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What paintbrush brand is recommended for a beginner?


Valleyofvallejo

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I'm a beginner when it comes to scale modelling. I want to get an adequate set of paintbrushes for the job. I've heard that acrylic paints go best with synthetic brushes. I'm currently considering the Tamiya brush HF set or the basic set. Which would be a better value? If you can recommend a good synthetic brush brand, please do so. 

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It might be just me, but I really like the Italeri range of brushes. Been using them for some time now and find them to be excellent to use and not too expensive.

 

Best regards;

Steve

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We've been looking at various paint brush ranges over the last few months, looking for the one that passes all our tests.

We've settled on a Kolibri Synthetic range that has a range of nearly 50 brushes that will be useful in different types of modelling.  

 

Will hopefully be on our website in the next day or so  and magazine reviews should be appearing shortly.

 

Prices start from a little over £2 for small standard brushes, up to over £6 for one of the comb and fan brushes.

 

We've tried some slightly cheaper  ranges but they didn't pass our destruction testing, 

 

Will post the link up once they are live.

 

Paul

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This topic comes up on here pretty often...........most like me, choose Rosemary brushes, but just as a taster heres one of the threads from this site.......................just type in the search bar "Rosemary"  :-

 

 

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28 minutes ago, tank152 said:

I wouldn't waste your money on any brushes sold by modelling companies.

As Rayprit has recommended look into Rosemary & Co  or Windsor & Newton brushes. 

Tim, Drop me a line and I'll send you a couple of our new ones, you can let me know what you think of them.

 

Paul

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If you have decided on acrylics, then yes, good synthetics are probably best, just don't get ones that are too hard. You want well shaped, soft brushes with some snap, but not too stiff. Are you thinking of trying enamels? As a fellow Sydney sider, you can get hold of Tamiya enamels which are excellent brushing paints (good with anything really).

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5 hours ago, little-cars said:

Tim, Drop me a line and I'll send you a couple of our new ones, you can let me know what you think of them.

 

Paul

The amount of stuff I've had off you I'd have thought you'd have known my address of by heart by now! 😎

I'll pm you it.

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My artist wife says that synthetic brushes will hold more paint because the bristles do not absorb paint as natural fibers such as camel or sable hair tend to do. She suggests that a good-quality art student line of synthetic bristle brushes will do just fine; Liquitex is a good but inexpensive brand, The Winsor & Newton Special Value sets are also good. She also suggests that you visit some of the art supply stores in your area. Sydney should have plenty of sources.

 

Natural bristle brushes can also be used, but these tend to wear out over time regardless of quality. She suggests you get a small Winsor & Newton brush and try it.

 

Regardless of the type of brush you use, they should be cleaned thoroughly after use and stored bristle end up between painting sessions. For long-term storage, they should be kept flat.

Edited by Space Ranger
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Sable has been and is the best brush you can buy. What ever paint you use acrylic or enamel

the criteria is the spring in the brush. When you push down on the tip the hairs will have a graceful

arch which it maintains under pressure. Synthetic tend to bend rather than arch.

 

Using the sable brush you place pressure on the tip which nicely arches. This gives control over

the brush which you will not get with synthetic. Properly used as described you will have the

straightest of lines which can be turned on curves with out the hairs separating.

 

I spent hours as a young trainee architect water colouring drawings. Despite the expense only

sable brushes were used.

 

Laurie

 

 

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28 minutes ago, LaurieS said:

I spent hours as a young trainee architect water colouring drawings. Despite the expense only

sable brushes were used.

 

I remember doing this for public display at road scheme meetings, good days hours of filling road and verge up trying to leave no joins.

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8 hours ago, fingers said:

I remember doing this for public display at road scheme meetings, good days hours of filling road and verge up trying to leave no joins.

 

Mine was mainly plans at one quarter scale painting cavity brickwork vermillion. Plus sky washes on presentation elevations.

 

Stood me in good stead for model making. Also made architectural models.

 

Laurie

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I would add my two pennorth in support of buying the best artists sable brushes you can afford. It is a strange thing but a professional artist (or model painter) will be able to handle cheap brushes and 'student' quality paint to a good standard but it is easier for the beginner to work with the best equipment.

 

The problem with synthetic brushes is that they don't tend to hold their point very well as the 'hairs' are a uniform thickness throughout where sable hairs have a natural variation in thickness which produces a 'belly' when made into brushes which holds more fluid/paint while the hairs still taper to a very nice point. Two things to always remember with any brushes are - Thoroughly clean your brushes after use and never leave them standing in your wash tub/jar etc.

 

Rosemary Brushes and Winsor and Newton Series 7 have a great reputation but are at the top end of pricy. I find that the Uk company Proarte do a number of excellent but more affordable brushes including their full sable 'Renaissance' and sable/synthetic mix 'Connoisseur' ranges. DaVinci from Germany are good as well.

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Hi ValleyofVallejo

 

I use the Pro-lene series of brushes and they are synthetics. I find they are quite supple and last a long time. You can get them at your local Hobbyland or whatever it's called.

Regarding using synthetics for acrylics. I have read they are better because acrylics are a bit a harsher on naturals such as sable. Sorry but I cannot give you a definitive reference for this.

