Soft, medium or stiff brushes?

[CPDDET]

Finally getting around to replacing my paint brushes. My old ones were a cheap set (10 brushes for $15) and I'm about fed up with them.

At least the old set taught me what sizes I use most often so I won't throw money away on sizes I don't need.

Will be going to Blick Arts for the new brushes and see they offer brushes in soft, medium and stiff synthetic bristles.

 

Of course my cheap set isn't labeled as any of these but I'm thinking of buying soft or maybe medium.

 

I use 80 percent Tamiya paint mixed with 10 percent thinner and 10 percent extender. This mixture works well for me. It's thin, but not too thin, so Im thinking a softer brush for a thinner consistency would work best.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Dave

[mtaylor]

I'd go with the medium and soft types.  I end using just the soft though.   I just went through that myself and ended up a Michaels as we don't have Blicks.  I managed to get sable there.  The sable for soft would be about perfect, IMO.

[druxey]

Look after a good quality sable and it will last you years. I have some over 30 years old and they are still in good shape. Cheap brushes are a snare and delusion. You have to keep buying them over and over and they will shed hairs in your beautiful fresh coat of paint!

[Bob Cleek]

If you are spending money on good brushes, it's important to remember that natural bristles (sable, badger, squirrel, etc.) are for oil-based paints only. Synthetic bristle brushes are for water-based paints only. You can get by with either, but you will ruin a natural bristle brush using it in water-based paints because the bristles will absorb the water and the brush will lose its shape and "snap." Oil-based paint doesn't work so well on synthetic brushes because the synthetic bristles don't hold the oil-based paint as well. 

[CPDDET]

6 minutes ago, Bob Cleek said:

If you are spending money on good brushes, it's important to remember that natural bristles (sable, badger, squirrel, etc.) are for oil-based paints only. Synthetic bristle brushes are for water-based paints only. You can get by with either, but you will ruin a natural bristle brush using it in water-based paints because the bristles will absorb the water and the brush will lose its shape and "snap." Oil-based paint doesn't work so well on synthetic brushes because the synthetic bristles don't hold the oil-based paint as well. 

Thanks! I was just researching synthetic vs natural for acyclic paint. Looking at soft taklon in a quality made brush.

[CPDDET]

After having the opportunity to get a closer look and feel at a variety of brushes I purchased Princeton Velvetouch synthetic blend brushes. They were a bit expensive but Blick gives a substantial discount if one purchases 5 or more brushes. I picked out 11 and paid $58. Without the discount they would have been $110.

 

By the way, my prior brushes were Dynasty Set #25 gold nylon. That set of 10 brushes set me back $15, so these Velvetouch brushes are quite an upgrade for me.

 

I also picked up a container of The Master Brush Cleaner and Preserver.

 

Thanks to all for your advice, comments and support.

 

Dave

Edited October 6, 2021 by CPDDET
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