CaptainSoup Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 So I've been working on some models lately and one of the things that bugs me during the painting process is trying to do some line highlights. I've read up on it, from the cupped hands and grounded elbows to putting the right amount of thinned paint on the brush. This is all well and good, until I actually put brush to plastic. It doesn't take long for my pointed tip brush to simply fall apart on the model, smugging my line and making it look a mess. I've been using a variety of brushes and sizes from your cheap synthetic to Rothmarder Sable, from size 2 to 000 and beyond. Regardless of the brush it happens. Perhaps it's from pushing the brush too hard against the model, but any lighter and the paint doesn't transfer from the brush (unless it's overloaded, which makes a different mess). My only hope seems to be using a Kolinsky Sable hair brush, but I can't find a real one anywhere, and even then I have my doubts. What do you guys think is going on? Is it bad technique or just the wrong kind of brushes? Or maybe something different altogether? I'm also curious what kind of brushes you guys use and why you use them. Either way thanks for reading! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schwabbele Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Hey, I am kind of in the same boat like you... What I learned after numerous failures and killed brushes: Some brushes are just dead on arrival - I had 3 W&N S7 fail on me after like 5 minutes of use Experiment with flow improver and medium I had a huge increase in productivity after I made me a mix of 9:1:0,5 water-medium-flow improver If it is too "warm" / warmish dry in your room paint can dry very fast on a brush - this caused splitting in my case Rinse brush often - I still need to do it more often only load the tip with paint, especially when edge highliting. Touch the model super soft with brush, the paint must flow of the brush onto the model . That is basically the stuff I picked up over the last couple months which made my noobish painter life more productive - which doesn't mean I am any good at it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tzaangor Management Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 I use a variety of brushes, but mostly use Windsor and Newton - Cotman, because they are readily available in my local art shop and are in the £3-£5 range, which is roughly a third to half the price of a Kolinsky Sable equivalent. They're a synthetic brush, but hold a decent point and although not as nice as the couple of W&N Series 7 brushes I have, I use them for the bulk of my line highlighting. I use my Series 7 for the very top highlights or really fine work, but this is as much to do with the size of the brushes, as the quality (At the moment I'm using: Cotman -3, Cotman -2, Cotman - 1, Series 7 - 00). The Series 7 is undoubtedly the superior brush, however using other brushes has not greatly effected my ability to line highlight. You've clearly done your research, so I'm sure you've seen that for most surfaces using the side of the brush is very effective and leaves less wear on the brush point. Where this is not possible, it does need a soft touch, but your paint should transfer from brush to model fairly easily with just a slight flex to the brush tip as it's dragged across the model. With that in mind, I would suggest trying a few things (assuming that you've not already and with apologies if you are): 1). Make sure your paint is thin enough. Possibly do two of the same highlight to increase the strength of the colour, rather than trying to get it done in one pass. If the paint is not coming off the brush, then it could be stuck to the bristles, as it should apply to the surface with the most friction (i.e. the plastic model, rather than bristles of the brush). 2). Try a wet pallet to keep the paint at the right consistency for longer. I struggled with this for a long time, with paint drying out faster than I was using it and detail work becoming more and more difficult as time went on. You can buy these, but they're very easy to make to see whether you like them and I'm still using a home-made one and have no inclination to change just yet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96mjmqWTPfM 3). The Masters Brush Cleaner is excellent for ensuring that your brushes are kept in the best condition and hold their point for longer. Use after every painting session to ensure that all of the particles of paint have been washed out of your brush. Once clean, roll the brush in the soap to return to the pointed shape and leave the soap on, as it acts as a conditioner. Rinse thoroughly at the start of your next painting session https://www.amazon.co.uk/Masters-Brush-Cleaner-Preserver-1oz/dp/B0076WU8HA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1549187099&sr=8-5&keywords=the+master+brush+cleaner Good luck and keep posting your progress, I suspect many are in the same boat and I know I definitely was! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucio Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Stupid as it sounds, using the point of the brush will *always* cause the point to go because you're putting presure that's bending the bristles. To get a straight line you need to apply the brush at an angle to the surface and get the edge of the bristles along the surface. Easier on the edges of a model, than on the flat surface but worth practicing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.