Brushes, Does Size Matter? An Essential Guide To Choosing Your Miniature Painting Weapon

Today is a good day, Its new brush day! I was at the FLGS for a few games of Kill Team and I figured it was time to get a new brush for base coating and layering, I have been complaining about mine for way too long.

That got me thinking, Realistically how much does your brush selection matter when it comes to painting? There are so many variables to consider, natural or synthetic, size, brand, type, etc.

I know the first question you will ask, "Which one did he buy?". Don't worry, I'll get to that but lets deep dive a little first and ask ourselves a few questions.

*DISCLAIMER* I have a lot because I'm a bit of a hoarder and hold on to all my old brushes, you never know when you need to use a brush for something you know it will not survive, I've used an old brush for super glue application in a pinch....

I wasn't lying about the super glue, and I still use it for that, It's great.

1. In complete reality if you were to only factor in 28-35mm models (I won't include larger base models and vehicles in this question.), What is the minimum amount of brushes I would consider needed to paint a model?

If I was to throw out all but what I would absolutely need I think that I would be left with 5 brushes:

• No.2 Round for base coating and layering, I can also use this on for shading/washing.
• 00 Fine Detail for those tight places.
• Small ELF Blush brush for dry brushing. (Yes I'm talking about a makeup brush, I'll explain why later.)
• 2 Junk Brushes, one for texture paints because that stuff never comes out of a brush, and the other for transferring paints from a pot to a palate.

2. Do you NEED to spend a lot of money to get a good brush?

This is a super touchy question for a lot of painters, There are a lot of really good brushes out there some examples are the Windsor Newton Series 7 or the da Vinci 35 Maestro Series. These brushes run $25-$40 a piece but are regarded some of the best brushes in Miniature painting because of their build quality and natural material, if you take care of these brushes they will last you a long time.

I'm a fairly budget conscious painter myself and although I do take good care of my brushes now, when I first started I did not. I usually spend about $10 on a brush right now and I can usually get about a year to a year and a half out of it with proper care. When I first started I used to pick up $2-3 brushes from the hobby shop and they also did a good job. That said, they did not last as long.

I used these ArtistLoft Veinna brushes a lot at first, they were fairly cheap but decent

I guess what I'm getting at is NO you do not have to spend a lot of money to get a brush that will paint good BUT a better brush will last you longer and be easier to maintain.

3. Well then, Which brushes do I use?

Lets take a look at my current essential arsenal:

Citadel Layer Medium - This has been my workhorse for the last year or so, It has been great but is defiantly showing its age after about 300 models under it's belt. and its worth noting that it has not curled on the tip one bit.

Citadel Fine Detail - Acquired in a lot of T'au and brought back from the brink of death using some trusty Masters Brush Cleaner, This brush has become a staple for me when it comes to fine details like eyes or wiring on a backpack.



E.L.F Consealer Brush & E.L.F Foundation Brush - Yes, I consider these makeup brushes a must have in my brush rack, with a very high bristle count made from a soft material, and their rounded tips, they make amazing dry brushes.



The "Junk Brush" - A long dead brush that still comes in handy for transferring to a palate or mixing.



A NEW FIGHTER HAS JOINED THE BATTLE
Sorry, I've been playing too much Smash Ultimate.....

The Army Painter - War Painter- Regiment - This is the new brush that just came home with me, highly recommended by the FLGS owner and the price was very fair for the quality at just under $10 after tax. Made from Natural Sable the first thing I noticed is although it is a No. 2 size, the brush has a fairly large belly considering how sharp the tip is and the triangular shape is comfy to hold and doesn't slip. I look forward to painting with this and you can expect a review baked into a future post.

Thanks for reading and I hope that I provided you some value to help you improve the way you paint.

If you like this Blog I also recommend my new YouTube channel where I do video content on tabletop gaming and hobbying. You can find it here: The Bunker With @veridisquotec

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Check out my previous article here: Three Tools That Helped Me Become A Better Miniature Painter