appiah4 Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 They just die after painting a squad or so. I've tried sable and expensive brushes, but they've lasted only marginally longer. When I saw throwing more money at the problem solved nothing I went back to more disposable brushes (which isn't helping my painting terribly). They start deteriorating badly after painting darker colors and washes especially; my basecoat brushes tend to give up after 10 models or so (the last one gave up after 3 bike models) and my finer brushes last slightly longer. Foundation paints (the old GW kind) especially seem to kill fastest, I've lost a basecoat brush after drybrushing Dheneb Stone on some bone parts (yes I realize drybrushing kills brushes, but this fast?) I use water as thinner and for cleaning during painting, I usually clean with hand soap and cool water between painting. The most frequent problem I have is tip-hooking and splitting. I have no idea what I may be doing wrong, it's not like I'm a noob painter or anything.. I just can't seem to care for my brushes, like, at all :D Help me B&C? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother-Chaplain Kage Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 You're drybrushing with them. There's your problem right there. NEVER drybrush with good brushes. Other than that, I don't know what else you could be doing to kill your brushes so fast. Something you can do to help is get some of this stuff: http://i.imgur.com/8GuSdwk.jpg The Masters Brush Cleaner and Preserver. It's basically like a bar of soap for your paintbrushes. Not only will it clean your brushes so well and so fast that it will almost feel like a magic trick(especially when it starts pulling gunk out of the ferrule), but after it's clean, make a point with the bristles and then leave the soap on it to dry and it will help 'train' the hairs to keep that shape. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3909916 Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagicMan Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Mine also deteriorate really quickly. Where can i grab brush soap, from? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3909928 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother-Chaplain Kage Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 I dunno if they have that particular brand in the UK, but here in the States, I've seen occasionally in stores like Hobby Lobby or Michael's, etc, but I would suggest going to a real art supply store and they should have this brand or something that does the same thing. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3909946 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtle Discord Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Yep, don't use regular soap, the stuff pictured (you can get it at any good art store) is great for cleaning and conditioning brushes. Remember that you don't need to wash your brushed after every use; just once-and-awhile to keep them tip-top.How you actually use your brushes and how you clean them will have a massive impact on the life of a brush; get a good one and it will hold up for longer, but still die quite quickly. As mentioned, dry-brushing will kill brushes very quickly (nasty technique that only have limited use, really) but don't underestimate the effect of poking, jamming, and stabbing with the brush (many times during washes or quick base coats) to get coverage. Brushes are tools that are meant to be use mostly in one direction; stabbing the tip into corners too hard over-and-over will bend the tip and promote splitting. Sometimes it's unavoidable, but sometimes you just need to take more care in your brush strokes. Take care not to overload your brushes with paint; rinse them often to keep the paint to the tip of the bristles. If the paint works up too far too often it can build up in the bristles and make them more prone to splitting. Don't dip too deeply into paint, and keep an eye on it that it doesn't creep up as your working. And I hope you treat the brushes reasonably well when you're cleaning; never mash a brush on the bottom of a water container to clean them. Give them a vigorous shake in loose water to start the process, and then roll the brush on the side of the container. Keep it at a 10-15 degree angle as you roll it on the side to create some agitation in the bristle to work the paint free, but not so much that you really bend or crook them over. Store the brushes upright with a nice point, and be sure they don't lean on anything; bristles will very easily pick up a crook over time by pressing on something inadvertently. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3909948 Share on other sites More sharing options...
appiah4 Posted January 5, 2015 Author Share Posted January 5, 2015 How you actually use your brushes and how you clean them will have a massive impact on the life of a brush; get a good one and it will hold up for longer, but still die quite quickly. As mentioned, dry-brushing will kill brushes very quickly (nasty technique that only have limited use, really) but don't underestimate the effect of poking, jamming, and stabbing with the brush (many times during washes or quick base coats) to get coverage. Brushes are tools that are meant to be use mostly in one direction; stabbing the tip into corners too hard over-and-over will bend the tip and promote splitting. Sometimes it's unavoidable, but sometimes you just need to take more care in your brush strokes. I believe this is my sin.. I poke with the brush tip a lot. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3909952 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaeron Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Masters brush cleaner is pretty much the best product out there for maintaining your brushes. Nothing wrong with cheaper brushes if you use this product - you can still get the detail and good results you crave. As stated, some maintenance is technique and not using that fine detail brush to splodge on something... Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3909986 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Master Belial Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Another way to reduce the effect of hooking is spinning the brush when you paint lines. It keeps the point and makes for a finer line but takes a bit of practice to master so you don't end up with a squiggle line. I also use the brush clean to great results and I tend to swish them in water to clean them of paint. Otherwise Discord has it bang on. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3910078 Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW1 Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Other thing to watch out for is what you are using as a pallet. Anything like pottery or tiles will damage the brush. I now use a plastic pallet instead of a tile and found my brushes last much longer. For undercoating I use a 1" decorators brush or the old GWS round tank brush. Sounds daft and over the top but you can with practice get a very good coverage without clogging details. I use the same brushes for dry brushing. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3910690 Share on other sites More sharing options...
