Fine detail brush thoughts

[Alexanderwasden 3]

Hi guys! I'm new to the forum, and have been back in painting for a few weeks (since I bought a ton of stuff from Bones V and remembered I have a bunch of stuff from older Bones KS).

 

I've been doing alright, but one thing I'm missing is a very fine detail brush. I've got a lot of great brushes for most purposes (bases, layers, dry) but right now I'm trying to get something to do the tiny, tiny details (i.e. the faces).

 

Can anyone give me their choice on a tiny, tiny brush? 

 

Thank you ahead of time!

[Doug Sundseth 56772]

In general, I don't find really small brushes very useful, but would rather recommend a very good brush with a very fine point. Small brushes don't carry much paint, so you run out of paint often and risk partially dried paint on the brush giving you a chunky appearance.

 

My recommendation would be for a Kolinsky Sable from Winsor and Newton (Series 7 or Series 7 miniature), da Vinci (Series 10, Series 11, or Series 35), or Raphael (Series 8404 or 8408). All of those are very good brushes and will last for a long time if taken care of. Which to pick depends on your specific preferences, which can really only be determined by trying the brushes yourself (sorry), but any will work well.

 

In general, I'd recommend something like a #1, though I do have a #0 that I use occasionally when I'm having trouble reaching past things.

[WhiteWulfe 34191]

Several people on the forums have had good results with Rosemary & Co Series 33 brushes as well. 

 

I used to be a 0 and 3/0 brush user, but I've found I make a lot more use of my #2 brush nowadays, and then swap down to a #0 for detail.  Having a brush with a good point sure helps for such. 

[Glitterwolf 183273]

I agree with Doug here, my W&N series 7 brushes, Size 0 and 1 are the ones I use most.

Bigger are for large areas like dragon wings or terrain.

 

[Gadgetman! 18017]

I second, or is it third, a #0 or #1, Rosemary & Co. 

And if you order from their website, remember to pick up a couple of their Eclipse series at the same time. The smaller Filberts are just stellar for large flat areas. And the rounds are great for general work(priming, sealing, basecoating and so on)

 

Also, we expect to see you in the Off-topic part of the forum, so that we can welcome you properly...

Edited November 11, 2019 by Gadgetman!

[SGHawkins09 12673]

A Rosemary & Co Series 33 #0 is my go to brush for everything but I do use tiny brushes sometimes and for that my go to an Army Painter Insane Detail brush. 

[Cyradis 51173]

I like my Rosemary & Co brushes, although they aren't holding up as well as my Raphaels or Winsor & Newton. My favorite brushes right now for small details are BrokenToad's; that said, BrokenToad runs small, and they wouldn't be my favorite if I was still painting in a desert, since they can't hold as much moisture.

 

Raphael runs large. Their #1 is a little larger than a Rosemary #2, but it is pointier.... and softer. The softness of the 8404 is a little annoying sometimes, but other times is great (less good for eyes, great for blending). I'd also add Raphael 8402 series to the list. Slightly more springy than the 8404.

 

I've used from a size 2 to a size 5/0 for eyes and faces; I think my favorite in general is a size 1 that runs small, or a size 0 of a normal pointy brush. I rarely use below a 0 in general.

[Doug's Workshop 2455]

The smallest brush I have is a Winsor & Newton Series 7 at 3/0.  I don't use it very often, since the paint tends to dry before I can get the brush to the miniature.

 

The usual brush for details is a W & N series 7 size 0.  Eyes, stippling, freehand, thin lines, it does it all.  My normal brush is a W&N size 1.  I can do eyes with that one as well. 

[ced1106 5271]

I'll be the ginger-haired stepchild here, and recommend the cheap synthetic ONE HAPPY CHOICE  00 brushes on Amazon. They don't last long, but you don't have to care much for them, either. I originally bought them to use when I was doing any miniature work that didn't need a better brush. But, at least to mass paint gaming miniatures to advanced tabletop, I now use them most of the time. And you don't need a good brush for your first coat of colored primer or when washing (although I find natural hair easier to work with with a mop-like brush that has more edge than tip).

 

When painting details, I usually don't need much paint. I also have my paint station setup suchthat I'm close to the table (sit on a stool rather than a chair), so I can anchor my wrists better (and sit up straight).

Edited November 12, 2019 by ced1106

[Alexanderwasden 3]

Awesome! Thanks for the answers guys! I'll look into these brushes!

[Rob Dean 12547]

I’m also on the W&N series 7 000 as the “tiny” brush, though, as mentioned above, paint dries fast in those quantities.

[golldan 902]

For fine detail, I end up using my daVinci Maestro 00 and 00000. I also have the Reaper Pro Paint Finest in 5-0 and 30-0 and those are decent too.