Reddit Reddit reviews General Pencil Company The Masters Brush Cleaner & Preserver 2.5 0z.

We found 48 Reddit comments about General Pencil Company The Masters Brush Cleaner & Preserver 2.5 0z.. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

Brush & Pen Cleaners
Arts, Crafts & Sewing
Painting, Drawing & Art Supplies
General Pencil Company The Masters Brush Cleaner & Preserver 2.5 0z.
Formulated for use with oilsacrylics and watercolorsWill even remove dried on paints and paint stains
Check price on Amazon

48 Reddit comments about General Pencil Company The Masters Brush Cleaner & Preserver 2.5 0z.:

u/DisciplesOfAres · 11 pointsr/Warhammer40k

Definitely the Masters Brush Cleaner/Preserver. Most commonly recommended stuff out there. I've been using this for a good amount of painting the last 4 months and have hardly made a dent in the amount I have. 100% worth it.

https://www.amazon.com/General-Pencil-Company-Masters-Preserver/dp/B0009RRT9Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1479362298&sr=1-1&keywords=the+masters+brush+cleaner

Edit: It also smells like lemons and happiness.

u/thvbh · 11 pointsr/Warhammer

Kolinsky round brushes #1-3, maybe #0 and #4; these are the mini painter's tool of choice and he will always need them because they wear out. Series 7, Raphael, da Vinci, Roubloff are all world-class brands. Look to pay around $8-18 per brush (not sure what country you are in). If he doesn't have any already get him a puck of Master's brush soap to go along, because proper care will preserve his tools for months and years depending on frequency of use. You will look savvy as fuck too.

u/Cyntax3rr0r · 10 pointsr/minipainting

Paint has gotten into the ferrule, or base of the bristles. Try to avoid getting paint that high up. Leaving the brush submerged in the water pot can cause this too. Also, cleaning your brushes once done is paramount. Most folks here swear by General Pencil's Master Brush Cleaner. This will clean and condition your brushes, to keep their fine point.

u/kyriose · 10 pointsr/minipainting

My recommended buying list for a new painter is:

Tools

  • Nippers
  • Hobby Knife
  • Thinning Medium
  • Glue
  • Glue Accelerant
  • Brush Cleaner
  • Palette

    Sprays

  • Primer
    ○ Grey is standard, white if you're painting a majority of light colors, and black if the majority is dark.
  • Matte Varnish

    Brushes

  • Brushes
    ○ Round 0
    ○ Round 1
    ○ Round 2


    All in all it should be around $60 USD for the tools and about $40 USD for the brushes. However, this list gives you every tool you will need to get started and to continue with the hobby.

    This is just what I like to have on hand, this does not reflect the "perfect list". I hope it helps :)
u/Route66_LANparty · 7 pointsr/Warhammer

> When moving a unit along their movement value'd distance, do you usually measure out the lead model, move it, and then move each other model in the unit in approximately the same (but not measured) distance to maintain coherency, or do you measure out each individual model in a unit to ensure not a single one possibly goes further than its value? Or is this something agreed upon by the players pre-match?

> If each model is measured, I could see some units (ie, conscript squads) being extremely time-consuming or difficult to deal with depending on terrain and model count.

Officially, each model. However almost everyone I've ever played with does it the "time saving way" when dealing with large groups of models. This usually isn't a problem when you are clearly moving them less than max movement range. This is especially the case with horde units that have greater than 10 models to a unit. 20x Poxwalkers for instance. Once you get used to playing, it isn't too time consuming for a single 5 model Marine squad.

> On the second question, is there a generally agreed upon "kit" or set of paint brushes to get before starting to paint models? In addition to the First Strike box I got last night, I also got the small Painting Essentials box which includes a brush (along with cutter, glue, and some small pots), but wasn't sure what other brushes I might need/want before starting to paint.

The "goto" kit for brushes tends to be a Winsor and Newton Series 7 Round Size #2 and #0. Keep them clean with Master's Brush soap and they'll last you a long time. You can find them on Amazon. At $10-$15 a brush they aren't cheap when starting out. And that's arguably more then you need for a first model. You can get by with a cheap bag of small "gold taklon" brushes from walmart or similar at first.