lfhoule Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 If I may also add, and it depends if you take your painting tools away from the home or not(and if you kept them), is to store the bristle end of the brush in the little plastic sleeve that it came with to keep the point, and if you haven't, just roll a bit of paper around the end of the brush for the same purpose. With that, and regular cleaning, I've had brushes last a long time. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3911133 Share on other sites More sharing options...
appiah4 Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 This is probably a DUMB question but, is it possible to "groom" a brush back to a regular tip? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3911143 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkMark Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Also, have a separate brush for your metallics. Metal colours have flecks in that damage brushes, so best to use a different one for those. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3911280 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaeron Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 This is probably a DUMB question but, is it possible to "groom" a brush back to a regular tip? With Masters'? Yup! Depends how far gone it is mind. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3911613 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtle Discord Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Exactly as Chaeron said, just use some of the Masters' soap to form the brush back into the desired shape, let the soap dry, and let it sit for a few days. It can't salvage really badly bent bristles, but it can straighten brushes that aren't too far gone. The soap is also great for salvaging brushes that have been accidentally ruined with dry paint; soak the brush, add some Masters' soap, carefully/slowly roll the brush to crack the paint, and as the soap works its way under the paint it will release away. Best piece of advice I can give to keep your brushes alive longer is to accept that some will be worn out and use them like that for the rough jobs, and only the rough jobs. Use some coloured tape or a bit of paint to mark and keep track of brushes. Keep your good brushes only for the jobs that require a well-shaped tip and treat them with some extra care; always reform them to a good point and store them carefully. I do this personally, using my older brushes that have seen better days to do the grunt work before swapping to the newer ones to finish up. Another related tip, splitting brushes into two groups, one for normal paints and one for metallic paints, can also help keep contamination down; if you paint dark colours, trace flakes of metallic paint can be very annoying. Keeping the brushes (and the water they use for cleaning) separate will help immensely in avoiding that problem. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3911737 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShinyRhino Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Tip hooking is something I've only personally seen with acrylic brushes. This is especially true of Golden Taklon and White Nylon brushes. Some of the newer synthetic fiber blends are a little more resistant, but in general acrylic brushes die fast. Another question to ask is how long you're elaving brushes in your water, and whether you're scrubbing them on the bottom of the cup/container to remove paint. You can roll a brush gently against the side of the cup, but NEVER scrub it into the bottom! Notonly is that were all the paint residue goes, but it breaks the bristles. Also, do not load your brushes too heavily with paint. if you're loading so much paint that it reaches more than halfway up the bristles, you're using too much. The instant paint dries in or near the ferrule (the metal part), that brush is doomed to death. Masters Brush Soap can help remove the paint from the ferrule area, but once it's gotten in there, it's begun weakening the roots of the bristles. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3911803 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantomzero17 Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Yeah I'm pretty bad at this too. I buy 1 set of brushes for about $4.50 and replace the set every couple months. But then again who I learned to paint from paints all his IG with a single brush size and buys them in packages of 60 for about $100. Uses one for 3 days or so then swaps to another. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3912389 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaedes Nex Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 A brush that costs $4.50 is going to fall apart faster than a kolinsky sable that costs $10-20. I used Army Painter brushes and they cost about that much, and they were great while they lasted, but they're not as good, druable, or long-lasting as the more expensive brushes. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3912415 Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Wolf Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 If you use sable brushes you can also use normal hair conditioner as well as the brush soap (which I use as well) to keep them in good condition - they are after all natural hair. I steal the wife's conditioner from time to time and give the brushes a good clean - it works a treat and softens them up nicely and helps them form a point. ATB WW Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3912796 Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW1 Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Just don't use makeup brush soap. It makes brushes fluffy. :( Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3913029 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaedes Nex Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 If you use sable brushes you can also use normal hair conditioner as well as the brush soap (which I use as well) to keep them in good condition - they are after all natural hair. I steal the wife's conditioner from time to time and give the brushes a good clean - it works a treat and softens them up nicely and helps them form a point. ATB WW Masters Brush Soap cakes have conditioner built in, in case people weren't aware. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3913369 Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Wolf Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 I certainly wasn't aware Kaedes, thanks for the info. Might save some of wife's Elvive conditioner....... ATB WW Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3917492 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disruptor_fe404 Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 You know, reading this is actually this first time I've ever heard of brush soap; thinking back, it really makes sense for this sort of thing to exist. Might see if my local art store has some (probably does). Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3918775 Share on other sites More sharing options...
appiah4 Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 Apparently a mix of olive oil and ecosafe dishwashing soap does wonders for cleaning and restoringmakeup brushes. Anyone tried this? I sure plan to. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3918843 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironwulf Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Even "eco-safe" dishwashing soap will strip the conditioning benefit of the olive oil from the bristles of a paintbrush. The Masters Brush Cleaner and Preserver that Brother Chaplain Kage mentioned is really good stuff. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3918866 Share on other sites More sharing options...
appiah4 Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 Even "eco-safe" dishwashing soap will strip the conditioning benefit of the olive oil from the bristles of a paintbrush. The Masters Brush Cleaner and Preserver that Brother Chaplain Kage mentioned is really good stuff. Oh, I will certainly make an effort to get my hands on that. In the meantime, I'm not hesistant on experimenting with what is readily available at home, that is all. I will let you all know how I fared with synthetic and sable brushes. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301504-i-cant-make-my-brushes-last-for-the-life-of-me/#findComment-3918900 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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