About how long should you expect to have your brushes last? I've painted about 37 figures so far, and my detail and other smaller brush no longer keep a point. No doubt that's partly due to me not cleaning them properly for awhile, as I'm new to all this. I got some brush cleaner to hopefully extend the life of my replacements.

But how long/for how many minis should good brushes last?

A good question - I'd love to hear what other say.

I believe longevity is a combination both on the quality of the brush you get, how you paint with it, and how you clean it.

I've now painted all the core set infantry, a walker, and about 20 more infantry from expansions and the revised core set. My brushes are still keeping their points just fine.

I try to never let paint get up to where the bristles meet the handle, but occasionally I still get paint up in there.

For cleaning, I swish the brush around in soapy water, and to wipe it off on a paper towel. I pull the brush along the paper towel with a twisting motion. I find this helps keep the point.

I also put the head of the brush back into the little plastic cylinder it came with to keep it protected.

So I'm now around 50 or so miniatures in, and my brush points are just as good as when I got them. If you're curious which brushes I have, I have the GW fine detail, detail, and standard brushes. I don't ever do dry brushing or stippling with these brushes - for that I have an old testor's brush that I cut the bristles for a flat, stumpy end to the bristles.

Using enamel and paint thinner to clean is doing murder to my brushes. I've just painted the core set figures and I've eaten through 3 brushes. Just bought 3 new ones today...

Brush life varies a lot based on how you use them, but also their initial quality. That gives a really wide range for possible brush life.

While the points are far from pointed any more, I have some brushes I've used for years that still work for general painting.

Dry brushing is very hard on brushes, as is leaving them tip down in the cleaning solution (water or thinner). Pushing paint down into crevices is very bad for them, as is consistently getting paint up to the ferrul and having to clean it out. Most brushes have a natural twist to the bristles, and if you clean with that twist, they last longer, but splay faster if you don't. More time cleaning gently will always work better than manhandling them to get the paint out.

I use specific brushes for dry brushing, and others for finer work. I like a nice sable brush, but I also teach people how to paint, so the wear they add to the brushes convinced me to collect synthetics for teaching. I have a limited budget, and want to spend it on miniatures as well as brushes. If I'm going to teach with them, I also use them, to show what can be done. I have some sable brushes for when I need more quality for extreme detail, but that isn't needed for generic troops.

Well, good news! I got some Windsor & Newton brush cleaner/restorer at Michaels, and after soaking my two main brushes in it for a couple hours, the dried up paint came right off and their points are back to being sharp and precise. Should give me some more mileage out of these things before replacing. Wahoo!

with proper care most natural brushes will last a good long while. there are a few things that can help you brush survive:

1. when you load your brush dont allow paint to reach the metal part. doing so is instant death for the brush
2. allways thin your paints. you can thin it on the brush, or thin it on you paller, but the paint in the pot is too thick.
3. i generally do a quick rinse and swish of my brush in my water glass before i load it up.
4. don't leave you brush in you water glass
5. do a longer wash and re-tip it by running it along a crease in your palm or on a clean cloth when you done.