Or, everything you didn't want to know about mini painting paintbrushes.

(If you don't want to read my rambling, skip down to the bottom of the page for a summary )

As with all kinds of purchases, you can get the cheap quality brushes for cheap. These are best found at Michael's craft stores, found in either Vallejo or Fairfield. I usually get something like

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. It's good to have some cheap brushes around for drybrushing or applying glue and stuff like that.Some very good brushes (that is, good quality and good price) are the Vallejo brushes. Vallejo is a Spanish company that produces really good quality paints for mini painting and other hobbies. No surprise then that their brushes are so nice. Best place I have found them is at TheWarStore.com. Here is a

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.

(I have not tried the Reaper brushes that are also listed on that page. Most people that I have talked to seem to think that the Vallejo brushes are better).

The top of the line mini painting brushes are produced by Winsor and Newton, and are called "Series 7." These brushes are made from the hair of the tail of the winter coat of the kolinsky, a member of the sable/mink family found in Russia. Heh. Sounds cool, eh? These brushes are a little more expensive, but you can usually find a pretty good price on the internet--just be careful of shipping costs, as always.

Here is a pretty good place to get them:

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, though if you are looking to buy them, I'd spend a few minutes googling the various art supply sites to see who has the best deal.

W&N also make brushes called "Series 7 Mini Brushes." These are the same thing but the bristles are shorter. That means the they will hold less paint. Personally, I prefer the longer bristles, because you will save yourself some time in the long run if you have to dip your brush less often. In general you want to use the biggest brush you can 'cause it will save you time.

The Vallejo brushes are also made with sable. The reason sable is so good is because the hairs come to a super fine point, which is crucial in mini painting. Vallejo or W&N, meh, it's your choice, both are great brushes I think. I have noticed that the Vallejos have fewer hairs in the bristle, which again means less paint being absorbed and laid down, but for some applications that is a good thing. Up to you. I'm a mini painting frea.., ahh, I mean enthusiast, so of course I have both kinds, and use them for different things.

Don't be afraid of spending a few bucks on brushes, even if you are only an occasional painter. I spent the first few months of my painting career using the crappy Michael's brushes 'cause they were cheap; I thought I was saving money, until I realized that those cheap brushes were wearing out after just one or maybe two minis (the points would splay or curl). The nicer sable brushes have lasted me years and many many minis. In the long run you will save money by investing in better brushes. Like the shampoo commercial, it's because you're worth it!

Ahh, one last thing: size does matter. If you are going with W&N, for a first set I'd get a 0 and a 00, possibly a 000. For the Vallejos, I'd get a 1, a 0, and a 00 (the W&N have more hairs so the bristles are wider). Just my recommendation. Remember that the size is related to how much paint you want to push, not the sharpness of the point.

Of course feel free to experiment and find what works best for you. Some really great painters swear by the Games Workshop brushes. Just play around and find what you like best.

Summary:

1. Cheap brush = cheap quality = short painting life = more money in the long run
   
2. W&N (size 0, 00, 000) > Vallejo (size 1, 0, 00) > Cheap artificial brushes
   
3. Larger brush = more paint pushed
   
4. Most important thing: find what works for you.
   
5. Really most important thing: have fun painting