 

Will.

 

PS I use Vallejo and Lifecolor paint.

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10 hours ago, Beardie said:

 

The problem with synthetic brushes is that they don't tend to hold their point very well as the 'hairs' are a uniform thickness throughout where sable hairs have a natural variation in thickness which produces a 'belly' when made into brushes which holds more fluid/paint while the hairs still taper to a very nice point.

 

That is the problem Beardie. Once the point separates into a fork toss it in the bin as they do not recover. Sable will go back to it original state.

 

With synthetic you cannot afford to get paint hardening on the stock as it provides the opportunity for it to fork on the tip.

 

Laurie

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I have had some 'top of the line' synthetics that almost instantly lost their shape when wetted. I have, oh, at least two hundred brushes of various brands, types and styles, synthetic, sable, hog, russian black sable, squirrel and even mongoose and, when it comes to holding a point for detail work I always pick up a sable. On the other hand, when I need to 'scrub' in colour or do large areas a synthetic round or flat works well and is cheaper with less worry about destroying the brush. Good synthetic is especially good for flat type brushes allowing you to spread reasonably thick colour smoothly and thinly over a surface. 'Student' 'Graduate' 'studio' etc. labelled brushes I find are generally more trouble than they are worth in synthetics. Particularly bad I have found are the brushes with white nylon bristles which are liable to make a students or graduates hair turn white before they achieve the desired effect.

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41 minutes ago, Beardie said:

 Good synthetic is especially good for flat type brushes allowing you to spread reasonably thick colour smoothly and thinly over a surface. 'Student' 'Graduate' 'studio' etc. labelled brushes I find are generally more trouble than they are worth in synthetics. Particularly bad I have found are the brushes with white nylon bristles which are liable to make a students or graduates hair turn white before they achieve the desired effect.

 

Yes missed that one tut :lalala:. All my flat brushes are synthetic. Forgot that one. Just that I use mainly the round type.

Agree Beardie a small flat surface the flat ones are ideal less streaks and better flattening out as the paint is

evenly deposited compared to a round brush.

 

Laurie

 

Now off for a memory upgrade.

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Hi Beardie and Laurie,

 

Thanks for your conversation above. Although I clean my brushes meticulously, I have often wondered why they sometimes fork, and now I know.

 

Will.

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Scrubbing paint in too hard with a brush can also cause it to fork and, of course, the infamous 'bent end' comes from leaving a brush standing in your pot of thinners or water and will leave your tip permanently curved :D

 

One tip that I got from a brush maker and I have mentioned before elsewhere which is worth repeating is to wet a dry brush with thinners/water depending on type of paint you are using before dipping into the paint for the first time as this will reduce the likelihood of pigment particles being drawn up into the ferrule end of the brush by capillary action which clogs up the hairs and causes them to fan out.

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Great tip Beardie. Learnt that from a decorator.

 

Nd another

Good old Rosemary has this great brush holder. I bought tow one for brushes the other for sanding sticks. Makes life easy.

https://www.rosemaryandco.com/bits-pieces/misc/brush-holder

Andthis one

https://www.artsupplies.co.uk/item-aluminium-brush-washer.htm

Tip never leave the brush in a jar with water in it. The brush hairs will bend for ever.

The brush washer will wedge the brush so that just the bristles are in the cleaner liquid.

 

Easy to make from sprue a holder. Two pieces of sprue with dividers at each end one

thin the other thicker. Lay on top of a cleaning jar and wedge the brushes in this

super home made device. For Brit modellers I waive the royalties.

 

Laurie

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On 2017/4/27 at 06:42, Beardie said:

I have had some 'top of the line' synthetics that almost instantly lost their shape when wetted. I have, oh, at least two hundred brushes of various brands, types and styles, synthetic, sable, hog, russian black sable, squirrel and even mongoose and, when it comes to holding a point for detail work I always pick up a sable. On the other hand, when I need to 'scrub' in colour or do large areas a synthetic round or flat works well and is cheaper with less worry about destroying the brush. Good synthetic is especially good for flat type brushes allowing you to spread reasonably thick colour smoothly and thinly over a surface. 'Student' 'Graduate' 'studio' etc. labelled brushes I find are generally more trouble than they are worth in synthetics. Particularly bad I have found are the brushes with white nylon bristles which are liable to make a students or graduates hair turn white before they achieve the desired effect.

 

Would a synthetic + sable mixed brush recover after being forked?

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I have found that sable synthetics are pretty good at holding their shape. I regularly use th Proarte 'Connosieur' range of sable synthetic brushes although I have found some other sable/synthetic mix brushes are not quite so good. The connossieur are not much cheaper than mid range pure sable and I think the synthetic fibres in the mix are largely to give th brush more spring when working with thicker paint.

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25 minutes ago, Beardie said:

I have found that sable synthetics are pretty good at holding their shape. I regularly use th Proarte 'Connosieur' range of sable synthetic brushes although I have found some other sable/synthetic mix brushes are not quite so good. The connossieur are not much cheaper than mid range pure sable and I think the synthetic fibres in the mix are largely to give th brush more spring when working with thicker paint.

Would the Winsor and Newton range of sable + synthetic mix brushes be good?

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