In either case, the weight and balance of the size #1 Masterstroke brush is the same as the W&N Series 7. to waste with stuff that doesn’t work. Budget brushes on the low-cost side will require your patience and willingness to learn their nuanced behavior with paint. Series 7 Kolinsky Sable Brushes are made from only the finest Kolinsky Sable hair in rust-proof, seamless nickel plated ferrules with black polished handles. Simplicity, I guess is the word when you want a brush that just works. Over the years, I’ve read varied reviews on the Artis Opus S series of brushes for painting miniatures. I’m more of a layer and glaze painter when it comes to blending. The metal ferrule is about the same feel and look as the Series 7 and Artis Opus (both size #1’s). In this case, I stumbled upon the Blick Masterstroke by accident and decided to give it a try. As you can see in the image above, my size #1 Masterstroke has cracked paint from months of use and cleaning (nearly a year). Nice job. This is normal. You want to dip your brush in that pot of ink or shade, submerging the ferrule….just to get the job done. I also can’t afford to use materials that are expensive for no reason. This is the reason I bought and recommend the Blick Masterstroke brushes. However, the Series 7 line of kolinsky sable paint brushes are expensive, often more than $20-30, per brush. D-O-N-E. All these features come into play when you are painting miniatures. A brush with excellent spring make some of the best wet-blending brushes, because they give you the ability to quickly move paint around in a controlled fashion. To finish up any tabletop quality paint job, I like tying my hasty blends together with accent colors. The Blick Masterstroke brush has bristles that are about 10mm in length, and 2.5mm in diameter (i.e., the belly circumference). I own several sets of the Artis Opus S. See my rolling updated review here. I’m an advocate of the belief that tools don’t matter as much as many people think. Okay, to really finish up a sword like this (tabletop quality speed painting), you do have to dark-line and highlight edges. The reason I recommend Blick Masterstroke short handled brushes is because they are a balance of quality features (e.g., predictable brush behavior) and cost. Good technique and experience trumps expensive tools and gadgets. Don’t you hate it when your crappy airbrush clogs or breaks down right in the middle of a project? As a general rule, short haired brushes have much better snap than long haired brushes. If I rated them in order of best snap, it would be: Series 7, Artis Opus S, and Blick Masterstroke. Merci de votre visite sur notre site Winsor & Newton ! You can see how I do this in the quick video below. For the mini painter, the Winsor & Newton Series 7 line of paint brushes are the gold standard. Though I would note that the Artis Opus S series of brushes have slightly thicker barrels in the middle, which is more in-line with Rosemary & Co Series 33 brushes. How does the Blick Masterstroke brush handle glazing? For the final comparison, I placed the Blick Masterstroke next to the W&N Series 7 and the Artis Opus S brush (all pointed round size #1). Series 7 uses only the highest quality raw materials and enjoys hand made manufacture by brush makers with years of experience. This means less reloading between paint application. I can’t afford to constantly stop my work for repairs or replacement. I use inks or glazes (the kind I make with water and regular paint) that add warmth and coolness to the surface. Synthetics or mixed-natural/synthetic brushes may behave differently when wet or dry. At the end of the day, the Blick Masterstroke brushes have really good value for what they cost! This is primarily determined by bell size and bristle material. What brush character you prefer will be different than your neighborly painter. For someone who paints miniatures, this cost can add up quickly. For miniature painters, you want brushes with good snap, because it will give you the most control. Available in singles and sets. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. There are many ways to blend acrylic paint on a mini. Artists’ Hog Brushes Monarch Brushes Azanta Black Brushes Artisan Water Mixable Oil Colour Brushes Winton Hog Brushes University Brushes Foundation Brushes. This is awesome for glazing into small areas. Don’t forget to check your spam box if you have not received anything in the next 15 minutes. What money can buy is time. The Regiment isn’t even a pure natural hair brush! Swirl the brush around in the water. They are ideal for even the most delicate work. Flow & release refers to how paint behaves in the brush upon application to a surface. Winsor & Newton Series 7 brushes have become the gold standard for many painters because they are fantastic for painting detail. … But, for all intents and purposes, this doesn’t come into play for brush handling. But, a brush that is dysfunctional will have a problem returning to its original shape. The 8404 takes the cake for belly capacity. After using your brush and you find they split or don’t hold a good, sharp point, you can return them for a replacement. The Blick Masterstroke has less spring than the Artis Opus to begin with, but with a lighter touch, the brush shape holds up to normal mini painting. This is brush capacity. We’ve sent you an email with a confirmation link to finalise your subscription. 10 - Wood Box. To learn more about how we use them, By signing up I agree to the Winsor & Newton, Primers, Oils, Mediums, Solvents and Varnishes, Professional Watercolour Squirrel Brushes, Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable Brush - No.8 - Wood Box, Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable Brush - No.7 - Wood Box, Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable Brush - No. A large capacity brush won’t require you to reload your brush in paint as often. It’s fast, but takes some practice. For a $5 natural hair brush, I am excited to say that this thing does what it’s supposed to do. The miniature painting hobby can be expensive. This is also why I may not recommend buying the budget brushes until you know what you’re doing. As you’ll notice below, the bristles have slightly different but significant behavior with paint. You want a constant flow rate of paint from your brush to your working surface. Snappier the better! These cookies do not store any personal information. And, I’m not 100% sure that extra cost adds much more value to the Artis Opus compared with the Blick Masterstroke. I load two colors on the brush (one dark, one base color), and slide sweep them off in a zip-zag motion. For this review, I focus on Blick’s Masterstroke brush, because it is the one I use the most nowadays. Spring is related to the resilience of the brush to change its shape. When you’re painting a horde army, or just want to turn your mind off of being careful all the dang time, but don’t want to lose out on the control you had with W&N Series 7, an Artis Opus, a Raphael or other expensive pro-level brush, you pick up your budget sable brushes. Either way, this appears cosmetic and the brush is still going strong, holding its sharp tip well after so much time. Simply, spring refers to the stiffness of the belly of the brush to keep its shape. The Blick Masterstroke holds a great point, snapping back into place after each stroke. Series 7 Kolinsky Sable Brushes are made from only the finest Kolinsky Sable hair in rust-proof, seamless nickel plated ferrules with black polished handles. Your experience needs to comes into play. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. RELATED: ARTIS OPUS S BRUSH COMPARED WITH SERIES 7 (AN IN-DEPTH REVIEW). This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The Blick Masterstroke is closer to the Winsor & Newton Series 7 in terms of brush character. I use wet-blending, loaded brush blending (sort of), and a bit of glazing. I’m not sure why this is, but I have not noticed a big effect other than a slight loss of spring-y feeling in the belly. Although the brush holds less paint than Raphael 8404, I don’t mind reloading my brush often. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I paint a lot of miniatures and models for tabletop wargames and board games. Merci de votre visite sur notre site Winsor & Newton ! Knowing that I’m not potentially ruining an expensive kolinsky sable, because I neglected to keep the ferrule clean of paint is peace of mind. The miniature brushes are crafted to the same superior standards. If you want to see some of my work, check out the gallery. You want to remove any powder/binder attached to the bristles. Did it splay (e.g., split into two parts)? The colour flows evenly and consistently from the point, with enough colour carrying capacity to allow flowing gestural strokes.