Heresy & Heroes

The tools of the trade are an oft overlooked part of the hobby, but I thought I’d take this opportunity to shout about a few of the paint brushes that I use when I’m painting my 40k miniatures. It didn’t take me long to find the citadel range a little limiting (their ‘fine detail’ brush does not deserve the name), but knowing where to go next isn’t easy. There are three sets here which, for the past year have been my go to brushes for various tasks…

Daler Rowney System Three brushes are great for painting big pieces when you don’t have access to an airbrush. When I was working on my Grey Knights force, the Razorbacks, Storm Raven and Contemptor Dreadnought all got some attention from these paint brushes because, when using the metallic Citadel Paints at least, they didn’t leave brushstrokes. Applied relatively sparingly, and with fast, even movements of the slightly rounded head (saucy!), they put down a clean, unmarked layer of paint and that is so useful to have in your arsenal. The brushes are really thick and stiff, but they don’t last too long – two of them got me through a small army but they’ve faired less well since. Really good for laying down large amounts of wash too.

Da Vinci Watercolour Brushes really don’t last that long when working with Acrylics and if you don’t use brush protector to keep them in shape, they last even less time. That being said, for painting detail, they’re fantastic. The really fine brushes (such as the ‘0000’)are delicate so they’re great for intricate freehand (not that my freehand is that intricate!) and they too worked all the way through My Grey Knights force, writing script on purity seals and books, dotting eyes and all the other fine little jobs.

If it were possible to fall in love with a brush, the Windsor and Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable 000 brush would be the one for me. I’d totally put a ring on that. They ain’t cheap, but for detailing, that brush is head and shoulders above the rest. I’ve been using it since I started work on the Mortifactors and it has been a joy to use. It’s maintained its shape, shed barely any bristles and moved perfectly across the minis. Hands down favourite paint brush. I’m going to pick out a couple of the larger ones to work with on bigger projects too, so I’ll let you know how I get on with those too.

What brushes do you use? Got any favourites, or even ones to avoid? Pop a comment below…