White Synthetic brushes

[Sergeant_Crunch]

It's about time to get some new brushes for my more destructive processes and things I won't use a kolinksy sable for like terrain. Saw these at Dick Blick and similar ones at Hobby Lobby. My questions are, has anyone use the white synthetic brushes? What was your experience with white synthetics? How does it compare with Golden Taklon?

[SilverSerpent]

I haven't used the Dick Blick brand, but I bought a couple of the ones from Hobby Lobby a few weeks back, and have to say for a cheap brush I'm pretty impressed. I've pretty much tortured them and they've been washed many times, and still have their brand new shape, no frizzies, and with my cheap ones I don't use any kind of cleaners, just plain ole soap and water, and they are still a nice white. Usually at this point, my taklons begin to show signs of frizzing and spreading, but the whites are holding up nicely.

[vutpakdi]

They seem to be about the same as golden taklon synthetics to me. They do stain more readily (or it's more apparent) when using some of the MSPs that have the newer bases (generally blues and greens). Otherwise, they seem to be about the same including the propensity to hook after a relatively short period of time.

 

Ron

[Spatula]

Hobby-Lobby, Wal-Mart or Home-Depot will have "3 to 4" brush packs for $2...good for painting non-minis.

[PurityThruFire]

I tend to stay away from the synthetics (with the exception of the W&N Scepter Gold...and even those...), I find they "hook" in record time.

I realize I'm not really contributing anything to this thread, I personally just keep away, I'd rather spend a few more bucks and get a brush that will last and last and last...

[Sergeant_Crunch]

Hobby-Lobby, Wal-Mart or Home-Depot will have "3 to 4" brush packs for $2...good for painting non-minis.

Yeah, I've used those too, they don't last long enough.

[Zinzig]

I picked up some of the white synthetics at Michaels for my kids to use and other than the bristles changing colors I don't see any problems with them. I picked up a Lowell Cornell(?) multi-pack with about 15 various sized brushes (ranging from 1-inch to 5/0) for $5 so you can't expect too much. You know the old saying "You get what you pay for"...I usually use cheap brushes like these for my bases since I have a tendency to do a good bit of jabbing with the points. That said my current base brush is a LC golden taklon size 1 round and cost a buck-fifty...been using it for well over a year now.

 

-Z

[Helltown]

I use white synthetics for just about everything and ironically it's GW and Armory low-end sables that I use for my bases. With proper care, the same care you'd give your Kolinsky sables, a synthetic brush can last a lot longer than most people seem to think. I've had my Ironwind metals brush set, all synthetics, for about four years now and the Size 0 was the first to start hooking this past winter. The 3/0 hasn't started hooking yet, but I rarely use it so... it'll last me awhile longer. The most recent brush purchases were W&N University Series 233 and Loew-Cornell white taklon (the exact model eludes me right now) and they're holding up well considering I'd been on a non-stop painting binge for a few weeks since their purchase.

 

For the larger brushes that you'll be using for terrain you can even take advantage of the brush reshaping goop they sell to reform both synthetics if the tips do start to hook. Though if you're using them strictly for terrain, boar bristle brushes are the way to go. They're nigh indestructible when it comes to terrain painting. Not a lot of give, but it's the trade off if you don't want to destroy a brush painting cork or foam core.

[Lastman]

Echo Purity = they do curl really fast and stain, but I use them for priming and will until they die. Probably won't replace them.

[PurityThruFire]

Truth of the matter is, as long as Dick Blick is selling W&N Series 7 and DaVinci Maestro at their ridiculously low prices then I'm going to buy them.

With my shipment of DaVinci series 10 coming my series 7 may very well replace my W&N Scepter Gold II's as my go to brush for baescoating and the occasional brush prime.

 

However, in keeping with the synthetic topic at hand I would really buy a blend if need be. The W&N Scepter Gold II make a great brush, I also found they were a great brush to ween myself off of synthetics and move into the realm of high-end sable. I say high-end because I've had a few low-end sable brushes that were absolute garbage.

 

Synthetics do make great brushes for *gasp* drybrushing (best with flats, though I go with bristle) and they make great brushes for spreading glue.

 

In the end though it really boils down to a matter of taste. Use what ever you feel most comfortable with, it's always important to stay in your comfort zone.

 

A Happy Painter = A Happy Mini

[Sergeant_Crunch]

These aren't for the minis themselves. I have kolinsky sable brushes. These brushes are for things I wouldn't dream of using the good brushes for becuase it's rough on them. Just curious if the whites are any better the other cheapo candidates.

[Wren]

I like the white better than the taklon synthetic for the kind of stuff you're talking about. Well, I like the white better in larger sizes of 2 and up and the taklon better for 1 or lower. The bitty whites I had splayed and went useless pretty quickly. The larger ones hold up for me pretty well. I like them for large basecoats and washes and stuff. I had one lasted me a year or more for that kind of thing, I only recently replaced it. It'll become my new mixing brush. My old mixing brush was a very mistreated white that serverd for a couple of years in that role after it wore out on the other stuff. I once had a really great white flat that held together wonderfully and was perfect for base rims and such, but I lost it and don't remember the brand. It had a coppery coloured handle, I think.

[Cerridwyn1st]

I would point out this:

 

:Long handles are finished in blue gloss with nickel-plated brass ferrules."

 

You're going to need to cut those handles down to use the brushes for mini painting.

[Sergeant_Crunch]

That's what saws are for :)

[Rastl]

Hobby Lobby has half off their brushes this week. I may have to take a look at getting some decent terrain brushes instead of using the carpy ones I found around the house.