Stupid Question: Washes

[Buggane]

Hi All

 

Picking up the hobby again after about 15 years. Washes are therefore a new thing to me, really simple and no doubt stupid question, do I need a special brush for the wash or can I use my general purpose size 1? I only ask because Duncan often talks about a wash brush, and I wondered if it was because the wash affected brushes somehow and therefore you shouldn't mix with your normal paintbrush (I acknowledge it is probably GW being filthy capitalists).

 

Cheers

[E_50_Panzer]

You can use any brush, the shades won't wreck them. I frequently use fine detail brushes whenever I shade faces or the like.

Edited August 27, 2017 by Archon Yllithian

[Magos Takatus]

I don't think it matters what brush you use really. I would expect wash brushes are just able to hold more liquid. Any old brush should do providing it's not massive or tiny. I've got a handful of brushes that have lost their point that serve just fine for applying washes. I certainly haven't needed to buy a wash specific brush so you're good to go.

 

Edit: Ninja'd.

Edited August 27, 2017 by Flame Boy

[Lythronax]

No such thing as a stupid question! I'd always use an old brush for washes. I've read that capillary action can pull washes up the bristles and into the metal collar on the brush. Over time that can damage a brush. Almost certainly no need to buy a specific wash brush though!

[Tyberos the Red Wake]

It's mainly the shape of the brush. You'd want larger, flat brushes if you're doing an all over wash because you can hit a larger area per pass. If you're doing a precise wash in a specific crack, you'll probably want to use your rounded point brushes that you use for normal painting or small details. It has nothing to do with the bristle type, as washes are gentle watery acrylics.

[Arkhanist]

You don't need a special wash brush per se, but you may not want to use expensive high quality kolinsky sable either.

 

This is not because of the paint - washes are basically standard acrylic with more medium and with a little extra 'stuff' to make them flow into crevices easier, it washes out with cleaning just fine - as long as you didn't get it under the metal ferrule (which applies to all paint). It's simply the mechanics of applying them. Applying a wash to a large area is fairly 'blob it on and move it around' which tends to drag the sides of the bristles against the edges and ridges of the model. Just like drybrushing, this isn't great for the point on a brush, particularly high quality sable. Plus you tend to soak up more paint to get it over with, which risks getting it under the ferrule more.

 

GW shade brushes are a synthentic mix for this reason. It can be more robust than pure sable, but the point doesn't last as long - which doesn't matter much for a wash brush. (synthetic doesn't hold as much liquid as natural hair, which is why they use a blend)

 

Applying a wash to a small area delicately (such as a face or the like) is fine though, as you're not bashing it about! I use older/cheaper brushes where the point is less defined for bulk washes, rather than risk my nice ones.

 

What brushes to get and use for different purposes is a BIG topic. GW brushes have a reputation of being rather overpriced for their quality; Army Painter brushes are reasonable and pretty cheap, and rosemary and co series 33 are good for their price in the UK. Winsor and Newton standard watercolour rounds are also supposedly nice for the price.

 

When you want the best though, many painters end up getting high quality artist kolinsky sable brushes (examples include winsor & newton series 7, raphael 8404, escoda reserva etc etc). Simply put, a quality brush can least years if properly cared for (cleaned with proper brush soap, dried carefully, never splayed/bent etc) and still have a sharp point and good snap.

 

You still need basic brushes for other things though, or when you're still working on brush technique and don't want to spend £10 on a size 2!

 

My main brushes where I want fine control are raphael 8404; the rest are a motley collection of cheaper brushes of varying sizes. (drybrushing, bulk washes, technical paints/varnish, basecoat etc). 

Edited August 27, 2017 by Arkhanist

[Buggane]

Thanks everyone, this is all super helpful....