Who makes a decent brush with fine tip that wont fray
eventually they all do, but getting into good brush handling routine will extend their life significantly
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I like Windsor & Newton series 7 sable brushes. Pricey but last a long time
I’ll share here what I posted for you over at the Scale Model Addict forum:
Many figure painters use sable hair brushes. That hair holds up the best, with care, as another reply notes. I have Windsor & Newton Kalinsky sable brushes, which are expensive. But they last a long time, when cared for. I use rounds, which have a round head and a fine point. These work well with the water-based acrylic paints I use. They work like a fountain pen-the round head holds the paint, and the fine point delivers the paint to the work. I use water mostly, or isopropyl, to clean the paint from them. Then I use a brush soap to remove any residue, and to coat the hairs to protect them. You can use other oils or fats; I know a French painter who uses olive oil. Shaving cream or soap would work, too. The lanolin restores and protects the hairs. I reshape the brush to a point before storing it.
There are other brands of sable brush, too, that work as well and are less expensive than Windsor & Newton. But avoid the ones made in Red China. I have bought sets of brushes, 5 to a pack, and the hairs had a tendency to curl or fray. I’ve cut the tips down and use them for things other than detail painting, but the point is (pun), I bought them specifically for detail painting-faces, etc.
You can find natural and synthetic fiber brushes at the arts & craft stores like Michael’s or HobbyLobby.
As far as synthetic brushes go, there are a lot of brands out there, but it still comes down to how well the brush keeps its point, and how long the brush lasts. If you have to replace the brush frequently, then a low price really isn’t an advantage. You probably wind up spending as much on several brushes as you do one a single Kolinsky sable brush.
As far as online sources go, ZEM Brushes is a good source for synthetics. Dave Youngquist’s Last Cavalry is a good source for sable brushes. Dave also attends many of the shows throughout the year, and has a YouTube channel where he posts videos of painting techniques.
Hope that helps!
Best regards,
Brad
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Which sizes are you using? 0-4? 000? I’m not sure where to start. Going to be doing some figures soon, and don’t want to waste money on the wrong sizes.
Thanks for your help.
Typically you wouldnt need anything smaller then 00, brush too small would.pick up less paint at the belly and it is just lots of inconvenience , remeber in order to paint fine details, u need a fine and sharp tip , not necessary a Small tip, i generally gets everything done between a size 0 , 1 , 2.
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I like a 000 for detail and figure painting.
Also have 00,0,1&2
I use 0/0, 1/0, and 2/0 rounds. The round’s head holds the “reservoir” of paint, like the bladder in a fountain pen, and has the precise point for the fine details. They work well with the water-based acrylics I use most.
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