush after using it. Thanks in advance for any tips you can offer.

[Tony T]

Depending on the paint does depend on the cleaner used. Tamiya bottle paint I use water. Testors enamels I use varsol or turpentine. Wipe excess off on a rag, swish it in the water (for Tamiya), wipe on rag, do the same a couple more times, (don't put it in the water and leave it) don't let the bristles get to the bottom of the water pot (I use an old jar, and put the lid on - open to clean brush, so I don't touch the bottom of the jar so I don't get sediment in the bristles). Keep dipping and wiping until the brush is clean, no colour on the rag. Lay the brush flat, to keep the bristles straight. I do replace the tip guard (clear tube that came with the Vallejo "000" brush for example). If using varsol, once clean, I do rinse with water. I have several different sizes, and do use some of the Testors brushes for brushing some things, like engine blocks, etc.

[Roger U]

Thanks Tony, I'll try your suggestions. I've been using Testors enamals and their thinner for cleaning which hasn't worked too well for me, so I'll get some turpentine and try again. I also want to try Tamiya acrylics for details. The water clean up sounds easy enough. Guess I better get some new better quality brushes also.

[Aaronw]

If you have a Micheals near you watch for sales, they frequently have brushes on sale from 25-40% off. They also have a good selection of quality brushes.

I'm finding I prefer the synthetic brushes as the tend to shed less.

I've also heard that if you use acrylics the synthetics are better as many natural fibers do not last as long with water based paints and cleaners. I really haven't seen that to be a problem. I have quite a few sable hair brushes that are still doing well after 8 or 10 years of use with acrylic paint, so that may be a myth.