Quality paintbrushes in the UK?
- Thread starter -Ice
- Start date
In Chigh P.I.
New member
I recommend Rosemary and Co, to be found here:http://www.rosemaryandco.com/. The brushes are superb and I have no issue buying online form them because they have good quality control. Best bang for your buck and they are very helpful if you have nay questions.
EDIT: Oh and its the Series 33s or 22s you would be after.
EDIT: Oh and its the Series 33s or 22s you would be after.
Einion
New member
-Ice, it's very likely that even if there's a decent art shop near to you their Kolinsky rounds won't be competitive with what you'll find online - prices are regularly 20-40% lower, and during promotions that can go to 60% off and more if you're lucky.
It is worth doing the legwork if there are any shops close by, you never know, and they have the advantage of allowing you to check brushes before you buy*.
Four of the major UK vendors for art supplies online are ArtDiscount, Art Express, Ken Bromley and The SAA. Might be worth Googling for more since I've been recommending these ones for a few years now and they could have competition by now!
*I would not recommend you try Series 7 purchasing online; their quality control isn't good enough any more and even if the website has a good returns policy it's a pain. Plus there are brushes that are as good or better for less ££ anyway.
Einion
It is worth doing the legwork if there are any shops close by, you never know, and they have the advantage of allowing you to check brushes before you buy*.
Four of the major UK vendors for art supplies online are ArtDiscount, Art Express, Ken Bromley and The SAA. Might be worth Googling for more since I've been recommending these ones for a few years now and they could have competition by now!
*I would not recommend you try Series 7 purchasing online; their quality control isn't good enough any more and even if the website has a good returns policy it's a pain. Plus there are brushes that are as good or better for less ££ anyway.
Einion
Tommie Soule
New member
i use w+n series 7 now, cos of how long they last now i paint full time. but all the work you see in my personal gallery is done with mostly a GW basecoat brush which are widely availible and super versatile, but i will always try before i buy!
Torn blue sky
New member
You have to be shitting me Tommie...
freakinacage
New member
yeah a second vote for r+c. super cheap and great quality. similar to the w+n series 7's but they don't have as much spring
Okay, I just got confused. Apparently, "Reaper" is the brand name (who makes the brush), Kolinsky is the material used in teh brush... is that right?
I do have a local HobbyCraft but... I don't like the selection they have and they definitely have no 0's in there, much less 000's. I'm looking for really fine brushes for detail work. I'm surprisingly happy with GW's basecoat brush and starter brush (the one that comes in the paint starter set) as well... they load up paint fine and got a nice tip. Not nice enough to do space marine eyes though...
freak, what do you mean about "spring"?
I do have a local HobbyCraft but... I don't like the selection they have and they definitely have no 0's in there, much less 000's. I'm looking for really fine brushes for detail work. I'm surprisingly happy with GW's basecoat brush and starter brush (the one that comes in the paint starter set) as well... they load up paint fine and got a nice tip. Not nice enough to do space marine eyes though...
freak, what do you mean about "spring"?
Shellshock
New member
Jep, a kolinsky brush means the bristles are hair from the kolinksy weasel and Reaper is a company.
Biggest brush I have is a GW fine detail which is good for alot of things, smallest is a 4/0 Rekab kolinsky sable watercolour brush, I pick em up from eBay. Used a fair few different brushes but have settled on these ones as my weapon of choice.
Biggest brush I have is a GW fine detail which is good for alot of things, smallest is a 4/0 Rekab kolinsky sable watercolour brush, I pick em up from eBay. Used a fair few different brushes but have settled on these ones as my weapon of choice.
I've bought Raphael 8404s from Jackson's Art Supplies before (http://www.jacksonsart.co.uk/). Worth checking out.
Einion
New member
Kolinsky is a particular type of hair. Sables are a related species and sable brushes can be good too, and are usually cheaper, but tend not to be quite as good at holding a sharp point and have less spring (springiness, resistance to bending). Synthetic brushes often have very good spring, but their points let them down and the bristles don't have as good capillary action.-Ice said:
Since you're new to brushes you might find this old guide of mine on what to look for in these brushes helpful.
Einion
Thetecman
New member
What he said! ^
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freakinacage
New member
well when you push the wet bristles, they stay over in that direction a bit more than the w+n which come back. less shape memory if you will
i bought a 1 and a few smaller ones but i don't use them as the point on the 1 is so fine, i can dot eyes with it
Thanks for the help guys! I do understand the risks of buying online and a few of you have pointed out some online shops. Can anyone actually vouch for any of these shops in terms of quality and return policy? Surely there are others here who buy online. I'd like to hear from those people.
One concern I have is brush terminology. I've never seen a 000, 0, 1, or 2 brush before, all I've dealt with so far are GW brushes. I do like the GW fine detail brush but all I can comfortably do with them is the Space Marine shoulder armor ridge. The point is nice, but tends to splay out when I paint. Anyway, in relation to the GW fine detail brush, how big/small is a 0 and a 1 compared to it? Is a brush labelled 000 the same as a brush labelled 3/0? I've seen some companies sell a 6/0 brush, how insanely tiny is that?
