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"Favorite brush size for painting your miniatures?" Topic


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23 May 2019 1:16 p.m. PST
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Comments or corrections?

Personal logo DWilliams Supporting Member of TMP21 Dec 2017 12:47 p.m. PST

Which is your favorite size?

(a) 4/0
(b) 3/0
(c) 2/0
(d) 0
(e) 1
(f) 2
(g) Something else: __________
(h) I don't have a favorite size.

You can refer to this size chart for reference purposes:

picture

JimDuncanUK21 Dec 2017 12:51 p.m. PST

I use a 4 and a 1 for the good bits and a whole host of others for pushing paint about.

Rob Richardson21 Dec 2017 12:57 p.m. PST

I try to use a Winsor Newton 1 or 2 for 90% of the figure. The point is the key. A big brush that holds a good point holds more paint without drying out. I drop down to a 2/0 or 3/0 only to pick out fine details – buttons, straps, piping.

The sizes in your illustration seem off. Windor Network #2 would be approximately a 6 on this illustration.

Personal logo Herkybird Supporting Member of TMP21 Dec 2017 1:08 p.m. PST

I like size 2/0 for most work, and 1 for basic block paint application.

Personal logo Saber6 Supporting Member of TMP Fezian21 Dec 2017 1:13 p.m. PST

D

Personal logo martinjpayne1964 Supporting Member of TMP21 Dec 2017 1:23 p.m. PST

(e) size 1

robert piepenbrink Supporting Member of TMP21 Dec 2017 1:27 p.m. PST

H. Somehow in my case 54mm coats and 5mm cuffs require a certain amount of variety.

Frederick Supporting Member of TMP21 Dec 2017 1:46 p.m. PST

Pretty much all 2

Steve Dean21 Dec 2017 1:47 p.m. PST

C

basileus6621 Dec 2017 1:49 p.m. PST

Usually, a W&N 0. Ocassionally, W&N 1. Nothing bigger, nor smaller.

Personal logo Yellow Admiral Supporting Member of TMP21 Dec 2017 1:49 p.m. PST

I have different brushes for different purposes, so "favorite" depends entirely on what activity I'm favoring.

In any case, brushes become non-standard sizes and shapes over time. Fraying, trimming, curving, self-reshaping, and shedding tends to make the size ratings irrelevant. Some of my favorite small brushes started as larger brushes, and most of my favorite "big" drybrushing brushes scaled up from smaller brushes by fraying.

- Ix

Mick the Metalsmith21 Dec 2017 1:56 p.m. PST

3, 2, 1, 0, and a 3/0 liner. I have a 10/0 but it's horrible fur dry brushin!

Fat Wally21 Dec 2017 2:25 p.m. PST

15mm – Windsor and Newton size 3 or 2 for most of the figure. Size 1 for the detail.

GildasFacit Sponsoring Member of TMP21 Dec 2017 2:32 p.m. PST

6 & 10mm – a medium quality sable (usually #2) for blocking in big areas and then my trusty W&N S7 miniature #1 for everything else.

15mm & up – a medium quality sable (#2 or #3) for most of the 1st coats then a W&N S7 #1 for most details and the S7 min #1 for finer detailing & sometimes for the highlights.

Old brushes get used for drybrushing – still usually sables.

I have found some synthetics that I quite like (and that haven't curled at the tip – YET) for buildings and such but still find they don't work well on figures.

Gunfreak Supporting Member of TMP21 Dec 2017 3:09 p.m. PST

I mostly use army painter "insane detail" I don't know what that is in numbers.

I use a random larger brush for the first block paint coat.

dampfpanzerwagon Fezian21 Dec 2017 3:11 p.m. PST

My preferred brush is a number 2 or 3 Rosemary & Co 401 synthetic sable mix with the long handle.

Choice of brush and size is such a subjective decision which is what makes this post so interesting.

Tony

Personal logo The Nigerian Lead Minister Supporting Member of TMP21 Dec 2017 3:24 p.m. PST

1 and 2 to block it in, maybe a 4 or a big flat brush for ig areas, then usually a 0 for detail, occasionally a smaller one for fine details

bobspruster Supporting Member of TMP21 Dec 2017 4:08 p.m. PST

Usually a 10/0

CeruLucifus21 Dec 2017 4:20 p.m. PST

1.

I start with 2, or 4 if model is big enough, and block paint. At some point I switch to 1, and use that until the detail requires a smaller brush, when I go to a 0. It works out I use a 1 the most.

Forager21 Dec 2017 4:48 p.m. PST

2,1,0

Timmo uk21 Dec 2017 5:09 p.m. PST

(e) 1.

I choose ones with a long point that holds very thin paint well.

khanscom21 Dec 2017 5:13 p.m. PST

0 is most used-- especially for blocking colors. Finer brushes down to 10/0 are occasionally used for detail, but rarely smaller than 3/0. Larger flats are used for dry- brushing.

wrgmr121 Dec 2017 7:15 p.m. PST

Windsor and Newton Series 7 B) 3/0 for details.
3 for block painting.
As I mostly do the Dalimore method, no dry brushing.

KSmyth21 Dec 2017 8:15 p.m. PST

0 when I can get a good one. 00 for details.

blacksmith22 Dec 2017 2:47 a.m. PST

1 & 2

ZULUPAUL Supporting Member of TMP22 Dec 2017 3:58 a.m. PST

2 & 1 depending on scale of figure. 3/0 for small detail.

Personal logo etotheipi Sponsoring Member of TMP22 Dec 2017 4:54 a.m. PST

0/4, 4, 16 point
4, 10 flat
6, 8, 12 fan
small dotting tool

picture

angle brush
picture

and stylus

Texas Jack22 Dec 2017 6:17 a.m. PST

C

Huscarle22 Dec 2017 10:01 a.m. PST

f (2) and d (0)

daler240D22 Dec 2017 11:43 a.m. PST

depends on what scale I'm painting! : )

goragrad22 Dec 2017 4:55 p.m. PST

With the brushes I get from the local hobby store the sizes I use are 5/0 for horses and other larger 15mm figures or objects and 10/0 for most of the rest. Have a 20/0 from Hobby Lobby for belts and other finer linework.

Rich Bliss22 Dec 2017 8:12 p.m. PST

1 or a 0

SultanSevy25 Dec 2017 5:02 p.m. PST

The 1 is my go-to brush.

Corporal Fagen01 Jan 2018 11:54 a.m. PST

4/0, 3/0, 0, 1

TheWarStoreSweetie09 Jan 2018 4:56 p.m. PST

It depends on what I am painting. My main workhorse brush is a W&N Series 7 size 2. I also have a 1 and a 0. I use an airbrush for priming. I also airbrush larger figures.

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