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Posted

Dear All

Help!

Over the years I've been encouraged (ahem) to find 'the perfect brush' and, having moved recently, found most of my brushes packed into a bag and mixed up:

 

54459094617_3fd1f78dda_z.jpg

 

Madness. Obviously these need sorting.

 

I do use an airbrush but I also like brush painting so could you please advise on the use and care of these? I'd be really obliged.

I brush paint mainly with acrylics, mostly Humbrol, some Tamiya.

Almost always aircraft.

 

I'd like to 'select' a set of brushes, perhaps for each task i.e. detailed painting (like pilots), area painting, varnish application etc.

 

Here we go…

 

Set from 'The Works' recently purchased:

 

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No idea about these:

 

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Probably picked up at shows:

 

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Sable brushes - I guess these are best?

 

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And finally a collection of Humbrol / Airfix probably from starter sets:

 

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Including some red stipple brushes which I think I know what to do with!

 

Thanks in advance.

Posted

Get yourself some "The Masters" Brush Cleaner & Preserver.  It's available in tubs or a bar, like soap, and you take a brush you're not happy with, clean it in water, then while still wet, rub it gently on the cleaner block without upsetting the bristles.  I kind of dab mine on the desk sort-of side-on, working the stuff into the core, and then rinse it in water.  Repeat as necessary. :) 

 

https://www.jacksonsart.com/the-masters-brush-cleaner-preserver

 

As to brands, I've long been an exponent of Windsor & Newton's Series 7, but they're hellish expensive.  For figure painting a longer bristle is desirable, and I've been using Rosemary's and Orange Brushes a lot for that.  Again, not cheap, but if you look after them well, they'll keep you going.

 

IMHO cheap brushes fit the maxim "buy cheap, buy twice", only more so.  Sable is the good stuff, and Kolinsky Sable is the best.  Synthetic brushes are for more robust uses, such as dry brushing and painting large areas.

 

One last thing.  NEVER bend the bristles more than a few degrees, and definitely don't scrub them on the bottom of your water pot, or you'll ruin them.  They also say don't let paint get to the ferrule, but that's almost impossible to achieve, so just make sure you clean them regularly.

 

That's about all I know :shrug: 

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Posted

All Mike said - plus, always put their protective cap back on and, if you can, store them horizontally. If you can't, store them vertically with their point facing down (and the protective cap on).

 

For pointy brushes, once cleaned and ready to be stored away, i wet the point and gently roll it between my fingers to restore the pointy shape.

 

HTH

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Posted

Thanks Mike. I have some Kolinsky Sable so I’ll put them at the top of the list. I also have some brush soap. 
Thanks for the tips!
 

Thanks Giorgio. 
Horizontally? What about my brush stands? I fell for the tools, as usual. 
 

So, these to the fore:

 

54459976616_1039a9b1f4_z.jpg

 

… and these green ones:

 

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… and fill in other sizes with the others. 
 

Thanks both. 

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Posted

The set in the second photo ( with fan brush ) look like nail art brushes, probably from Lidl, which is where mine came from.

 

John. 🇺🇦

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Posted

I think you're right John - nail art brushes. Some of the weird ones, like the fan, do come in handy :) 

Posted

What Mike and Giorgio said really. I have only just been using the brush soap but it’s very good at a final clean and keeping pointy. Also if you loose your protective ends you can buy them but found them to be quite expensive for what they are so I bought some rubber tubing of a sensible diameter. This cut to size works just as well.  
 

ps. That fan brush will be great for wood effects. 🫡 

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Posted
On 18/04/2025 at 16:36, CedB said:

I brush paint mainly with acrylics, mostly Humbrol, some Tamiya.

Tamiya are alcohol (Butanol) solvent,  Humbrol are water solvent, and are often not very good.  Vallejo Model Color brush really well,  and @AdrianMF  uses a lot of Revell Aqua colour,  

On 18/04/2025 at 16:36, CedB said:

Sable brushes - I guess these are best?

As I said when suggesting the cheap set from The Works, acrylics very quickly clog brushes, brush soap works really well, but I suspect they may give a sable brush a right hammering and they won't like it...

 

For large areas of acrylics, a small FLAT brush is what you want,  the 4-6-8 mm width is what I use.

 

I've seen the oft quoted state about cheap brushes, but I've used the cheap ones from The Works and ones from Airfix starter set without issues.

The sable would be good for real oil paints, or water colour, which is what they are meant for..

 

The Grey (a mix) is Tamiya, the green is Vallejo Model Color, both applied with flat Works brush, its just a colour tester but it's close up and shows that the finish is smooth,  using the technique described below

53530683561_7ce690ffe1_h.jpg2024-02-15_01-44-12 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

Getting the thinning ratio right really helps,  I use a palette, add a small amount of paint, and have a either 1ml or 3 ml syringe, which is de-ionised water and about 5% flow improver, I draw up in a 1 ml syringe 0.95 water and then 0.05 Flow improver, put finger over end and shake,  then add this a drop at a time to the paint until is brushes smoothly and thinly, think full fat milk,   brush out  in all directions for the base coat.

 

I find Tamiya being a bit 'hotter' works well for the base layer,  and the added water 'cools' the solvent so it does not dry too fast and then cause the next brush stroke to drag up the paint. This is why you often read "You can't brush Tamiya" and if just used neat, they do not brush well.

 

Another point about acrylics, you want to add the next layer as soon as dry enough to so, as they paint touch dries fast, but takes a day or more to fully cure, and is quite fragile until cured,  building up the layers means that they will bond to the previous and when cured are one thick coat.

 

They also don't stick to plastic that well, basically forming a shell, which is why you want a decent shell.    These factors are some of the issues enamle user find, as they expect them to behave like enamels and these details are not usually explained.

 

Less good brushes are also great for abusive work, like applying pastel chalk dust,   Mr Surfacer and sprue-goo, and oil paint/lighter fuel wash use

 

I also keep a wider flat brush just for Kleer and varnish work so it stays clean.

 

Bit of a ramble,  but the above is how anything I have posted on here is done using methods above.

 

HTH

 

 

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Posted

Thanks Johnny :) 

 

Troy that's really helpful, many thanks :) 

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