Okay, first and foremost, yes I know that this is probably going to be a “can of worms” type of topic. But on average how many and of what size paintbrushes is the “minimal” number of brushes that one “should” have?
Right now I have six all from Atlas Brush Co. and all are natural fiber. They are as follows:
- 1/4”
- 3/8”
- 1/2”
All are made of Ox hair. Then I have the following:
- 0
- 5/0
- 10/0
All of these are made of Red Fox hair.
As of right now, I do not have an airbrush because of cost and nowhere to shoot it. So how many other brushes should I add, and of what sizes?
I know that there is another thread on what to do with one’s brushes after using them. What I do is to use at least two jars of thinner to rinse them in, and then instead of using the Pringles can method of storing them to dry. I stick them handle first into an empty egg carton brushes up to dry. Then I return them to the packages (minus the plastic protective tube) that they came in.
I’ve also have found that that 10/0 brush comes in real handy for doing touchup work in tight places.
Sounds like you got everything you need to get going.I would acquire further brushes on a as needed basis just like any other tool.if you don’t have what you need you’ll know. Mike
I have about 15-20 different brushes. All different sizes, shapes/brands. And I have an airbrush that I use for just about everything! The brushes come in handy for weathering, detail painting, decal solutions. I have 2 or 3 brushes that I only use for dry brushing, cause it is pretty hard on the bristles. I really like the set I got from Mig. Great for detail painting and also has some wider tapered brushes for washes and streaking.
Raualduke and Nathan T.,
Thank you both for your kind words. I look forward to adding more burshes and tools to my toolbox.
Unfortunately one reason I have so many brushes is because I’ll find a great brand of brush online, and it looks superb. Such as Gunze’s 20/0 or Tamiya’s ultra fine brush. They both cost me around 15 bucks. When I got them, I tried them out, and as soon as I gently touched the tip to the surface of a model the bristles were ruined. The spread out, and they never held a tip again. Unbelievable!!
You never have enough hobby brushes. The more the merrier…
Ah Black Sheep TwoOneFour, so like rabbits they have a habit of multiplying. 
Okay, “dumb question” I presume that I want a set of brushes for acrylic paint, another set of brushes for enamel paint, and a third set for lacquer paint. And then a fourth set for weathering.
As presumably each type of paint has it’s own properties, qualities, and requirements. And by having a different set for each stage of building and detailing a model will help to ensure that there is little to no cross contamination, right?
I use same brushes for both enamels and acrylics I have in my paint collection so no. I don’t have separate brushes assigned specifically for enamels. acrylics or lacquers. As long as they’re cleaned thoroughly, you should be fine.
BlackSheep TwoOneFour,
Actually, I was thinking based on my work with ceramics where one wants a soft (think makeup brush) brush so as not to scrape off the previous layer of glaze. As well as possible cross-contamination that having a set of brushes for each paint type wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Plus, no offense, but I’ve never really been a big fan of the “As long as (fill in the blank), you should be fine.” Way of thinking, as it’s been my experience that it’s a short road to disaster.
No offense taken, Just stating the fact from personal experience.I never had issues of cross contaminations because I always kept them clean. However, I do have 2 brushes aside specifically for Micro Set and Micro Sol.
BlackSheep TwoOneFour,
Thank you. And as I am sure you know personal experience is different for each person. Just look at the thread on MM paint not mixing. “Everyone and their brother” has been telling the member that more likely than not the cause of their problem is that they mixed lacquer thinner with enamel paint. And/or that they’ve thinned it too much.
Yet, that member keeps insisting that they got a “bad bottle” of paint, because they’ve “done” it before and it’s worked. Which falls into the category of just because one has gotten away with doing something doesn’t mean that it is the right thing to do.