One Brush to Rule them All!

And in the Darkness bind them.  Or something like it.

High end brushes are another thing that you should probably invest in.

You can save a lot of money in the long run by buying high quality because the price/duration ratio is much better.  You pay 15 dollars instead of 6, for a brush that will last more than a year instead of 3 months.  KA-CHING!

Sadly, it's another type of item that is always incredibly too expensive in store rather than online.



Raphael : Kolinsky Red Sable Brush : series 8404, size 1

You can get more infos after the jump.


High end brushes and you.

I never really bought in on the high end brush before having one myself.  I won a Winsor and Newton  in a painting competition, and was instantly sold.  This was when I painted 40 hours a week, the Winsor and Newton lasted close to a year.

A size 1 brush will do basecoats and the dot the eyes of the same miniature.

After the WN was beat up, I could only find Raphael's, and lo and behold, they were the same high quality for cheaper.  I have never looked back.

The GMM Masterplan.

This trick I stole from GMM's studio, who has a very specific and quite brilliant way to work with these brushes.

I always own 3-4 of this brush, in various condition.  The relatively new one, which is your go-to brush, the old one, really only good for drybrushing or very large basecoats, and the nearly destroyed one, for glue and other cringe-worthy materials.  The 4th one is a brand new one, ready to join in the rotation when one becomes too beatdown.

Raphael vs Winsor Newton in the endless battle of the exact same thing.

Most reviews and brush-talk on the net, you'll hear:  Get the Winsor& Newton, Rapahel's is garbage.  Or Winsor & Newton changed their brush, they're not as good now, and all other sort of get one avoid the other type of advice.

Truth of the matter is, it's pretty much the same thing.  I've owned from both brands and besides the orange end on Raphael's I can't tell which is which or if one lasted longer.  If you want to try for yourself, the equivalent is called Winsor & Newton Serie 7, and it's not listed here because it is 30$ and more per brush and it contradicts my philosophy on shopping smart: always bought whichever was available and less expensive if it's the same thing.



Raphael : Kolinsky Red Sable Brush : series 8404, size 1

Until next time,
No excuses, hobby like a champion!