Here's something I wrote recently on brushes for someone else looking for some nicer brushes....

https://www.reddit.com/r/deathguard40k/comments/8ac9ui/what_warhammer_brushes_should_i_get_what_vallejo/

As for Army Painter brushes specifically. It's what I started with before moving to Kolinsky Hair brushes. Still use a number of their small dry brushes for small detail dry brushing. If you are set on Army Painter... The Wargamer series, specifically the Regiment, Character, and Detail brushes are pretty solid. As well as the Wargamer Small Drybrush. Certainly better than Walmart synthetics. Have held up well cleaning with Masters Brush Soap linked below. They just have never had the same type of fine tip you get on a Kolinsky. The super small Army Painter brushes aren't really worth it though in the long run.

-----------------

I have a large collection of brushes with my better half. Bought her a large collection from different brands from around the world so she could try different styles to find the perfect brush for her.

Essentially, you'll want a Natural Kolinsky fiber brush in round shape for miniature base coating, shading, layering, edging and detail work. They will last you quite a while if you take care of them. Most people find they can do everything with a #2 and #0. A workhorse and a detail brush. Good natural Kolinsky hair helps thinned paint flow properly out of the brush, and holds an excellent point. There are a number of options to get a good Kolinsky brush:

As for brands, you have options:

  • Winsor and Newton Series 7. Well known for quality and value among miniature painters. This is the gauge by which other high end brushes are judged. - #2, #0
  • da Vinci. A little more but you can get a nice Travel Series for similar money to their traditional handled brushes. Helps protect the tip while in storage or traveling to the store to paint. They run a little smaller/thinner than W&N Series 7. - #2, #1. This is always the first brush my better half reaches for, if she's not feeling it that day though she'll pull just about any other Kolinsky brush from her collection.
  • On the cheaper side is ZEM. Had very good luck with them. Good companion for the W&N7 as I use ZEMs when painting metallics as they can be a bit rougher on brushes. They do have some ware to them after dozens of models compared to the more expensive W&N or da Vinci. But don't need to be thrown in the trash like the cheap synthetics. Brush soap does wonders. Set of size #10/0, #0, #2, & #4. Or Individually. These tend to be the first brush I reach for... since I gave the other brushes as a gift. I try to stay to my cheap brushes... If I'm not feeling it that day then I will grab a W&N7.
  • Other Brands of Kolinsky fiber brushes I own but don't have as much experience with... Raphael, Escoda, Connoisseur.
  • There's also Citadel's own Artificer line... They are also Kolinsky fiber brushes so need to be cleaned regularly. I have not tried them but many suggest they are similar quality as the W&N Series 7. Just a little more expensive.
  • When friends come over to learn how to paint up thier board game or DnD minis... I hand them a pouch an assortment of Army Painter Wargamer Brushes or Winsor and Newton synthetic Cotman so they don't need to learn on walmart brushes, but don't risk our Kolinskys.

    Then you'll want to keep it all clean with "The Masters" Brush Soap and Conditioner. Cleaning regularly will make a big difference brush life. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009RRT9Y/ ... Keeping brushes freshly rinsed in a basin can help prevent the bad buildup of dried paint to begin with. This kind of thing... https://www.amazon.com/Loew-Cornell-Brush-Tub-II/dp/B0019IKYU8/ or really any sturdy cup you have around that won't tip over easily.

    NOTE - You'll want to use cheaper brushes for Drybrushing, it can just murder brushes. Either walmart/craft store brushes you can toss, or just cheaper quality brushes made for it, like Army Painter or Citadels drybrush lines.

    As for paint... I use Army Painter and Citadel. Citadel primarily for anything warhammer to get color matches. Army painter for some washes, and anything else I paint (boardgame and DnD minis). Rither now I are only using Vallejo for Airbrush paints and a few premium metallics.

    -----------------

    There's a great guide that got me and my other half started over on the /r/minipainting subreddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/comments/50hd3a/rminipainting_buying_guide_hd_remastered/


u/AbuShwell · 5 pointsr/Warhammer40k

As you should, get some of this wax. Rinse, run brush across paper towel until it's mostly clean, dip in water, swirl brush gently in this stuff, rinse, run across towel, do until the brush is back to normal color, do one more time but this time focus on reshaping the tip

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0009RRT9Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1522148457&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=brush+cleaner+and+preserver

u/degen2233 · 4 pointsr/Warhammer
  1. Go with whatever visually/story-wise/tactically appeals to you the most. If you have zero interest in close combat, Tau. If you like spikey rape and murder and awesome speed, DE. CSM are spikey without the rape, but just as much murder plus more durability. Look up the 1d4chan tactics articles on each faction--they're a fun read, if nothing else.

