Paint Brushes?

[Jim B]

So, I'm in the market for some new paint brushes for detail painting. Any recommendations?

[slusher]

l bought real good sable brushes at Hobby Lobby on clearance. They have great brushes...

[Monty]

Take a look in here. http://www.micromark.com/paint-brushes.html Buy the best you can afford and buy them in sets so you end up with a variety of tips.

[Jim B]

Thanks for the replies. I'll check them out.

[Skip]

Buy the best you can afford. I'd also buy them one at a time, the ones you will use. Buy natural hair brushes, sable if you can afford it. Then treat each of them like the cost $100 each. Keep them clean, a dash of mineral oil every now and then won't hurt either, clean it out before you use them. (Helps keep the natural hair supple.)

The other trick to keeping brushes clean is cleaning with lacquer thinner for enamels. Buy the cheap stuff for cleaning. If you have one put them in an ultrasonic cleaner with the thinner. You'll be surprised at what comes out of the ferrule. Most of all Never Ever pull on the hair while cleaning it breaks the hair off and ruins the brush.

[weasel]

and, don't disregard the cheaper ones at places like Hobby Lobby and Michaels as you can trim the bigger ones to what you want...

also, got any old margarine bowls?? the deep plastic kind?? drill holes in the top to store the brushes...add some of that 'green stuff' in the bottom to hold them steady, and just stand them up..

Edited September 21, 2013 by weasel

[Kit Basher]

Definitely check out the art section of your local craft store. I have some Floquil, IMEX, and Royal brushes that are good, but I also have some Grumbacher brushes that are much better. Well worth the money.

[spawndude]

I occasionally buy the bulk packs of brushes at Hobby Lobby. They are like $4-$5, cheaper with coupon. These are great for cleaning, dusting, dry brushing, applying washes, applying pigments, applying glue, the larger ones can be used for painting large areas like the base for a diorama, etc. If you ruin them so what, they were cheap.

Also, keep the good brushes that turn bad for doing the same thing as above.

I add a bit of generic hair conditioner to my cleaning water.

Finally, I keep my good brushes in a separate, nicer brush holder. The cheapies I keep in containers (candy, cracker, cookie) separated by what I use them for. Washes, pigments, glue, etc.