New Citadel Brushes

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DaRat

New member
Anyone try the new Citadel brushes yet? Most are \"kolisnky sable\" brushes except for the drybrush and stipling ones. Seem to be fairly reasonably priced for brushes.

On a lark, I picked up a detail brush (about the size of a #0 W&N Series 7) on Saturday, and I\'m just curious to see what others\' experiences are. So far, I\'m not at all impressed: the one that I have can\'t seem to keep a decent point once I start using it. I seem to get several hairs going every which way fairly quickly.

I\'m curious to know if I\'ve just got a bum brush or if others have seen the same thing. For my part, I\'ll just go back to me Da Vinci Maestro or my W&N Series 7.
 
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.sam.

New member
i\'ve had them for a good month and i cant really tell much difference from the old ones but then again i like the gw brushes.

I think there ok
 
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Trevor

Brushlicker and Freak!
I\'ll pick up one soon and give it a whirl, but not excpecting much. I\'m quite interested in the drybrush as well.
 
Aliengod3

Aliengod3

New member
I have not had that problem but I have had issues with ordering my brushes online. The hobby supply stores around here do not offer good brushes and most of the one I have seen in store have demolished bristles.

I order my brushes online and the problem I have is that sometimes the ones I order are not picked by the company that sells them properly. I will get my brush only to find that the point is pretty bad, which is quite irritating. However the brushes I do receive that have a good point do not suffer from the problem you are having. Have you been washing your brushes after each time that you use them?
 
Dragonsreach

Dragonsreach

Super Moderator
Was looking at them today, not that struck on them really.
Only ones I would seriously consider would be the Dry/Flat brushes.
Not sure about the \"Stipple\" as its a very short and extremely harsh bristle. I have doubts as to whether it would last very long, especially in inexperienced hands.
 
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Ritual

New member
There are excellent brushes from other companies that are cheaper than these. Even if the new GW brushes are much improved compared to previous versions (which would surprise me), why bother?
 
Donga

Donga

New member
I agree with Ritual, James Sequeira knows where I get my brushes...

(cough! http://www.rosemaryandco.com/default.htm Cough! Cough! Stocked by the CMoN Shop! Cough!)

Swine flu is a terrible thing ;)
 
laurence

laurence

Brushlover
Brush rush..

I\'ll never EVER paint with GW brushes again! If it at broke, don\'t fix it.

W&N, Raphael & Da Vinci is where it\'s at!
 
Dragonsreach

Dragonsreach

Super Moderator
Originally posted by Ritual
There are excellent brushes from other companies that are cheaper than these. Even if the new GW brushes are much improved compared to previous versions (which would surprise me), why bother?
Click to expand...
Exactly, Winsor & Newton Watercolour are the same price at Ken Bromley\'s and better quality.
 
Avelorn

Avelorn

Sven Jonsson
Well I haven\'t used a GW brush for several years but I\'m willing to try these out to see if I can start recommending the brand again for \"convenience\" buyers. Our lgs have started to have Da vinci brushes in stock though... :D
 
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Ritual

New member
Nothing more convenient than ordering some Rosemary brushes online and getting them in your mailbox a couple of days later. :D
 
Joek

Joek

New member
Originally posted by Ritual
Nothing more convenient than ordering some Rosemary brushes online and getting them in your mailbox a couple of days later. :D
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I\'ve been firmly in the Rosemary camp for a while now - fantastic brushes, great service and they\'re considerably cheaper than the W&N Series 7 equivalents.
 
Orb

Orb

procrastinator
just to put the cat amongst the pigeons......

I was shown the White Dwarf with the brush info in, and it said that the new range of brushes were made in a factory in Lowestoft. And being a Lowestoft lad by birth, I know that the Winsor & Newton brush factory is in Lowestoft.

So are GW outsorcing to W&N? or has someone set up a new company in Lowestoft? I do know that W&N were outsourcing production to China. Why would GW mention where the new brushes are made? Oh the mystery!!

What I do know, personally, is I like to pick up and test the brush I\'m going to buy before parting with my cash.....to see if it splits, etc. But haven\'t tested the new GW

and of course they will be expensive....goes with the territory
 
mattsterbenz

mattsterbenz

New member
Well I use the blue-handled GW brushes exclusively (with the exception of a 2/0-sized Kolinsky Sable for eyes and the like). Haven\'t had any problems. I\'ve got several jars filled with GW blue brushes, most of them a few years old and still in great shape (even a few of the old red-handled brushes).

Don\'t know why everyone always knocks the GW brushes. Even at $8 a piece (the current blue-handle price) they seem a great deal to me. Especially the $15 set of 3. With proper care GW brushes last a very long time. Yes the Kolinsky Sable is better quality and lasts longer, the GW just seem to be a better bang for your buck. Guess that\'s why I only use GW brushes except for my eye-dotting brush.

I haven\'t had the chance to try the new black-handled brushes yet. What I really like about the new brushes is that they don\'t come in card packets like the old ones. Not only does this lower costs for us, but this makes it possible to \"test\" brushes before we buy them. When I buy my set I\'ll make sure to let everyone know how the road test turns out.

EDIT: Forgot to mention the prices of the new brushes. They are actually LOWER than the old blue ones. Very surprising. Starts at $4.50 or so for the fine detail brush, all the way up to $8 something for the large flat dry brush. I hope the brushes performance is as good as the price. If it\'s anything like their blue-handled cousins, I\'m sure it will be.

-Matt
 
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skeeve

New member
There is an interesting and relatively well substantiated rumor that these brushes are actually W&N. Not series 7 though, probably one of their \"economy\" sable brushes (110 or 220).

If you look at the small advertising piece about this brushes in one of the last WD it actually tells you in which city in UK they make this new brushes. Curiously, main W&N production facility is in the same city. Of cause it is always possible that this place is the center of the world brush-making :)
 
Orb

Orb

procrastinator
Originally posted by skeeve


If you look at the small advertising piece about this brushes in one of the last WD it actually tells you in which city in UK they make this new brushes. Curiously, main W&N production facility is in the same city. Of cause it is always possible that this place is the center of the world brush-making :)
Click to expand...

As I said, WD said they are made in Lowestoft in the UK, where W&N have their long established brush factory. There are no other brush factories to my knowledge in Lowestoft.
 
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