Best brushes?

[Celtic Lilly]

All of my brushes go frizzy on me, and I try to keep them clean, not to drybrush too much, and I use some cleaner thingie that everyone was ranting about and leave it on there to 'shape' the brushes but nothing really works.

Best brushes to buy? How about most expensive and cheapest?

[Ritual]

Best brushes I've used are Winsor & Newton Series 7. They are very pricey, but keep their points like no other brushes. I wouldn't use them for drybrushing though...

I have a few other really good brushes of a German brand called Habico. They are semi-pricey and still remarkably good. I don't use those for drybrushing either. Any old brush is good for that.

[Sakura]

I allways buy cheap synthetic brushes, since all my bruhes don't stay in shape long. I bought some more expensive real hair brushes, but all the hair fell out, so that I only had 2-3 left in the end. So that's to good either.
But if you can use good brushes so that they stay whole, you most likely should use those.

[Celtic Lilly]

Where are the best places to buy brushes? I get mine at Dick Blicks (funny name, I know).

Oh, and how do you store your brushes?

[Sakura]

Well, I put the little plasticthingy on them and let them lie on my desk.

[Ritual]

I don't know what places are good where you live, but a decent art store should have some quality brushes.

I store my brushes lying on my work desk. It doesn't seem to hurt them in any way.

[Klute]

Da Vinci Meastro Pocket Brushes
Better than W+N 7's IMHO.
About the same price range but the tip screws off and reverses and screws back into the handle for protection.

[Celtic Lilly]

Da Vinci Meastro Pocket Brushes
Better than W+N 7's IMHO.
About the same price range but the tip screws off and reverses and screws back into the handle for protection.

I went and looked these up and they sale them at Dick Blicks and even with the 25% discount they were offering the brushes were running from $19 to $140 a BRUSH! Wooo!

Granted, probably don't need all the huge sizes they have but what sizes would you say to get? If they are that good, I might just get me some as I like the looks of them and the way they screw into that little top and keep your brush nice.

[gi6ers]

I always go for cheap and cheerful. I don't look after 'em so don't spend money on them.

[Mad Max]

I went and looked these up and they sale them at Dick Blicks and even with the 25% discount they were offering the brushes were running from $19 to $140 a BRUSH! Wooo!

Granted, probably don't need all the huge sizes they have but what sizes would you say to get? If they are that good, I might just get me some as I like the looks of them and the way they screw into that little top and keep your brush nice.

I agree with Klute on the Da Vinci's! The travel brushes are pretty pricey, but their normal brushes are in the price range of W&N Series 7: http://www.dickblick.com/zz058/18/ You can get a brush for mini painting in the $9 range. Also, I'd consider their much cheaper "Harbin" range: http://www.dickblick.com/zz058/08/ I picked up an 0 'Maestro' and a 2/0 'Harbin' and frankly I can't tell the difference in quality! They are both excellent brushes.

I personally love these brushes! I've searched around for an alternative to Series 7 brushes and these are the best I've found. Why no Series 7? I've had really bad luck with them - the ones I bought online always split the tip (sometimes the *same* day I first used them) and lost hairs. Their QA sucks! I used to think this was because I bought them online, but one of my friends from Germany bought some in an art store in Los Angeles and had the same problems, even after he tested them out at the store...

I think you can get good Series 7 brushes, but W&N are riding on their rep at this point and not being as careful in the production. I'd rather have a usable brush I pay $9 for over one that has a chance of being crappy...

Now that said, the Da Vinci brushes are "liner" style, with longer bristles, whereas the Series 7 has shorter bristles (esp. the 'miniature' line). That may be an issue depending on personal prefence and painting style. I've long used liner style brushes so it's no problem for me.

[Klute]

Da Vinci pocket brushes.

I have sizes 1 and 2 and do everything with the 2 now (no drybrushing obviously).
The points are that good I can do finelining and eyes with the 2. The 1 is left for very fine stuff now.
The fibre size is the beauty of them, being able to hold a decent amount of paint while still having a great point.
I get the size 1 and 2 for around £6.50 each.

I abuse my brushes like nothing else and they are still going strong after 6 months at least.

@MADMAX I had the same thing with W+N ,even the ones in store were rough and the one I got that looked good broke up after a day.
The Da Vinci are the same price as the W+N here so Im sticking with what I know now.

A note on the bristle size.
While the Da Vinci does have a larger tip I wouldn't call it a liner in the sense that it has a long fine tip that will offer no resistance.
http://www.homecrafts.co.uk/images/products200/m610a.jpg
Generic liner.
http://www.greenandstone.com/v2/i/p/pBtwDVs1503r.gif
Da Vinci

I would invest in a 2 first (best all rounder.I have found the 1 more suited to fine work and freehand where the 2 is good for blending and also is fine enough pointed for eyes etc.) And then some cheapies for rough stuff.

