Tau Empire and paint....

[Jimmy88]

Hey folks
Just posting a list I might be getting in a few days trying to keep the price under 120$ any suggestions to the list are welcome, now this list is for my brother who is also a starting uhhh whats the word?? Warhammer enthusiasts?? and its his birthday so I will be giving him a start up army, now keep in mind I have the paint so that's not needed. He helped me paint the Assault on black reach set, and hes now wanting the Tau empire so without further delay....

List
Codex: Tau Empire
Tau XV8 Crisis Battlesuit
Tau Fire Warrior Team
Citadel Standard Brushx2
Citadel Detail Brush
In total 114.20$
Now if you are going to add or take out a few things I must insist that the codex, brushes stay on the list any other modification or suggestions are helpful and if you can find the tau paint color can you add it to?

On a completely different note....
I would love to know how you guys take care of your brushes cause I think I have been failing on that part and I cannot keep forking out 5$ for a brush. The problem is every brush I use and store away for the night hardens and becomes difficult to use, now I kind of fixed the problem by just washing the brush with hand soap after I am done painting for the night. But for future use anyone want to suggest any personal techniques for brush care?? Also I have been debating to myself weather I should just go to another store for brushes instead of forking out the cash for GW brushes any thoughts on this matter is also welcome

As always all comments thoughts or opinions are welcome and appreciated
Also sorry for any grammar mistakes

[Fizyx]

Honestly, the army is kind of "meh." I mean, for 120 bucks you really can not do much.

However, if you jumped the price just a little to 130 dollars, you could have a Battleforce, Codex, and the brushes you listed. The fact is, a XV-8 and a squad of Fire Warriors will not be very fun to play with. This is a much better bang for your buck (even if Stealth aren't as good as suits, you can still use them) and will give him more to paint. For 15 more dollars you get a Devilfish, Kroot and a squad of XV-25's. Also, you don't have the complete bare minimum for FOC.

As for the care of brushes, I use this:

[url]http://www.amazon.com/Masters-Brush-Cleaner-Preserver-Ounce/dp/B001TNR7VM[/url]

I usually just wipe a wet brush in this a little and let it try in a point. The soap will wash off in your water the next time you paint. Every now and then (if I notice paint starting to seep into the ferrule) I'll wash them in warm water with the same brush soap. I've been using the same set of GW brushes for a while now. I still use a few of the older blue brushes from before they made the switch.

[Alrik_40000]

I agree with Fizyx. Even if you have to wait another paycheck or whatever, you're better off spending the extra $15 and at least having a playable army.

That's one reason I think the Tau battleforce is still a great value, and probably the best Battleforce they have out now. Sure, the suit that's in there is the basic Crisis suit, but it can totally count as a Shas'o. Besides, it's better than that half-metal half-breed abomination that is the Crisis Suit Commander... ugh.

Go with the Battleforce. At least you'll be able to play out of the box. Not only that, you might find you actually can make Stealthsuits work! LOL

[Lerra]

I'd also strongly recommend the Tau battleforce. You might be able to get the battleforce or the codex on ebay to stay within your budget, too. There are Buy-It-Now auctions for the battleforce on ebay for $75 with free shipping.

Warhammer-40K-Tau-Empire-Battleforce-56-09-Brand-New-/120551402057?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&ha sh=item1c116c6a49#ht_500wt_787

[Culven]

I'm curious, is your $120 budget in US, Canadian, or Australian dollars? It makes a big difference in what you can get for $120. If you can afford the Battleforce, I also suggest you go that way.

I haven't ever used a GW brush, so I really can't comment on whether they are worthwhile. Personally, I go to the art store and buy some red sable acrylic paint brushes. They are relatively cheap, especially compared to GW brushes, and they work quite well. Even cheap brush sets can be good enough for certain things with the money spent on higher quality detail brushes. To keep them from hardening, make sure you thoroughly wash the paint out before letting it sit and dry. I typically have two cups of water for washing my brushes while painting, the first gets the majority of the paint out, and the second is the final rinse to make sure the brush didn't pick up pigment from the nearly black water in the first. It is also important to have a clean brush when painting with a lighter colour so that it isn't contaminated and change colours on you. I have a (bad) habit of sticking the bristles in my mouth and forming a point that way, but the brush soap may be a good idea. Finally, if paint does start to dry in the bristles, I have some dried paint remover that I will use, but it is rather caustic and I don't use it too much. If I let it set on the handle, it will even start to soften the finish on the brush. A quick dip, a short sit (after wiping off the handle) and then a wash in water seems to work quite well.

