So, what brushes do you use?

[Lerra]

I've got a set of cheap brushes that I use for speed painting. I love em - great bang for the buck ($1.50-$3 per brush, Robert Simmons White Sable, from [url]www.dickblicks.com[/url]). I have a few higher quality brushes that I save for special figs.

I end up having to replace my everyday brushes about once a month, so I don't like to invest much in them, especially for speed painting my space marines where I don't care about quality as much (I've got two armies - Daemons for painting, Space Marines for letting the new players/kids borrow, or when I want to paint without worrying about the details so much).

[CrusherJoe]

I like the GW brushes. Maybe it is the way you are using em. Are you poking your drybrush into the model? I find that will ruin a brush very quickly. Smooth long strokes is the way to go. I actually drybrush the joint areas of SM just after priming...that way i can correct the edges as I basecoat.

oops...this was supposed to be directed at crusher joe

No worries, I read the thread and knew you were talking to me.

As for how I drybrush, I use the side area of the brush and draw it over the area to be drybrushed relatively slowly for as long as I can. I'm pretty sure it's not how I drybrush (though I'll admit it could be).

I think maybe I was expecting too much from the brush, honestly. I know any brush made with synthetic material is going to split and fray no matter what -- and anything used for drybrushing is going to rush to that end. I guess I just didn't expect it to happen so fast.

[Zuckuss]

I personally use the Italeri brand of brushes. They are pretty cheap so I tend to get through quite a few of them, but the main reason is that they have the large triangular handles (like the rubber tips you used to get on pencils when you were a kid). Being a large ham fisted sort of guy I find these allow me to grip the brush better and have more control of my painting.

I would love to be able to use some of the high quality brushes but I find the handles are just too small and I struggle to keep a decent grip on them, with the brush sliding around between my fingers whilst trying to paint. Its either that or holding it so tight that after a few minutes it starts to get painful.

Any ideas for us ham fisted guys?

Zuckuss

[Cherub]

I have fat hands too. What I do is just hold the brush between my thumb and Index finger just tight enough that it doesnt flop around. If my fingers hurt im puching too hard. As for brushes it was W&N series 7 but with the new gw brushs I plan on switching over to them now as they work just as well for me.

[Hashshashin]

I use the Black Handled Reaper Kolisky Brushes and they have worked great for me, They keep a good tip after months of painting regularly with them. I want to get some series 7's I just haven't made it to a proper art shop recently.

I consider the old GW brushes crap and the only one I've used since I bought them four years ago, besides some stippling and painting on glue, is the tank brush. I am curious about the new ones though, peole seem to really like them.

Once you start using Kolinsky sable, I don't think you can turn back.

[Brambleten]

i havent got hold of any of the new GW brushes, but i plan to, as my favourite brush is just about dead. i got it with the first issue of battle games in middle earth with some goblins, and have been using it ever since. now though, its pretty much solid where i either forgot to clean it out or i just didnt clean it propperly. mainly use that and a small drybrush, along with a GW large brush for washes and a detail brush for everything i havent covered.

[Slann]

I go with a few brushes , for base coating I usually Winsor & Newton cirrus 110 size 1 or size 0 for base coat , Winser & newton spector gold 2 4/0 for eye's , and a Winser & Newton series 7 size 00 and 0 for detials and highlights/blending . I also from time to time use escoda they are pretty good too . But for the most part my series 7 does most of the work I have 2 back ups and havnt had to open those up for a long while series 7 really hold up well they are the best i use by far .

As for the new GW brushes IL give them a whirl for when I have to do speed painting and rush jobs . Though the stippiling brush seems cool .

I have a Cottman Winser & newton size 1 and a size 0 that I cut the bristles which made it flat I use these for dry brushing .

[AsgeirArnald]

I use pretty much exclusively Army Painter brushes. I use the AP Hobby Series Basecoating for (surprise!) basecoating and the rest are AP Wargamer Series. I use the Detail Brush and the Insane Detail Brush a lot. I have the Vehicle/Terrain brush but I mostly spray my base color on my vehicles, and I use the Monster brush for the big details on vehicles and the Detail brush for the rest. I also have a Loew-Cornell Spotter brush that I use for pretty much everything when the Army Painter Brushes aren't doing what I need them too.

[RedScorpionsGirl]

Most common brush I use, P3 Studio Fine Brush. This brush is amazing....It works for such small details as eyes, then you can scrub with it if you need to wet a spot and get rid of the over painting, it holds wash well, and it covers small areas great! A bit of an investment at 11.99, or if you can luck out, I found some for 7.99 (on my birthday none the less...it was cool). They are well worth it in my opinion, last count I believe I had 5-6.. I have actually successfully worn them out, and they still keep their point and don't curl, period.

[Kanaellars]

I am using the new GW brushes and I have no compliants at all with them.

They are good brushes, hold paint well, and seem to hold up to a decent amount of use as well.