[Frustrated Father]

Thanks to both of you for taking the time to explain some of this. I tend to be rough on my brushes, or atleast I must be, as they seem to go to shiat very quickly. I just put in an order for 1-2-3 sized DaVinci brushes, though I'm not sure if I'll actually pick up the last one until I get an eyeball at it.

How do you go about cleaning them? I wonder sometimes if I'm too rough on them then.

[Klute]

Cleaning them.

Well I am more carefull not getting them clogged up but general cleaning is just water.
Im too lazy to do anything else really but have used hair conditioner before to keep sable nice.

[Frustrated Father]

When you clean them though, do you just kind of run them along the bottom of your water dish or what do you do? I tend to dip them in and stroke them across the bottom before taking them out and padding them on a paper towel.

Conditioner - never thought about that. Might have to try that next time!

[Spacemunkie]

W&N's, especially Cirrus 220's.

The best ones I've found recently are from Pro Arte. Renaissance Sable. £2.50 a go and they have brilliant points and are really well made. I'll stick with those as long as I can get them. Pro Arte Series 100 sable/prolene mix come to a serious point if you want a REALLY fine brush - 000 or smaller. Great for spotting pupils in.

I usually find that brushes hit a sweet spot after a bit of use and then gradually deteriorate over time, so I tend to move onto another brush after a couple of months. I even buy GW ones, but only for dry/over brushing as they are complete arse! Also use fine artificial brushes for drybrushing as they take loads of punishment and clean up really well without falling apart.

As for storage - with the plastic jobbie on and upright in a pot! Cleaning - Swoosh in water and a quick lick.

[EricJ]

So is this the place to admit I use GW brushes? I use a GW Detail brush for 99% of what I do... This is the crappy brush addiction self help group right?

[Spacemunkie]

I just can't find a decent one. I sat and went through every detail brush in the shop last time I was in there, and not one came to a decent point without splitting. I have been known to use them exclusively on a miniature, but they are a pain to work with - lots more brush licking!!

[EricJ]

lots more brush licking!!

this is a bad thing? :thumb:

[Ritual]

I prefer to lick my brushes because I want to, not because I HAVE to... :p

[Mad Max]

@MADMAX I had the same thing with W+N ,even the ones in store were rough and the one I got that looked good broke up after a day.
The Da Vinci are the same price as the W+N here so Im sticking with what I know now.


Exactly!

A note on the bristle size.
While the Da Vinci does have a larger tip I wouldn't call it a liner in the sense that it has a long fine tip that will offer no resistance.
http://www.homecrafts.co.uk/images/products200/m610a.jpg
Generic liner.
http://www.greenandstone.com/v2/i/p/pBtwDVs1503r.gif
Da Vinci


Well, I exaggerate ;) No, they're not as long as a true liner, but as you get smaller in size (smallest I use is a 2/0), their bristles remain long, whereas a Series 7 gets shorter. The Miniature Series 7 is shorter still. (In art terminology the Da Vinci's are 'pointed rounds' whereas the Series 7 are true 'rounds').

[Mad Max]

When you clean them though, do you just kind of run them along the bottom of your water dish or what do you do? I tend to dip them in and stroke them across the bottom before taking them out and padding them on a paper towel.

Conditioner - never thought about that. Might have to try that next time!

While painting I just rinse them in the water, swirling them gently on the bottom of the jar to clean paint from the tip.

After a full session I clean them with brush soap (Grumbacher brand). I use a crappy brush to sud up the soap then move the suds to my palm and swirl the kolinskys in them with a touch of water. I pull back the brush (never, ever push them!) or use a side to side motion until the suds get dirty with paint. I repeat as needed.

After each session I use Mona Lisa brand "Pink Soap" to condition them. (It's a gentle lotion-like soap which doesn't clean well IMHO, but makes a great conditioner.) Dip the bristles in some of the soap, shape across your hand to a point, and let dry.

[Mad Max]

So is this the place to admit I use GW brushes? I use a GW Detail brush for 99% of what I do... This is the crappy brush addiction self help group right?

May not be a bad thing. The thing is if you learn to paint well using crappy tools you can actually switch to better tools and get *even* better. I used to be a nylon brush painter for years... Learned to get pretty good with them, curled tips and all. But it was hard to blend with them and I was using up a new paint brush for each mini I painted.

Then I switched to kolinsky brushes and it was like my technique took a quantum leap! And the brushes last forever with proper care... I'm going on 8 months with my Da Vincis now.