  2. Water pot, paint palette, and I'd recommend this fancy brush cleaner as well as nice brushes. Research what type of brushes (kolinsky sable are a common top-of-the-line purchase) you want before buying them. Whether you're new to painting in general or not, I still recommend taking good care of nice brushes as opposed to constantly replacing crappy brushes. You get way more mileage and quality. here is the method I use for cleaning brushes using Master's cleaner. I recently started doing this, and it's been great. Wish I started earlier. Shameless product placement for the win, huh?

  3. Basically, get your hands on the codex for the army you want as well as a rulebook (or use your imagination to cut down on startup costs). Explore what kinds of units you want to field in the codex. Start with an HQ choice and two Troops choices. Your friends will be able to help you with list writing and rules initially.
u/Pukit · 4 pointsr/modelmakers

So what are you planning on painting? Are we talking entire models, or just detail work, or doing mini painting like /r/minipainting?

Reason I ask is that kinda gives reason as to what to buy.

I do a lot of hand painting as do a great deal of warhammer models, for these you need a decent set of kolinksy sable brushes but they're not cheap. I have brushes from the Army Painter, from Windsor Newton, from Citadel all of which aren't cheap. I have a decent set of synthetic brushes for doing lesser critical work but generally stick to sable for detail work. In honesty it's very rare to use a 00/000/0000 brush, the reason is they hold such little paint the paint can dry on them really quickly. You can paint the same detail with a 1 or a 0 as a 0000 if you're careful.

I'd suggest to work out exactly what you're after first, if it's to do entire models then check out videos from the likes of Owen at Quickkits as he brushes all his models.

If I were starting out fresh and wanted a good set of brushes off the bat I'd honestly buy this set by Army Painter. Yes it's not cheap, but it's got decent detail brushes, standard size and large area brushes. It's also got a nice set of coarse drybrushes.

Something else to consider is brush care, afterall you spend a fortune on brushes and then they split etc, it's a really sad day when one of my WN brushes splits.

A few tips from me, never fully load a brush, never fill it to the metal ferrule with paint, in honesty half full is too much imo. Always thin your paint. Routinely rinse your brush and have two pots to rinse. First water pot for a propper rinse, then a second pot to rinse finally. Dry by wiping along a paper towel. At the end of a painting session, take your brushes to the sink and rinse under warm water and use a brush cleaner/preserver like Masters. You don't want paint to dry within the bristles or the ferrule as this will make the brush split, so always keep them wet, don't let paint dry in your brush. Always store horizontally with the plastic bristle protector on, never leave a brush bristle down in a water pot ever. But be prepared that even a really well maintained brush, used a decent amount will die after six-eight months or so.

u/[deleted] · 4 pointsr/learnart

Yay! Painting! I hope you enjoy it. :)

For tools:

After rinsing out your brushes in your jar or water or whatever, be sure to wipe it down with towel/rag, then lay it flat. DON'T LEAVE THEM SITTING IN THE JAR. They get messed up that way. I also swear by The Master's Brush Cleaner. I generally use it after a painting session. It has saved a few mistreated brushes from the garbage can.

Another tool that I use frequently is matte medium and different kinds of flow releasers. You probably won't need this just yet, but I found that they helped me immensely. When you're using acrylics, chances are that you're using water to dilute pigment and thin out your paint as you go along. This is fine, for the most part, but it sometimes takes a lot of mixing to get an even consistency. Using an acrylic-based medium will allow you to thin out your paint without having the weird quality that you get with water. Again, this might not be something you'll even think about or notice until you've been painting for a while.

Pure, transparent matte medium is also good to paint on tape edges before you go in with your color to ensure a clean, hard edge.

If you're using acrylics, a hairdryer can be your friend. The thing about acrylics is that they air-dry quickly, and even moreso with a dryer. This means that once you've made a mistake, or finished an area to a certain degree, you can dry it off with the hairdryer, then almost immediately cover it up with another coat.

As for actual technique, you learn more as you go along. You'll develop experience, personal style, preference, influences, etc.. But here are some general things I keep in mind:

Paint from the background to the foreground. This means that you paint, say, your blue sky before the mountain. This ensures that:

  1. You don't have to carefully paint around the mountain once you get around to mixing up some blue.
  2. The background and its environment will almost always help you establish a general sense of light, mood, and direction before you get caught up in the details of the foreground.
  3. Thicker layers of paint will sometimes "feel" like they're in the foreground. Painting the foreground on top of the background layer helps you to do this.

    (edit: As with drawing, you should be aware of the whole canvas at once, and block big parts in first, then work to details. Don't let my above process get in the way of taking care of the "big picture" stuff. It just happens that for me at least, the background is often the largest part of the composition!)

