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Quality brushes are great, who knew and Episode 22 of the IRO Podcast features Mark A Morin.

Recently I acquired some great brushes from Windsor & Newton and Army Painter and they’re amazing. They’re so cool and my mind has been changed so drastically that I felt compelled to put up a post about it.

WARNING: NO PICTURES OF MINIATURES IN THIS POST.

I’d always thought a brush was a brush but I’ve come to realise that I was mistaken. It’s like saying a car is a car.

I’ve never been one to chase brands or keep up with the Jones’s, however I was always taught to buy what you can afford and that the quality is remembered long after the price of something.

Despite those teachings, when it came to brushes, I always just bought whatever I could find at a local office supplies place. For the last five years they seemed to do the trick but I had nothing to compare them to.

I think, in my mad little mind, I could justify the cost of miniatures but not the tools of the trade which is just ludicrous because I certainly don’t buy cheap, nasty tools for my own humble little business. I buy what I can afford. So it’s not the Ferrari of lawn mowers for me, hehe, but it is the Landcruiser.

In a recent mini-conversation with our blogger buddy Azazel, he suggested I try W&N brushes to paint EYES on miniatures. While investigating this brand I also found myself looking at the Army Painter range and decided I’d get both lots.

The sable windsors are like brushing silk over my miniatures and hold a good amount of paint in them. They also don’t seem to fray easily but I must admit I am being a lot more careful with these brushes than I usually would be.

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The Army Painter brushes have a nifty little grip thing that, at first, felt a bit weird in my hand but after only a few minutes felt very comfortable indeed. These brushes also hold paint really well and are sooooooo smooth to paint with. It’s hard to explain but they just do exactly what you want a brush to do. They don’t split, drop hairs or fray either.

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What I have learnt, which now I see is exceedingly obvious, is that I shouldn’t skimp on quality on my brushes just like I don’t on everything else in my world.

I can’t believe I struggled along with substandard brushes all these years haha.

Don’t get me wrong, I whole heartedly believe it’s the painter not the paint brush that makes the model look good but I really do think having the right tools at hand really helps get the paint down better.

So if you were like me and are struggling along with dodgy frayed brushes go and snap them in half, empty your piggy bank and go and invest in some decent tools for yourself.

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On the Saturday evening just gone I had the chance to interview/chat with our blogger buddy Mark A Morin for my little Podcast. Find his blog here –

https://markamorin.com/

It was a really great chat and, like with Classic40k aka Warburton, it went far too quick so there will be a part 2 down the track.

I wont spoil it for you by telling you what we chatted about but I will say this… The sound quality wasn’t the best I’m afraid. I’m not the most tech-savvy so I can only blame myself and will endeavour to get better at everything hehe.

I will be releasing episode 22 of Imperial Rebel Ork Podcast (with Mark A Morin) this Friday (Australian time) so keep an eye/ear out for it.

Cheers

IRO

 

 

 

 

43 thoughts on “Quality brushes are great, who knew and Episode 22 of the IRO Podcast features Mark A Morin.”

  1. I’ve been using the W&N 000 for eyes and fine detail for a couple of years now and find it great for that. I’ve also read a lot of good things about Army Painter brushes recently now.

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  2. Interesting post Luke, I tend to just use what I can pick up in the local art shops, and use them for too long past when they should really go in the bin, as I’m tight! But don’t break them in have and throw them away, just break of the metal part and use them as paint stirrers, or I have cut them in half and used them as stands for asteroids….

    Anyway, cant wait to hear Marks interview, I always imagine him to have the sonorous tones of James Earl Jones mixed with Charlton Heston? How do you record these by the way, do you go through Whatsapp as I would imagine that to be the cheapest option when calling America?

    Cheers Roger.

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    1. That’s a great idea for the asteroid stands mate. Might have to pinch that idea. Have you seen the movie The Departed? Mark sounds like every character in that movie apart from Jack Nicholson hehe. I was thinking whatsapp but Mark wasn’t sure about it so I went the old school way and just called him. I’m sure once my podcast starts making me billions I won’t even notice the costs involved hehe.

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      1. Now that’s, as we say, wicked funny! Or a wicked pissah maybe!

        Good post on brushes. I find that having very nice brushes for sharp details is a must. Also having really cheap ones is a must as well for mundane tasks. I also get disposable little Testors brushes for tasks that I know will destroy the brush, such as getting super glue or epoxy into hard to reach places on models where toothpicks don’t work.