[EricJ]

you may be right, one of my new years resolutions last year was to find new (better) brushes, and it's the only one I haven't done yet!

The problem I've had with most of the "better" brushes I've tried is that they are too long which makes the point "softer". I don't like my point to have much give when it touches the mini so even if these are better brushes, they didn't feel right. I have high hopes for the miniature brush line of series 7's, which seem like they're designed for someone like me. I just haven't gotten around to getting any yet. Perhaps I'll treat myself soon, for my birthday :D

[Ritual]

The W&N series 7 are quite stiff so there's a good chance you'll like them, Eric.

[Celtic Lilly]

I read all those posts as 'Bush Lickers' and wondered if I had dropped into a pornographic forum and then wondered how to get in on some of that. :D

You guys go through a lot for your brushes, I am going to bookmark this page as I think my brushes could benefit from it. Thank you!

Now back to the bush licking.

[Frustrated Father]

Thanks for the tips gents. I'm off to pick up my DaVinci brushes later (actually, looking at the clock - probably tomorrow) and I honestly can't wait to give them a go, though that being said, its not likely to improve my painting (chuckle).

I've got some of the soap stuff, damned if I can remember what it is called, but I think I'll go about keeping them cleaned and conditioned like suggested here, especially with $25 brushes.

[Spacemunkie]

25 notes on a brush??? That's, what, more than 13 quid!!

No chance! I can get five or six for that price!!

[Frustrated Father]

I've been looking at the prices out here on the W&N 7 and these sables and they all seem to be universally EXPENSIVE. Maybe its just the places I'm looking though.

Is there a good place to pick up supplies online (in the US for me of course)?

[EricJ]

I read all those posts as 'Bush Lickers' and wondered if I had dropped into a pornographic forum and then wondered how to get in on some of that. :D

You guys go through a lot for your brushes, I am going to bookmark this page as I think my brushes could benefit from it. Thank you!

Now back to the bush licking.


I'm sure if you give this forum some time...knowing many of the guys here, you'll get your wish :)

I still think salava is naturally the best cleaning agent for a brush! Lick away! Soap however does make brush licking less...pleasurable

[Klute]

Soap however does make brush licking less...pleasurable

On the other hand the use of soap certainly does make bush licking more pleasurable.

[Valloa]

I read all those posts as 'Bush Lickers' and wondered if I had dropped into a pornographic forum and then wondered how to get in on some of that.


I'm sure if you give this forum some time...knowing many of the guys here, you'll get your wish :)


Actually no it won't get to that point. That's why I'm here. :)

Maya~

[EricJ]

lol, true! growing up in Berkeley, CA, the birthplace of the unwashed (yet very amorous) hippy, I know this all too well...

I think this is the reason the term "lets make out in the shower" was invited.


ummm, back to brushes, I just ordered some new ones...perhaps my old GW detail brush has seen it's last miniature :(

[Klute]

Until I started with the Da Vinci ones my favourite brush was a knackered old GW fine detail that had lost hairs and the paint in the furrule kept the point perfect no matter what I did to it.
It had the finest point but you only got 3 milliseconds to get the paint on.

[Mosch]

STOP MAKING ME BUY NEW BRUSHES!

Seriously, my old ones are in pretty bad shape, so I bought some new ones. First time I bought brushes on the internet, so I couldn't choose them myself. We'll see what I get...

I have up to now used Ussuri Sable, the ones I ordered are Kolinsky Sable. Is there a big difference in the two sables? I started by using synthetic brushes (by DaVinci, by the way), which really held be back. Couldn't get anything done with them and they didn't hold enough paint to be really useful. I changed to Ussuri sable and they made a BIG difference - they were easier to use, held more paint and did not lose their point after two strokes. Also used DaVinci because this is about the only ones I get around here. Now I'm prepared to analyze the difference between Ussuri and Kolinsky sable brushes ;)

[cdukino]

I've just bought Rembrandt Pure Kolinsky brushes (size 0 and 2 ) I prefer "bigger" brushes generally as the tip should be just as sharp as from small ones. But they take more paint so it's not that the paint dried before I get to even touch the mini, like I have with 00 and 000 brushes. These were more expensive than my other ones (I have pretty good brushes generally though they get abused a lot... got to clean them more often and keep from dipping them all the way down into the paint to the metal part... brush killer) but I love them. The tip actually stays sharp instead of spreading out after just 2 brush strokes, or settle into a strange hook after time.
I have also bought a set of filament (synthetic) brushes from Da Vinci which have shorter hairs. These look good for freehand for instance (yet have to try them out) for the tip will keep it's shape better.