    Also, remember to mix for black whenever possible. Using black straight out of the tube can feel flat and cheap. Unless that's something you're going for, at least mix it with another color to give it some depth.

    Then there's even more about color. What do you know about mixing colors, pigment, etc.? Do you work in, say, colored pencils or even color digital media at all? I can talk for ages about more of this kind of stuff. But I've said enough already.

    There's so much to know! One of the best things you can do to teach yourself is to also look at your favorite artists and see if you can research their techniques. Read interviews with them, some might post videos, etc. etc. But most of all-- have fun and experiment.
u/inc0nceivable · 3 pointsr/MakeupAddiction

I just bought this at the recommendation of someone here. That will save my hands!

u/sarkastik87 · 3 pointsr/SWlegion

I use this stuff and it is incredible at getting paint out and keeping brushes happy.
Brush Soap

u/Krazed59 · 3 pointsr/minipainting

I use this brush cleaner. When I'm done using my brushes for the day I clean them with it (just water and the cleaner) and then wash them. I then lather the brushes in the cleaner again before hanging them up on the rack. The cleaner dries semi-hard and helps keep the points straight and firm.

u/bethanyb00 · 3 pointsr/sugarfreemua

I wonder how the BB one compares to the General Pencil Company cleaner I've heard so much about.

I currently just swirl my brushes around in soapy water and it can be quite time consuming for foundation brushes. I need to try one of these products. I also want to get a spray to use on eyeshadow blending brushes between thorough washes.

u/CSMHowitzer0 · 3 pointsr/minipainting

Hey OP, you specifically need brush soap. Also for some really gunky brushes you can get some brush restorer. The first is a soap made specifically for paint brushes and the restorer is a clear liquid that can help get paint that is caught in the ferrule. The restorer is great. I bought a set of helping hands and I've revived some really old brushes by just letting them sit in there for a few hours. Winsdor and Newton make the restorer.

Anyways, brush soap is ideal for holding the bristles firm and to help remove paint from between the fibers. You definitely need to get some. Even if you still go through brushes like mad this is just proper brush-hygiene. My cleaning process is to at least clean every brush I used at the end of every painting session. I also clean them when I move to a totally different color (e.g. blues to reds). "The Masters" is a good and very popular brush soap and I also oddly like the scent Amazon Link.

Cheers, PS: Make sure you get the soap wet before you start swiping the brush all up on it. ;)
Edit: PSS: Do not stick your brush in restorer fluid past the ferrule. It will eat away the glue binding everything together and you will have ruined a brush.

u/XnFM · 3 pointsr/minipainting

All you need is water to clean off the bristles, and some brush soap at the end of the session.

Thinners are generally reserved for enamels and oils.

u/95Mb · 3 pointsr/modelmakers

Also, for the love of anything remotely holy, clean your drybrush as soon as you're done using it!

Generally, you don't thin the paint you use when drybrushing so the paint dries faster and thicker and will ruin your bristles if you're not careful.

I like to use this to clean my brushes. Drybrush will still wear away your brush, but cleaning it with more than just water will keep it going for much longer.

Also, all the greebling on the the Y-wing will be a great way to practice washing and drybrushing!

u/frumperbell · 2 pointsr/MakeupAddiction

I clean all my brushes and my BB knock off daily. Otherwise I break out something awful. I use this stuff and it's magic. I had a lip brush that had been stained from a magenta lippie for years. It came clean the first time I washed it with that.

I haven't had a problem with mold, but I haven't had mine for very long. I think sanitizing it occasionally with alcohol like /u/SecretCitizen40 says is a good idea.

u/ISwearImAGirl · 2 pointsr/SkincareAddiction

I really like this for cleaning my brushes, and diluted baby shampoo works very well too. I mix 1/2 water and 1/2 shampoo, which also makes the brushes easier to rinse.

A silicone scrub pad like this gives a deeper clean than rubbing against your palm, and speeds up the process quite a bit. I used it for the first time yesterday, and it took me about half the time than it used to.

u/Erixperience · 2 pointsr/criticalrole

Paints: Vallejo Basic Colors, plus a few Reaper MSP paints like Truesilver, Gem Purple, and Adamantium black (which I used on the bases). I spent a lot of time mixing up new shades.

Primer: I'm a fan of spray primers since they tend to be a bit more even-coated and don't ruin details, I just used some Rustoleum Grey spray primer since I don't have an airbrush setup. Example.

Brushes: I use the Virtuoso 15-piece set, but most of those are too big for fine detail work, so it might be worth investing in even smaller brushes. Getting eyes right is fiendishly difficult.

