Brushes going bad...

[Wraith01]

I'm halfway through painting my first army and 2 of my brushes are going bad. They don't form a tip anymore. One of them splits into 2 now and the other one splits into 3 tips...

I don't leave them in the water cup. I don't dip them into the paint all the way and I make sure to wash them after every day of use.

My guess is that the paint might be running into the ferrule as I paint since I sometimes have to raise the figure in order to get some light and paint while inclined up. Sometimes I also notice the brush has gone dry as I paint. Not sure if it's that though.

Any tips?

[ElectricPaladin]

I don't know how much you've done with them, but I don't think brushes last all that long no matter how well you baby them. Eventually they need to be replaced.

[Aaron Schmidt]

When you wash them what do you use?

[Aaron Schmidt]

This stuff is great: http://www.dickblick.com/products/the-masters-brush-cleaner-and-preserver/

Using something like this regularly will keep a Kolinsky Sable brush in good shape for a very long time. It cleans out the ****** which causes splitting as well as acts as a conditioner which helps keep the bristles from taking on new shapes or getting worn out. 

[CoffeeGrunt]

I used to have this problem, but now brushes will last me a good six months with proper care. Here's the cliff notes:

- Rinse them regularly, every five minutes or so. Just wipe them clean, rinse and swizzle them in water, then wipe again,
- Make sure you're thinning your paints with a bit of water,
- If the paint is running down the bristles, it's either too much, or too thin,
- Keep it away from the ferrules at all costs,
- Get yourself some Master's Brush Cleaner, the stuff is magical,
- Grab some Pro-Arte brushes when you get the chance, my absolute favourite brand so far,
- Drybrushes are born to die, don't use anything but cheap, rubbish brushes for it,
- Stippling too,

[ElectricPaladin]

1 hour ago, CoffeeGrunt said:

- Drybrushes are born to die, don't use anything but cheap, rubbish brushes for it,

QFT. I go through dyrbrushes embarrassingly fast.

[Dez]

Invest in Winsor-Newton series 7 and Masters brush cleaner. Mine are like new and I've had them for 3 years. To be honest I haven't even taken that great of care if them.

So 3 brushes for $45 that I've had for 3 years is a really good investment imo.

[Bosmer Nightblade]

13 hours ago, Wraith01 said:

Any tips?

Apparently not

[Wraith01]

Thanks guy's. 

 

[Wraith01]

16 hours ago, Aaron Schmidt said:

When you wash them what do you use?

Just soap. It's what we used in my university art classes.

[Aaron Schmidt]

Just soap. It's what we used in my university art classes.

Check out the Masters cleaner posted above. It helps keep natural brushes alive. Synthetic brushes just wear out because the bristles can bend easily and have little "memory"

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[swiftmus]

I had some cheap brushes wear out recently. My friend got me some Windsor and Newton Series 7 as a present and they are damn nice. Haven't used them much yet but the tips are very sharp looking and the quality is noticeably much higher than previous brushes. You get what you pay for.

[Barimbino]

From what I've heard normal soap can actually dry out brushes. The master brush cleaner doesn't really clean the brush as much as it replenishes a type of oil the hairs of the brush need. Bringing it back to life and giving it the tip again. Synthetic brushes are trash, they usually last a month if even that, if you baby them. W&N series 7 is what I have and they have been great for over a year now. Will never go back.

[ElectricPaladin]

3 hours ago, Wraith01 said:

Thanks guy's. 

Let it never be said that we here at TGA are anything other than bad motherbrushers.

[Arkiham]

Could you use something like conditioner to maintain the brush if it's made of hair ?

7 minutes ago, Barimbino said:

From what I've heard normal soap can actually dry out brushes. The master brush cleaner doesn't really clean the brush as much as it replenishes a type of oil the hairs of the brush need. Bringing it back to life and giving it the tip again. Synthetic brushes are trash, they usually last a month if even that, if you baby them. W&N series 7 is what I have and they have been great for over a year now. Will never go back.

 

[Dez]

Conditioner works ok, Masters does it all. It will clean, then you use it to shape the tip.

[Barimbino]

1 hour ago, Dez said:

Conditioner works ok, Masters does it all. It will clean, then you use it to shape the tip.

Exactly, Masters is a cleaning and rejuvenating brush wash.  And it's like only $3-4. A must have for brush care.

[fartsocks]

5 hours ago, Arkiham said:

Could you use something like conditioner to maintain the brush if it's made of hair ?

 

Or could I use master's brush cleaner on my hair?

[Kisada11]

Couple years of painting. Started with Games Workshop brushes, stepped it up to the Army Painter Wargamer brushes and stayed there for a while. Bought my first Series 7 last week ... I'm never going back


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[Dez]

I was using army painter for a while too.

[Wraith01]

I bought some small "Citadel" brushes and I'm using some old brushes I had from "Grumbacher" and "Winsor and Newton"  but they are much bigger. I might have to invest in higher quality brushes and that cleaning kit you're all recommending.

[judging_jester]

I use brush cleaner at the end of every painting session. I wash it through and then add a little to reshape the tip. My brushes are now getting on to be over 12 months old. I wrote a blog on it here if you're interested 

[RuneBrush]

On 30/10/2016 at 2:09 AM, Wraith01 said:

I bought some small "Citadel" brushes and I'm using some old brushes I had from "Grumbacher" and "Winsor and Newton"  but they are much bigger. I might have to invest in higher quality brushes and that cleaning kit you're all recommending.

The best brushes in the business are made from Kolinsky Sable, they should keep their tip really well if you look after them - they will still die in time, but you should get a lot more life out of them than a cheaper brush.  W&N Series 7 are universally regarded as the best you can get, but Rosemary & Co Series 33 and Broken Toad are both good alternatives if you don't want to spend a fortune.

Metallic paints will ruin brushes more quickly than regular colours, the metallic flakes act as an abrasive and some will 'wick' up the bristles into the ferrule like a rat up a drain pipe.

Some of the Citadel brushes are pretty reasonable.  I regularly use their base range and drybrush range, and although the base range nearly always end up with curled tips, they're decent for flopping down a coat of metallic paint or in the case of the larger wedge shaped brushes, putting down the base colour.

Drybrushes shouldn't die too quickly if you look after them too.  Making a "stabbing" motion will always ****** them up as will not cleaning them properly.  Using a mild liquid cleaner (I use Vallejo airbrush cleaner or Forge World Solution) will help break the paint down to allow you clean them normally.  Also learning to recognise when a brush is clogged with dry paint and switching to a fresh one will mean you're not snapping bristles off.  I will normally use two or three drybrushes in one sitting where others may just use one.

[CoffeeGrunt]

GW's brushes are pretty serviceable, to be fair, and can last if you look after them. Would love to get me some Kolinsky brushes, but so far my Pro-Arte ones are doing pretty well, so I'm not sure if I'll take the leap just yet.

[Aaron Schmidt]

If you want a nice brush that will last for a long time and will perform better than most others get any one that says Kolinsky Sable, that is the type of horse hair its made from. W&N Series 7 is a great Kolinsky Sable brush. KS brushes make painting so much easier when they are in good shape.