[Jimmy88]

Ok been looking at the ebay auctions and I picked out the 16$ codex and 74$ battle force, all in all its comes to a total of 110$. 4$ bucks cheaper and its comes with a tank I guess I will buy the stuff of Ebay and the brushes of GW so thank you!! oh I will be using Canadian dollars

[Warptiger]

Hey folks

On a completely different note....
I would love to know how you guys take care of your brushes cause I think I have been failing on that part and I cannot keep forking out 5$ for a brush. The problem is every brush I use and store away for the night hardens and becomes difficult to use, now I kind of fixed the problem by just washing the brush with hand soap after I am done painting for the night. But for future use anyone want to suggest any personal techniques for brush care?? Also I have been debating to myself weather I should just go to another store for brushes instead of forking out the cash for GW brushes any thoughts on this matter is also welcome

Use brush cleaner:

It's something you'll have to go find at an actual art store. I've never seen it in a hobby store. Brush cleaner is just a sort of soap in a waxy cake form, but it's really good at getting little threads of paint out from between the bristles. The brand I have is called "the masters" paint brush cleaner and preserver. I've been using the same little jar for years and years and years. Goes a long way. Though it's an uphill battle, brush cleaner can sort of "fix" ruined brushes. They'll never be as good as they were, but it can breath new life into them.

Repoint/reshape the brushes:

After you get done washing the cleaner residue out, put the brush into some warm water. The warm water softens up the glue holding the bristles. Then you "point" the brush by shaping the bristles with your fingers. It will cool & dry in the shape you leave it in. It's sort of the same process that happens when you get out of the shower and shape your hair into a faux-hawk, and it dries that way.

Get better brushes; they cost more but last longer:

buy more expensive brushes. A $5 brush is something I'd use to basecoat a tank, not paint details. Steer clear of some of the more expensive natural animal fiber brushes...Some brands of paint eat the fiber, or dissolve the glue. I've had brushes literally disintegrate. This is not something you want to find out after you fork out 15-20 for a kolinsky red sable brush. Nylon brushes are good... They seem to handle the abuse of painting on hard plastic and metal (most brushes aren't designed for that... they're for painting on flat surfaces). I've always been partial to golden Takalon/Taklon. It's a trade name for an artificial fiber that mimics the structure of natural fiber. It holds more liquid. Imagine an umbrella opened up. Now turn it upside down. Then stack thousands of these umbrellas on top of each other. That's what natural hair looks like. Early artificial stuff was just smooth... it only held the liquid trapped between the individual hairs. The new artificial hair (like golden takalon) looks like that stack of umbrellas.

Misc advice:

Never paint directly out of a paint pot. Using a palette/mixing board, and thin the paint down a bit. The mixing boards I use have a dozen little bowl like depressions around a main depression. You can mix colors in the little bowls to get just the right shade you need. You can buy those at art stores too, they're dirt cheap. I think they're intended for little kids doing waterpaints. I've also had some success with covering those mixing boards full of paint with plastic wrap so the paint doesn't dry out. I can keep a bunch of custom mixed paint going for 5-6 days, before I have to stop and redo them.

If you get paint up into the base of the bristles, near the metal collar that holds them in place, you need to immediately wash the paint out. When paint gets sucked up into the hairs inside the collar, and dries, it expands and causes the hairs to spread out. You'll never get a good point again, and the brush will end up looking like a cartoon character that stuck it's finger in a light socket.

store your brushes vertically.

[Mystery.Shadow]

store your brushes vertically.

But make sure the bristle end points UP !

[Aldramelech]

Ive been painting for 25 years and I aint ever used a brush cleaner in my life. Water should be good enough. Dont buy GW brushes, their crap. I have several red sable brushes, that were quite cheap, that have lasted me over 5 years. I repoint with my lips, and am still alive! I do use a pallet.

As above, the most important rule is ALWAYS store your brushes vertically, point up.

[scadugenga]

I agree with what some of the other posters said re: getting your bang for your buck.

Most online retailers will sell @ 20% off, so it makes that battalion box really a good choice. Plus you don't (usually) pay tax, and if the order is over a certain amt (depending on the seller) you don't even pay shipping. It's a win-win scenario for you.

Unless you're actually buying from a LGS that isn't a GW store. Independents need all the love they can get, financially. And it's worth the extra $$ to help keep them going.

Either way, g'luck!