Misc: I sometimes use a magnifying glass with clamps on it, but you need to be careful not to splash paint on it. I also use this after rinsing out my brushes.

You should absolutely check out r/minipainting for more resources, there's a lot to work with in their FAQs.

u/balefrost · 2 pointsr/minipainting
  1. Yes, I suggest using a primer. I've been using acrylic gesso, and it works reasonably well, but I'm still searching for something better. The primer will ideally give your paint something stronger to stick to, and it can also set the overall color "tone" of the mini. If you're painting a light color, you want to prime in a light color. If you're painting a dark mini, use a dark primer. Or just use grey for everything.

  2. I liked this video
    > "Your paint should be transparent enough to where you can actually see through it."

    He then goes on to say that your paint should be thinned such that you can paint over a newspaper and still read the words after the paint has dried.

    Paint thinning is just one of those skills you need to develop. And the only way to do that is to paint.

  3. I usually mix a family of colors to get the shade I want, but this is where you need to play around and get a feel for your paints. Try mixing all kinds of things. It's worth noting that wet acrylic paints are usually a shade lighter than dry paint... so you might need to add more lightening agent than you would think.

    Be careful when highlighting red. To me, orange-ish highlights look correct, but pinkish highlights typically look wrong. It probably depends on the particular piece, but I've almost always seen people highlight red with orange. Other colors should highlight fine by mixing white.

  4. You probably want a variety of sizes. Unfortunately, as I understand it, sizes are not consistent across manufacturers. I have some Windsor and Newton #000 through #2 brushes... I think I use the #1 the most, followed by the #00. You generally want to use the largest brush that you can use for the thing you're painting (don't use a tiny brush for basecoating... it will take forever and it will wear the brush faster).

    You want to get above a certain threshold of brush quality, but after that you'll encounter diminishing returns. Avoid cheapo, "kid-quality", dollar store brushes. Those will just let you down. You want a brush that will hold a point and will hold onto its bristles - it's really frustrating when a brush sheds bristles into wet paint on your mini. I suspect that any "student quality" or above brush will be fine. I would avoid hog's hair brushes for mini painting - hog's hair is pretty stiff. A decent synthetic brush is probably what you want. I splurged when I got started (at the suggestion of some Youtuber) and picked up a set of Windsor and Newton Series 7, Kolinsky Sable brushes. I like them a lot. They're expensive (Amazon shows them about $10 - $15 each). But they should last a long time if you take care of them.

    Speaking of which, get some brush soap. That should keep your brushes alive longer.


    One final piece of advice - paint! When I got started, I watched tons of YouTube videos, I tried to copy other people's techniques. I turned it into a science. Doing those things isn't bad (YouTube especially is FULL of great tips), but at the end of the day, the best way to learn is to fail. Get painting and you will see your skills improve before your very eyes.
u/WhoaFoogles · 2 pointsr/ageofsigmar

There are definitely better alternatives, but you can't go wrong using GW's brushes. All of GW's tutorials and videos use their own brand, and I find it easier to "follow along" by using them too. I imagine if I got some more experience and skill under my belt that I'd want to shift to using some higher quality brushes, but for a casual or beginner, I think they're just fine. You don't need to go hogwild and buy the entire range, just get some of the standard sizes and you'll be set (the essential set is a good selection).

Winsor & Newton brushes seem to be popular alternatives, but are kind of pricey. The Army Painter has a line comparable to GW at around the same price. Amazon has tons of inexpensive hobby brushes for acrylic paints; be sure to check the reviews to see how they hold up if you go that route.

Regardless of what brushes you get, do yourself a favor and get the Masters Brush Cleaner. It's like a magic panacea for brush care.

u/HappyWulf · 2 pointsr/KingdomDeath

Here's a big fat messy shopping list I made for someone a while ago. You might find it useful too.

