Slendertroll 7554 Report post Posted April 22, 2014 (edited) Note that sizes aren't consistent across brands, so a W&N 0 is not the same as a Raphael 0 is not the same as a Da Vinci 0. :ph34r: Edited April 22, 2014 by Slendertroll Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gargs 5898 Report post Posted April 22, 2014 As a fellow newbie painter, I'll echo the same sentiments -- though I'll confess to not being comfortable with larger brushes yet. That said, while I'm not comfortable with larger brushes (mainly because I can't ever seem to find a good one available when I also have the cash) I can certainly understand the argument for the larger brush as I spend a lot of time going back to the paint. By far, the most important advice I can give is to simply keep at it and not get discouraged so long as you are having fun. It will be almost impossible for you to come out with an awesome looking mini your first go (keep in mind that awesome is a relative term). Like all skills, painting takes practice. As for actual techniques, I'll leave that to the experienced painters. :p Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slendertroll 7554 Report post Posted April 22, 2014 Yeah, if you can't get a high-quality brush right away, smaller actually will likely be better, since there'll be less brush to poof out and screw with your details. I really do suggest upgrading as soon as possible. It took me ages to get good brushes, and I really regret the amount I invested in crappy brushes, both in terms of time and money. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
buglips*the*goblin 93778 Report post Posted April 22, 2014 (edited) I'm a small-brush user, almost notorious for it in fact, but 3/0 and 5/0 are definitely too small. 0, 2/0, and a 3/0 for the tiny details would be the smallest I'd go - that's my usual set-up. Huh. And here I am, thinking that a 0 is too big for anything but basecoating. I use 0, 10/0, 20/0, and 30/0 for the most part. Depends on the 0. A W&N series 7 0 might do the same job a cheaper company's 3/0 or even 5/0 would do. That's the mix of nonstandardization and quality at play. One of my favourite brushes are the Reaper kolinsky 5/0's - but every time I've looked in the store for more they've been all out. I find the Reaper 5/0 about equal to a W&N 2/0 in practice, though slightly less durable. (This may actually mostly be because I use them harder) ETA - looks like the 5/0's are available, so if there's any left when I buy my RCon swag bag I'll add some to the order. Edited April 22, 2014 by buglips*the*goblin 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dsmiles 35885 Report post Posted April 22, 2014 I get my 20/0 and 30/0 from Micro-Mark (and also my weathering powders). They mostly deal with model railroad items (and associated brushes/tools/etc.). I get a good 18 - 24 months of hard use out of them. The rest are whatever brand they sell at Michael's. Those ones aren't very durable (6 - 12 months of hard use), but I can buy them in larger quantities than I could if I bought 'good' brushes. (But honestly, I used to paint with sable brushes and prefer golden taklon brushes nowadays.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ub3r_n3rd 152256 Report post Posted April 22, 2014 It's not the size of the brush that you have, it's how you use it... (get your minds out of the gutter! ) 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flamehawke 39483 Report post Posted April 22, 2014 Actually i want to know what miniature that is. it looks awesome and I would love one for myself as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bane Of Humanity 6681 Report post Posted April 22, 2014 (edited) Actually i want to know what miniature that is. it looks awesome and I would love one for myself as well. Lord of the Rings!...GW mini Edited April 22, 2014 by Bane Of Humanity Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bane Of Humanity 6681 Report post Posted April 22, 2014 Actually i want to know what miniature that is. it looks awesome and I would love one for myself as well. Lord of the Rings!...GW mini Wait no....its Dark Sword It looks like one from GW but I was wrong... 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flamehawke 39483 Report post Posted April 22, 2014 But which one? Though I suppose it will not hurt to hunt through a ton of minis to find one. It does look like one from GW, but I have a few and it is off. Never worked with Dark Sword before. Are they good minis? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bane Of Humanity 6681 Report post Posted April 22, 2014 But which one? Though I suppose it will not hurt to hunt through a ton of minis to find one. It does look like one from GW, but I have a few and it is off. Never worked with Dark Sword before. Are they good minis? http://www.darkswordminiatures.com/shop/index.php/featured/male-high-elf-warrior.html 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pingo 109314 Report post Posted April 23, 2014 Dark Sword makes exquisite minis. I have a few of them. My only complaint is some of those tiny arms need pinning, but that doesn't seem to be an issue with this figure. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bane Of Humanity 6681 Report post Posted April 23, 2014 (edited) Dark Sword makes exquisite minis. I have a few of them. My only complaint is some of those tiny arms need pinning, but that doesn't seem to be an issue with this figure. Oh god yes the tiny arms..I got one of those http://www.darkswordminiatures.com/shop/index.php/miniatures/visions-in-fantasy/evil-female-sorceress.html I had it painted and put together (no pin because it was just too small) The arm that she is holding out is not attached. My nephew dropped it and the arm was lost forever....We (as in my entire gaming group) searched and it was like it disappeared into the abyss. But they do have some awesome minis. Wish they would show which ones require assembly though...and what the peices look like.... Edited April 23, 2014 by Bane Of Humanity Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pingo 109314 Report post Posted April 23, 2014 Dark Sword makes exquisite minis. I have a few of them. My only complaint is some of those tiny arms need pinning, but that doesn't seem to be an issue with this figure. Oh god yes the tiny arms..I got one of thosehttp://www.darkswordminiatures.com/shop/index.php/miniatures/visions-in-fantasy/evil-female-sorceress.html I had it painted and put together (no pin because it was just too small) The arm that she is holding out you not attached. My nephew dropped it and the arm was lost forever....We (as in my entire gaming group) searched and it was like it disappeared into the abyss. But they do have some awesome minis. Wish they would should which was require assembly though...and what the peices look like.... Aw, now why do they do that? I have this mini: http://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/50133-dark-sword-mermaid-warrior-dsm1157/ I got her in a store, so I knew exactly what I was getting into. I had to use hairlike wire and the tiniest of drill bits to pin those skinny little arms. She is a lovely sculpt, though, and I note by the same sculptor who did the OP's elf warrior, Jeff Grace. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azizcansaythis 11 Report post Posted April 23, 2014 Oh man, if you're in Seattle, see if you can swing by one of Card Kingdom's paint days they hold every so often. Tips and advice from veteran painters is invaluable. Oh, and if you're going with the Rosemary&Co brushes (which I've seen suggested a few places, since the classic brands are hard to get in the US) go with the Series 33. I believe those are their best quality brushes for our purposes. Sizes 0-2 are likely to be the target range, but I don't have personal experience with this brand. yeah, i go to card kingdom like every friday/saturdays sometimes, but i didnt know about the veteran painters at card kingdom. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
