Just curious what brand/type of brushes people are using right now, figured this could also be a good resource for new painters.

I was lucky enough to grab a few brushes when my wife was travelling for work in the states, so I've been using those (Sizes 0, 1 and 2 for W&N series 7) and I really like them, great brushes. I've also got a few Citadel brushes to plug some holes like a few sizes of the dry brush, the shade, texture sculptor and recently a M base brush that I use for mixing my paints. They are relatively cheap (6-7 bucks Canadian) and seem to be able to take some abuse. What I really would like to add is a few rounder or thicker bodied sable brushes that I can use for basing (sizes 0-3). I find the W&N are quite fine tipped and are great for layering/detail work, but get abused when I try to use them for basing. I find the Citadel brushes are OK at this but just a step below where I want them to be in terms of accuracy. I had a set of Princeton sable brushes I picked up at a local store that I used for about a year that worked great, but they broke down fast (I was using them for mixing, and other techniques I shouldn't have) and they are running around 20 bucks a brush (insane compared to what I got the W&N for) so I would rather find a cheaper alternative. I could go back to these brushes and with better care get more life out of them (just use them for basing) but i'd rather spend the money on a superior product if I am already paying $60 for 3 brushes.

Given my location in Canada it is really tough to find a lot of brushes, especially at a decent shipping price. And the stores I've found within the country are low on quantity. It costs me over $25 Canadian to ship from Rosemary and Co., almost as much as the order itself. Winsor and Newton is actually worse. Amazon.com is an option but again the shipping runs around 15-20 Canadian, minimum, and that is assuming the border doesn't stop it for duty.

I guess what I am looking for are suggestions on brushes to use, if I can find alternative brands perhaps I can hunt them down and actually find a good pipeline here. I don't want to order 5 of each brush before getting to test them, but I don't want to pay the shipping costs multiple times... bit of a chicken and the egg syndrome.

I'd just like a relatively cheap sable that will hold its shape with proper care but can hold a bit of paint and take some abuse, the Rosemary Co Series 33 seems like the best bet so far but I'm open to options!

@Sorastro specific question, are you using the Rosemary and Co. series 33 when you do the basing step for the majority of the videos?

Was just reflecting on this last evening.
I purchased 3 Windsor and Newton Series 7 brushes (size 2,1 and 0) 2 years ago.
Compared to anything else I had used previously, which is anything and everything you can get off the shelf at **** Blick, it was a whole new world.
Personally there is nothing I have used that even compares to the W&N Series 7.
They are truly in a class all of their own.
They were so good in fact that I actually put them back in their protective tube on the shelf and used other brushes while I cut my teeth and worked on my technique for I truly was not skilled enough.

It was like a non-jedi trying to wield a lightsaber... Just put it down... You are not ready...

Fast forward to today.
I just used my W&N Series 7 #2 for highlights on Obi-Wan last evening and again, there is just nothing that compares to these brushes in regards to the precision and flow control.
I was extremely happy with the results and I don't think another brush I have used to date could achieve the same results.
That being said I don't use my W&N for everything.
In fact I really only use them for highlights.

I typically use cheaper synthetic sable brushes for basing and painting that does not require precision.
The main reason simply being that when I am basing or not doing work that requires precision I can achieve the results I want with cheaper brushes without putting the extra mileage on my coveted W&Ns.

I did attempt to purchase some Rosemary and Cos series 33s but was unable to find a distributor in the U.S.
I would still love to try them.

Some of the "cheaper" brushes I use are not all that cheap.

I have used the W&N University series but I find that they wear rather fast.
I am fond of the DaVinci Cosmospin series as an intermediate substitute.
Good precision and flow control.
I also use Princeton series but can't remember exactly which ones.

So my strategy is basically to keep trying an buying new brushes for basing and then using my W&N Series 7 for highlights or anything that I need precision and control for.

The price of the W&N Series 7 should be the ONLY deterrent for anyone interested.

If you can supplement the majority of your painting with other brushes they are worth the price a hundreds times over.

I hope this is helpful.

Very helpful thanks, it sounds like you and I are in the same boat. Except I've been using my W&N for to much basing, I need to cut them back strictly to high lighting.

I might have to go purchase one of those Princeton brushes just as a stop gap until I figure out which brand I am going forward with.

My city has really cheap hobby brushes that are crap and wear out super fast with no control, or Army Painter/Citadel which seem to be OK but I feel are over priced for their quality level, or the Princeton sable.

If I am already spending 20 bucks a brush I'd rather just put the other through to Rosemary and Co. and bite the bullet on the expensive shipping.. I can get a 000, 1, 2, and 3 for 60 bucks landed or three Princeton brushes for the same price. Seems like a no brainer to me I guess.. I just find it weird that the Princeton are so expensive despite being such poor quality compared to W&N .. or I am ASSUMING Rosemary and Co., although it is hard to say with having never used them.

I like brushes that have a bit more body for my base layering, I find W&N lacks here, but from watching Sorastro's videos it appears that the R&C have that.

One thing is for sure as of this moment after reading what others have said here and on the RuneWars forum I am going to cease using my W&N brushes for any base paint.

edit: These are the Princeton brushes I speak of

http://www.artplacement.com/artstore/products/Princeton_7050.php

4 hours ago, FrogTrigger said:

@Sorastro specific question, are you using the Rosemary and Co. series 33 when you do the basing step for the majority of the videos?

Hi mate! I tend to use slightly larger brushes for basing.. often a size 2 or 3, and often W&N (I know - I shouldn't be using such nice brushes for basing!) or sometimes my size 3 Rosemary & Co Series 56 flat brush.

I endeavor to be as much like Sorastro as possible - so I use Rosemary and Co #2 for basing (and most highlights), #0 for those hard-to-reach or tiny tiny places.

I do love the Rosemary and Co brushes...

I use Windsor & newton kolonsky sable brushes that I found at a pat catan store. They are not the series 7 brushes but worked really well at the time. Which helped because the synthetic brushes would split and curl backwards as i was painting. I typically use synthetic brushes for metallics, drybrushing, or when mixing paint. I have started using rosemary and co's series 33 and I believe it is 56 for the flats. They are great. I love their shorter handles and think they work better than the wn I have. As far as basing I use either the size 1 or 2 to cover the larger areas and use the 0 or less for the hard to reach places and fine details. Rosemary red sable brushes I use for applying and measuring out washes. The handles are triangle shaped and fits nicely in my hand. Wish the series 33 and 56 would have that choice of handle. That is what I use. Don't know if I'm doing it right or wrong I just know it works for me.