http://www.amazon.com/Quickshade-Ink-Warpaints-Army-Painter/dp/B00HC8D80W
Amazon.com: Quickshade Ink Set Warpaints Army Painter

http://www.amazon.com/Pacer-Technology-Zap-Zap-Adhesives/dp/B00SXJJ2QI
Amazon.com: Pacer Technology (Zap) Pacer Technology (Zap) Zap-A-Gap Adhesives, 1 oz

http://www.amazon.com/General-Pencil-Company-Masters-Preserver/dp/B0009RRT9Y
Amazon.com : General Pencil Company The Masters Brush Cleaner & Preserver 2.5 0z. : Brush Soap

http://www.amazon.com/Army-Painter-Wargame-Starter-Paint/dp/B01BJ55UDQ
Buy Army Painter Wargame Starter Paint Set - PLUS Promo Undead figure

http://www.amazon.com/280715-American-Accents-Primer-12-Ounce/dp/B00KZ6LLZW?
Buy Rust Oleum 280715 American Accents Ultra Cover 2X Spray Paint, White Primer, 12-Ounce

http://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-6655-Needle-File-10-Piece/dp/B000NPUKYS?
TEKTON 6655 Needle File Set, 10-Piece

http://www.amazon.com/Xacto-X3311-Precision-Knife-Blades/dp/B0000DD1N4?
Buy Xacto X3311 N0. 1 Precision Knife With 5 No. 11 Blades

http://www.amazon.com/Most-Wanted-Wargamer-Set/dp/B007H4YR8S
Amazon.com: 1 X Most Wanted Wargamer Brush Set

http://www.amazon.com/Xuron-170-II-Micro-Shear-Flush-Cutter/dp/B000IBSFAI
Xuron 170-II Micro-Shear Flush Cutter: Wire Cutters

http://www.amazon.com/Milliput-Standard-2-Part-Hardening-Yellow/dp/B011BO9R5W
Amazon.com: 2 X Milliput Standard 2-Part Self Hardening Putty, Yellow/Grey

Edit: Of, and I used this guide for making my Thinner. http://www.reapermini.com/Thecraft/15 But I'm going to experiment more, because this is not perfect.

u/redpiano · 2 pointsr/minipainting

Yeah that thing is called "helping hands" I believe, it serves the same purpose more or less.

Vallejo paint is arguably some of the longest lasting paint on the market, I would avoid GamesWorkshop paints as they have a reputation of drying out fast. However my Vallejo bottles from 2009 are still kicking.

Yeah, get him a canister of this stuff, and a couple either Raphael 8404 or Winsor & Newton S7's and he won't really need any other brush for years.

You can buy cheap airbrush kits from the "master" brand that include an airbrush and air compressor for I think about 80$, I don't personally have any experience with them so I can't say much about them. I've heard that the compressors will last a decent amount of time, comparable if not better than more expensive air compressors like Grex. And you can upgrade the airbrush at a later date for an entry level Iwata Revolution for like 70$.

A wet palette is a palette with a sponge or paper towel soaked in water covered by a piece of parchment paper. Basically it keeps paint moist so that they don't dry out within a few minutes of laying them on the palette. You can make one for nothing, you literally just need a stack of paper towels, a flat Tupperware container and a roll of parchment paper. But there are companies that make wet palettes and sell pre-cut inserts and such.

u/IxI_DUCK_IxI · 2 pointsr/Warhammer40k

I've used the stuff you find at a Hobby store, cheap brushes you find in a package of 20 for $2 and have started using the Da Vinci series of brushes. All brushes work and work with varying results. However, the issue is longevity. I've had to toss all the Hobby store brushes after 3 or 4 months because they start to fray and split. The Da Vinci brushes on the other hand I've been using for quite awhile and they still work as if I just took them out of the package.

I picked up this stuff which has made cleaning the brushes much easier, more thoroughly and increased the longevity, but the Hobby store brushes just don't last very long.

if you want to buy the cheap $5 brushes and replace them frequently then they'll work fine. But you tend to get "Attached" to a brush and how it works so longevity is a key factor for me.

u/TorchedBlack · 2 pointsr/minipainting

You can look into some more tailored brush soap as opposed to just dish soap. This is what I use and it works pretty well. Similar process to what you're currently using and you can also leave some of the soap on to dry to "sculpt" and condition the brushes back into shape.

https://www.amazon.com/General-Pencil-Company-Masters-Preserver/dp/B0009RRT9Y/ref=pd_sim_201_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0009RRT9Y&pd_rd_r=QQF6259AR9VGHKBWVB05&pd_rd_w=KwWqo&pd_rd_wg=HjxeS&psc=1&refRID=QQF6259AR9VGHKBWVB05

u/Rokanos · 2 pointsr/Warhammer40k

do it. Easily the best money you'll ever spend and it's only like $9 for the masters kind, which will last you a year at least.

Linky: https://www.amazon.com/General-Pencil-Company-Masters-Preserver/dp/B0009RRT9Y/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1523038510&sr=8-5&keywords=brush+soap

EDIT: bought mine in July 2016 and it's still only about a quarter used up...so yeah. lol

u/Sindinista · 2 pointsr/Warhammer40k

I'm sure Dawn soap will clean them, but I don't know if other chemicals in there will hurt them long run. I would recommend Masters Brush Cleaner. I found some in a local art supply store.

u/adreamdefied · 2 pointsr/Makeup

THIS!