At the moment, I'm looking for a fine-tip, short bristle brush on the theory that shorter bristles bend less and would be ideal for fine detail work (such as highlighting the eagle on the space marine bolter) and won't bend as much to my heavy-handedness. All I see as use for a longer, fine-tip brush is for reaching into nooks but I'm assembling my marines in such as way that I can access most spots easily --- this means I build and prime them without the bolters on and for the heavy-weapons guys, the arms with the weapon is primed separate.
For now, I'm leaning towards the Raphael line of brushes for two reasons - the naysayers of the W&N 7s and Laurent from the Miniature Mentor recommends them. My "adventure" into the world of fine-detail brushes begins here!
One concern I have is brush terminology. I've never seen a 000, 0, 1, or 2 brush before, all I've dealt with so far are GW brushes. I do like the GW fine detail brush but all I can comfortably do with them is the Space Marine shoulder armor ridge. The point is nice, but tends to splay out when I paint. Anyway, in relation to the GW fine detail brush, how big/small is a 0 and a 1 compared to it? Is a brush labelled 000 the same as a brush labelled 3/0? I've seen some companies sell a 6/0 brush, how insanely tiny is that?
At the moment, I'm looking for a fine-tip, short bristle brush on the theory that shorter bristles bend less and would be ideal for fine detail work (such as highlighting the eagle on the space marine bolter) and won't bend as much to my heavy-handedness. All I see as use for a longer, fine-tip brush is for reaching into nooks but I'm assembling my marines in such as way that I can access most spots easily --- this means I build and prime them without the bolters on and for the heavy-weapons guys, the arms with the weapon is primed separate.
For now, I'm leaning towards the Raphael line of brushes for two reasons - the naysayers of the W&N 7s and Laurent from the Miniature Mentor recommends them. My "adventure" into the world of fine-detail brushes begins here!
Einion
New member
Not sure if this is mostly the brush but you may be pressing too hard as well, just something to bear in mind.-Ice said:
Unfortunately this varies. This is why Dick Blick have started to list the sizes of the brush heads to give people buying online a better comparative idea from brand to brand.-Ice said:
You might want to check back on some older threads about this - lots of us recommend using larger brushes than you might think because of the tendency of our type of paint to dry so quickly in a teeny brush. And the needle-sharp tip of a quality brush is worth using if you're paying for it.-Ice said:
I do use a 000 for some fine detail, but not nearly as much as I used to.
Einion
Tommie Soule
New member
that sounds like it would bring a tear to my eye. . . . But yes, both me and dave (ijee) use this brush alot, cheap and very versatile, if you choose carefully.
Dragonsreach
Super Moderator
I'd not rule out SOME of the GW brushes though; the Drybrush and Stippling brushes are decent value for money and designed specifically for those roles.
One thing to remember is (as hinted above) some manufacturers produce MINIATURE brushes. Don't assume that these are aimed as we model painters, mostly these are specific for Miniature portrait or landscape watercolours and their paint delivery (or wicking) has a far different performance than our intent with acrylics. Remember we've nicked the watercolour brushes and adopted them for our use not 'tother way around.
I can't comment on the likes of Rosemary or Raphael brushes, having not used them, But I have purchased and used a couple of Da Vinci's (admittedly for watercolours) and found the quality to be superb.
Oh and If you think buying a size 2 Kolinsky is expensive, take a look at the cost of size 12.
http://www.artsupplies.co.uk/brushes-series-7-kolinsky-sable-watercolour-artists-brush.htm
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Beelzebrush
New member
Another recommendation for Rosemary & Co. - great brushes at a very reasonable price. Series 7s used to be good but I've had a few duds so don't tend to bother with them any more. Don't bother with the miniature versions of brushes, they're inflexible and don't hold enough paint.
Ok, "who" is Ken Bromley?
While I have no complaints of the GW brushes, I am currently on a mission for good detail brush. I can basecoat okay with the GW brushes that I have, but I want a detail brush for the eyes and the aquila/eagle on the chest and bolter as well as for the skulls on the armor and for line highlighting.
While I have no complaints of the GW brushes, I am currently on a mission for good detail brush. I can basecoat okay with the GW brushes that I have, but I want a detail brush for the eyes and the aquila/eagle on the chest and bolter as well as for the skulls on the armor and for line highlighting.
Dragonsreach
Super Moderator
http://www.artsupplies.co.uk/ is the company he founded.
http://www.artsupplies.co.uk/kbgallery.php is a brief Bio
http://www.artsupplies.co.uk/kbgallery.php?show=watercolour his watercolour gallery.
From what you are saying it's probably a No 0 and No 1 brushes that would be your best options.
Both should when looked after retain the points for you to perform those tasks easily.
