Page 1 of 1

What Brushes Do I Need

PostPosted: April 24th, 2019, 3:23 am
by Veghuagan
Ok, so I've decided to start painting minis again. It's been a while (and I didn't paint a heck of a lot of minis beforehand) so I'm having trouble remembering what size brushes I need.
I'm planning on painting Games Workshop fantasy minis or repainting D&D prepainted minis.
So what size brushes do I need to get? And what about brush conditioner or cleaner? What products would you recommend?

Re: What Brushes Do I Need

PostPosted: April 24th, 2019, 9:03 am
by Thor-in
The biggest size brush I every use is a size 1, sometimes a size 2. You shouldn't really need anything bigger then that for your main brushes.
For eyes you could use a size 1 or smaller. I tend to use a size 0 or 00 for eyes.
For dry brushing, you'll need a flat brush.
For washes, you should use a round brush. I tend to use water color brushes for this.

As for brands, I don't have any particular brand. I use whatever brand the store has in stock that has the size I'm looking for. The state I live in brushes run me around $2 - $5 a brush at the craft/hobby store. To be totally honest, the brush you'll end up using will end up being what your comfortable using. I think I have 4 or 5 different brands of brushes, and I like some better then others.

The same will go with the type of paint you want to use. I personal like to use Vallejo. However depending on what I'm painting, I'll also use Reaper - Mater Series Paint, Tamiya, and Army Painter Washes.

I generally just use water to clean my brushes. That has always seemed to work well for me. I don't mix paint with my main brushes, and I don't over load the brush with paint either.

Haven't used brush conditioner, but I know I should. So I can't really help with that one. I do know some Inn members here use it and hopefully they can fill you in on that.

Again it's all going to be what you end up liking and what works best for you budget.

Hope this helps a little without giving a exact answer to your question.

Re: What Brushes Do I Need

PostPosted: April 24th, 2019, 11:30 am
by cornixt
A good size 1 brush will work for everything normal, but a poor one won't hold up long for the finer detail stuff so you'll want a size 0 (and you'll need one for the finer details if you plan on doing any). A crappier size 1 or 2 would be fine if you paint an undercoat, plus you'll need something like that for dry brushing.

Brush soap helps keep your brushes in good condition, a tiny bar will last for a very long time. I've only seen one brand and it's the one I use.