It may be cheaper if you go to an actual art supply store. I bought mine at Blick Art Supply store for around $5-6. It is amazing! I originally bought it for paint brushes and then read online how it was also used by many for makeup brushes. Cleans + Conditions (so your bristles are kept in good condition).

u/skieblue · 2 pointsr/minipainting

You might try Master's Brush Cleaner (some of the liquid brush repair fluids might work as well, try looking for the one from Winsor & Newton) and see if that works; however I wouldn't count on it.

It's quite personal (some very good painters I know use cheap nylon or Citadel brushes exclusively and replace as needed), but I would say that buying a W&N S7 brush was a revelation for me.

https://www.amazon.com/General-Pencil-Company-Masters-Preserver/dp/B0009RRT9Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518662342&sr=8-1&keywords=masters+brush+cleaner

u/spacey_face · 1 pointr/Warhammer40k

I just use this cleaner for all my brushes. I use those that I linked a few of the Army Painter ones and I really like the citadel shade brushes.

u/wcfore01 · 1 pointr/minipainting

Brushes- I use a Windsor and Newton Series 7 #1, #00, or #2 and I use this stuff to clean the brushes

Paint thinning- I thin all the paints I use (citadel base paints I thin even more) I use roughly a 50/50 mix between the paint and a mix of 75/25 distilled water and matte medium. I aim for semi-transparent but not super runny. So the paint stay where I put it basically.

So tell me a bit more about the actual layering process. I didn't use a wet palette (even though I have one) and I think that may have been a mistake. How translucent should the paint be for layering? More so than for base coats I assume? How do you keep the paint from running everywhere? How do you blend the transition lines?

Thanks

u/Gearyster · 1 pointr/minipainting

User this. Stuff is amazing.
General Pencil Company The Masters Brush Cleaner & Preserver 2.5 0z. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009RRT9Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_F.i4DbDMMRHGY

u/FlakManiak · 1 pointr/Gunpla

Ok so just to confirm: If I use The Masters, I'd put some of that on there after each painting session, and that'd act as both cleaner and conditioner? Also, this is the right product, right? http://www.amazon.com/General-Pencil-Company-Masters-Preserver/dp/B0009RRT9Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451426176&sr=8-1&keywords=the+masters+brush+cleaner

u/Sychophant · 1 pointr/minipainting

Synthetic brushes will deteriorate no matter what you do. Natural hair brushes are the way to go. I've only had to replace one of my good brushes in the 2 years I've been painting. I use This at the end of every painting session.

u/coco_dollar · 1 pointr/MakeupAddiction

I use this brush cleaner, it's relatively cheap and it cleans my brushes the best. You can also Dawn soap, I let them dry for a day. Good luck!

http://www.amazon.com/General-Pencil-Company-Masters-Preserver/dp/B0009RRT9Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1382233993&sr=8-2&keywords=the+masters+brush+cleaner

u/littleladle · 1 pointr/painting

I also just started out in acrylics. I'm not sure of a good set that has everything in one, but I can share what I got to get started. For Christmas I got the basics, i.e. Red, Yellow, Blue, White, and Blank paint (Premiere acrylics), some canvases (8x10 and 12x16), a set of 12 different Royal and Langnickel brushes, and a wooden table-top easel.

Additional items I went back to AC Moore and bought:

--Silver, Gold, Brown, Green, Orange, and Purple paints

--A sta-wet palette which keeps your paints from drying up while you are working.

--Palette knife

--Canvas panels

-- Liquitex Gloss medium & Varnish

-- Brush Cleaner (same as this one on Amazon)

Basically I was having trouble finding an All-in one kit, so I got everything separately. One thing I would have done differently is buy a multipack of the paints with more colors to save time mixing. If you want to go pick stuff out in person then AC Moore or Michaels, as JT suggested, are great. Otherwise, everything seems to be on Amazon and the reviews tend to be pretty helpful! I actually made my shopping list by looking up things on Amazon and then went to the store because I was too impatient to want to wait for shipping.

u/hivemind_MVGC · 1 pointr/XWingTMG

Assuming you understand how to use your drybrushes, the rest of it is just finding brushes you like, whether those be a $2 bruch from a hobby store or a $25 Windsor & Newton.

Best learning advice I can give you is to head over to /r/minipainting and start reading and asking questions.