        If you ever get into using an airbrush, that’s a similar size and quality issue. (Not to mention cost).

        Hope everyone enjoys our chat as much as we did! I’ll try to get a hobby post up before Saturday as my last one was about golf!

        Wait to

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  3. You are so right on the brushes. I have always just picked up the multi pack of fine brushes at my local hobby store. when I got back into painting miniatures, I picked up a box set of Army Painter paints, they came with a brush. I hear you on the weird feeling when first picking up the brush, but you get used to it very quickly and it’s my best brush.
    Sadly, I have killed the brush over the last three years (I extended it’s life by using the the crappy brushes for large blocking and dry brushing), and am trying various artist grade brushes from the fine art section of said local hobby store.
    I may now have to go online and see if I can find some Amry Painter brushes!

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  4. Brushes are just like cars. No one car can do every job you want it to do so in an ideal world a stable of cars would be perfect. Brushes are obviously cheaper than cars but the same principles apply. Cheap brushes for base work, dry brushing, undercoating, etc, more expensive brushes for the detail. Cheaper brushes can also be a false economy. I pay more for my W&N and Artis Opus brushes but they are fantastic to paint with, improved my painting (in my mind if not in reality!) and last a lot longer.

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  8. Yeah, there’s definitely differences between brushes! I recently got some new W&Ns and a Raphael, as my old ones had come to the end of their lives.

    But yeah, as others have said, there’s a place for cheaper synthetic brushes as well – for basecoating, washes and metallics for example. I’ve found a rather nice set of brushes from the local super market, which I’ve now bought multiple of and use for much of my painting. They hold a point pretty well, even if they develop a hook almost immediately.

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  10. I’ve been much lie yourself when it comes to brushes, so really I should investigate a decent brush or two for detail work. I must have some decent ones, but I never really pay that much attention to what I’m getting.

    The best brushed I’ve ever had were from a range by Windsor and Newton called (very unpromisingly) “Special Value”. They’re about worn out now, so much use have they had, but I immediately knew they were great and when I rushed back to the shop for more, they had removed them from sale – a search of the internet drew a blank and I’ve never seen any since!

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    1. Great interview Mate’s (I can say that as you both are!), really enjoyed that and the longer format meant I could finish painting my “Cats” without having to mess about finding something else to listen too!

      Sound quality wasn’t Dolby 5.1 but was easily good enough for me (and after 30 years working in factories, I’m deaf as a post!), good stuff all round, congrats to you both.

      Oh and Mark thanks for the mention (I think it was my name anyway).

      Cheers Roger.

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      1. Aww thanks buddy, really appreciate that. I just feel that Mark stole the spotlight away from me a bit which made me feel very uncomfortable haha. Nah, he’s a cool dude. Might have to get you on the show down the track mate if you’re up for it? Have you got an email I can reach you on? Mine is imperialrebelork@gmail.com

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  13. A good brush really can make all the difference. 🙂 I haven’t painted in far too long of a time (I currently use watercolor brush pens for the drawings I do but it isn’t the same as actually painting) but I always loved having good brushes.
    It’s the same with makeup brushes too as funny as that sounds. Having different sizes and shaped brushes really makes it so much easier to achieve the look you’re going for.
    Glad you’re enjoying your new tools of the trade! 😉

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  14. Congrats on the new brushes!

    I think everyone has covered most all the brush talk. I did notice an uptick in my painting a ways back when I started using W&NS7 brushes. I’ve worn out a few, as I tend to go with one brush for almost everything. I have a size 0 that’s mostly used for detail. I have a smaller one, but it doesn’t hold paint well, so it’s always back to that size 0.

    I also picked up a Raphael Kolinsky 8404 size 0, and I’d definitely say give it a try the next time you’re looking to branch out. It’s a bit bigger, but again, it’s all in the point. I like it as a base layers brush, because it can hold a lot of paint but still get smaller areas.

    Looking forward to checking out the podcast with Mark too!

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      1. The brush talk just reminded me that I need to get some new synthetics. I’ve beat the hell out of some of mine. I like the Princeton Selects, if you can find them. Golden Taklon is another name, which appears to be about the same.

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  16. Very interesting mate as I’m always looking for good brushes as they always seem to fray I must get some of those Winsor Newtons and give them a try ,I think your mate TIM uses them as well!

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