Well folks it's time for a change! I've decided it is finally time to upgrade from bog standard GW brushes to something a little bit more professional. Dont get me wrong the GW brushes have been brilliant and everything I have painted for the past 20ish (god I feel old now) has used standard GW brushes and the current ones are defaintely the best.
So why am I posting, in short I dont have a clue whats out there!! There seem to be some great companies but none that I have had experience with so this post is to start the debate on what brushes are the best and most cost effective (this is a big one) for the bumbling hobbiest?
I would love to know what brushes you use? what experinces have you had with different brushes? Is there a brand that by far out shines others?
please feel free to send yuor thoughts, comments and links in the comments section below and hopefully this could see me getting some nice new brushes soon.
I use Winsor & Newton Series 7 brushes. They're a little bit more pricey than some on the market, but so far (after over 18 months) they have held their shape beautifully
ReplyDeleteI use a combination of W&N Series 7 Kolinksy Sable, and Da Vinci equivalent. Both brands have served me very well with a little care and maintenance.
ReplyDeletecheers for the info, have posted here and a few other places including several forums and would be good to get a concensus so will leave it a day or so before i decide, however in the meantime following on from the advice given i have ordered myself a pot of the masters brush soap to use with these new toys :)
ReplyDeleteon a related note what are the most common sizes people use and what for?
cheers
I have been using Winsor & Newton Series 7 and absolutely love them. I use a size 2 as my work horse and a size 1 for detail with a 0 for finer detail though most of the time the 1 is fine.
ReplyDeleteI would also recommend picking up some brush cleaner to keep them in tip top shape.
I've recently transitioned to the 'miniature' line of brushes (from the pointed/round which have longer tips).
ReplyDeleteThe Miniature line provide better control in my limited experience. I have a '0' as my primary painting brush and a '0/2' for fine detail.
I use W&N and Davinci.... BUT I have found another company that is just as good and cheaper but I cannot find the brushes right now... I will hit you up on Facebook or here again when I have found them and give you a link. They ARE A US company so it might not be as cheap on your end but Hope you can look for them there.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the feedback guys its actually been really helpful. The consensus across my blog, the FB groups and a few forums seems to be that if you use Kolinsky sable brushes then you can’t go wrong, no matter the make. With that in mind though three brands seem to have jumped out as runaway leaders, they are:
ReplyDeleteRaphael Brushes
Windsor and Newton Series 7
Rosemary and Co
I have looked in to all of these and actually found a local store that stocks Windsor’s and Rosemary’s, getting to hold them helped and I did prefer the rosemary’s over the Windsor’s, but barely. Unfortunately though I didn’t buy at the store, let’s just say it knows it has an audience of a certain age and they milk them. So I can home last night and did some surfing for various brushes, as nice as the Windsor’s were the fact I could get the Rosemary’s direct from the company for less than £3 per brush as opposed at least double for the Windsor’s was a bit of a game changer. So last night I placed an order for a set ranging from 000 through to 3, I know I’m erring to the cheaper ones but I think some decent brushes (even in sizes ill never use) will make a big difference. So there we have it I’ve spent £25 on some awesome seeming brushes and now to see what they do. Once they are here ill get some use in and hopefully some reviews of them and the company.
Once again thanks for your help and advice, much appreciated.