Best actual advice I'll give you is to start using a wet palette, and clean your brushes regularly: http://amazon.com/General-Pencil-Company-Masters-Preserver/dp/B0009RRT9Y

u/TheGingerSnapper · 1 pointr/MakeupAddiction

This is what I use. It's really easy--just wet your brushes in warm water and swish it around. Takes about a minute to work all the stuff out, though expect to spend a few minutes on sponges. Doesn't harm bristles and smells amazing!

u/Rinascita · 1 pointr/minipainting

In addition to this, when I clean my brushes, I use this:
http://www.amazon.com/General-Pencil-Company-Masters-Preserver/dp/B0009RRT9Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398113082&sr=8-1&keywords=brush+preserver

It helps them to stay clean and keep their shape for far longer than prior to using it.

u/perennial__pupil · 1 pointr/Makeup

I use the The Masters Brush Cleaner. It’s an art supply used to clean oil and acrylic off of paint brushes so I know it’s really good for taking dried makeup residue off. It isn’t advertised to clean makeup brushes but its safety data sheet indicates no hazardous material or health hazards. I haven’t tried the brush cleaning balms advertised for makeup brushes but I assume it’s very similar but The Masters Brush Cleaner is much cheaper. You can find it at Hobby Lobby or amazon.

But I just wet my brush and swirl it around gently in there to get the product until it lathers and use a makeup cleaning mat to scrape the residue off. Rinse and repeat until the water is clear.

Then I put one of these net guards around the hairs to keep its shape until it’s dry.

u/laloga · 1 pointr/MakeupAddiction

I clean my BB after each use with a solid paintbrush cleaner. It comes in two sizes, (small and large), and you can generally find it at any arts and crafts store. It's MUCH cheaper than the BB brand cleanser. I believe other folks will use solid soaps like Dr. Bronner's.

u/routesaroundit · 1 pointr/Warhammer40k

Sure thing!

Also be sure to clean your brushes thoroughly after each session or they'll slowly get caked with more and more paint and become stiff and unusable - this is more noticeable on your drybrushes since they already start off half-dried when you're using them.

I've been using this stuff which works great.. it's basically a hardened lump of "shampoo" for your brushes. You wet the brush under your faucet, then you brush it along the lump of soap until it gets a little wet, work the soap into the bristles and then finagle the brush around on your palm or whatever to massage the soap in.

Gets the paint out and restores all that soft flexiness to the brush bristles. Works great - use with slightly warm water, not super hot water or cold water.

Also the quality of your brush makes a difference, I notice an ENORMOUS difference in my ability to paint fine detail when switching between brands... the GW "starter brush" is probably the shittiest one I've used so far, the Citadel line of brushes is okay but not great and very expensive, and the Windsor & Newton Series 7 (sable) I just got for Christmas is fucking amazing. Like I thought I was just terrible at painting but once I started using it I was able to get a lot of fine detail I couldn't get with a Citadel fine detail brush.

So PART of it is skill.. and the other part is equipment. The saying "an artist never blames their tools" is horse shit lol, whoever coined that phrase never tried to paint with Citadel brushes!

The type of hair the brush is constructed with makes all the difference, that Windsor uses actual sable hair rather than whatever Citadel uses (horse hair or something idk).

And the Windsor's actually cheaper cost wise, lol.

u/atvar8 · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Brush Cleaner to keep my paint brushes in good shape! I like to paint miniatures! Here's the first mini I painted, an orc, and my latest WIP: a Union Soldier!

u/unruly_soldier · 0 pointsr/Gunpla

Note: This is all from experience with painting things other than Gunpla using acrylic paint. Gunpla may be different, but I really don't see how.

Something I learned when I started painting RPG minis is that it's a good thing to splurge a bit on brushes if you're planning on doing a lot of painting. A high quality 0 brush can give better precision and thinner lines than a cheap 10/0. By buying good brushes I reduced my number of brushes used to 3 - a 00 for detail work, a 1 for coverage, and a cheap brush for drybrushing. And that's for painting little 28mm tall minis.

I recommend the Winsor and Newton Series 7 brushes, if you're wanting to give them a try. You can find them online pretty easily, and if you catch them at certain stores you might be able to grab them for about $10 a brush instead of the retail $20+. Just be aware that they're natural fiber brushes, so they'll both hold paint differently(meaning more) and require a bit more care when cleaning to keep them in good shape. You'll want something like The Masters brush cleaner to keep them clean without damaging the fibers, and it can be left in to act as a conditioner as well.