Brushes - size of

[Remington Box]

Just curious on what size brushes most of you use, I have an 18/0 liner brush that I use for detail work but other than that, I have a dime store variety that is use for everything else.

What are good sizes to have in the arsenal?

[Phantom ordie]

To be serious you need a wide selection of brushes. I pick up a couple every so often as I believe you can't have to many brushes. A tiny detail brush is not always the best. Like anything else get a variety and experiment. I,ve found a fan brush good for painting large areas and a long bristle brush for some detailing. One brush I use alot has the bristles cut on an angle. Soft medium and hard bristles. Whatever works best for you.

[thegoodsgt]

An early mentor once told me, "It's not the size of the brush but the skill of the painter."

I have an 18/0 brush but barely use it. It holds very little paint, so I find that a 5/0 or 000 is usually better. The quality of the brush matters, too. Though they're expensive, I recommend Windsor & Newton Series 7.

Experiment, and as PO said, use whatever you find gives you the best results.

Edited March 28, 2011 by thegoodsgt

[Expat Tomcat]

I am an oil painter and an artist by trade, most of my work has nothing to do with modeling or aircraft though. I have a variety of brushes that I use but this is what I have noticed works best with model paints.

1. I use synthetic ( white bristles ) brushes almost exclusively for modeling. They clean up better and don't retain the pigment like natural hair brushes do. Natural hair brushes, the bristles can break more easily and leave hair in your paint.

2. Fine brushes- I have found for my own preferences that the standard fine short hair "modeling" paint brush most folks use is about worthless. I would recommend getting a different kind, long bristled "lettering" brushes are more forgiving and easier to control. These brushes have bristles extending from the metal ferrule about 1" to 1 1/4". These are a bit of an adjustment after using standard fine brushes but allow for almost pinstipe quality lines if you practice.

3. Flat brushes- synthetic "chisel" brushes are my second most used brush type. Given practice and a decent paint this kind of brush will give even, brush mark free paint coats. I have several different widths starting at about 1/8" up to about 1/2".

4. If you're going to invest in brushes that are better in quality, then you need to know what to avoid doing that will ruin them. Don't fill the brush with paint all the way up to the ferrule. If you get paint into the ferrule it makes the brush harder to clean and your bristles will most likely break more easily, shortening the life of the brush. Don't let your brushes stand in water or thinner after you use them. The wooden handle will absorb water or thinner and bust open the protective plastic coating on the handle. Clean your brushes after every use! If you use enamels clean them with thinner, then water and Murphy's Oil Soap, then Dawn dishwashing liquid. This gets my brushes back to the same white bristle color they had when I bring them home from the art supply store.

This is what works FOR ME, we all know about opinions around here, this is mine. There are some that will tell you go get a cheap package of "craft brushes" and call it a day. But, if you buy any brushes that are better in quality, to get the most of your investment, you need to take care of them. Take it for what you will.