Brush Marks - What am I doing Wrong?

 MikeV,

Yeah, man, I've picked this thread back up...

I've been poking around at Red sable.

It seems that there is a big diiference in quality between the 3 main manufacturers  that deal with red sable...

Windsor & Newton used to make a flawless brush, but their Q/C control went haywire a while ago...

The other two, I can't remember their names but they were somewhat better...

I guess the good stuff always cost, but $200 for 1 brush?

I've yet to go shopping for the real red sable brushes, but I picked uo a couple of very small RS to play with, made by Atlas

We'll see...

Floetrol, Huh?

Is it a wetting agent?

Look into a product called Floetrol. House painters use it to reduce brush marks. I've heard mention of it in hobby forums but haven't used it yet.

Its like $6 at Lowes for a bottle that will last you forever.

Comes in a bright pumpkin orange bottle.

Thx for all the feedback, people...

I just recently picked up a couple of red sable brushes - Not Windsor & Newton, but a Chinese knock-off. We'll see..?

I've started a thread on airbrushes, but that opened up a new can of worms...12 different manuf"trs, all w/ 5-6 different models! WOW!!!

I'm switching from MM enamels(I have only 9-or 10 jars) to primarily MM acryl, as it doesn't smell so rough, and they are readily available...

HSteve

 

New Hampshire,

D'you think I should go w/ acrylics as these other folks have recommended?

Since I do a lot of airbrushing and don't yet have a spray booth I pretty much use nothing but acrylics since getting all colors in both enamel and acrylic would be cost prohibitive.  As long as you know the pro's and con's of acrylics then I say absolutely!

Brian

Are you painting gloss or matt paints.  Since you mention coating with Future I assume you are painting gloss.  To me, people who can do a good gloss finish with a brush are real artists. I think gloss brush painting is a skill that takes even longer to acquire than good airbrushing.

I too would recommend more thinner.  For brush work I go about 2 parts of paint for one part thinner.

Hans von Hammer

Nylon brushes?  Well, there's your problem...  Red Sable, pard... Red Sable...  And examine the points on your rounds and the edges of your flats... Then take care of them..

Well, the artist grade Golden Taklon synthetic bristle brushes are nearly as good as sable. I'd avoid the "discount store" ones though.

Nylon brushes?  Well, there's your problem...  Red Sable, pard... Red Sable...  And examine the points on your rounds and the edges of your flats... Then take care of them..

Thanks, everyone...

New Hampshire,

D'you think I should go w/ acrylics as these other folks have recommended?

Phil,

I'm using some golden nylon brushes I picked up at Hobby lobby for about 10 bucks on sale...12 brushes. They seem to be pretty good, but I plan on buying a few sable brushes when these wear out. I've read around here that sable is the way to go.(?)

I can't find Vallejo anywhere around these parts, but Model Master is readily available...

mg.,

Nice! I was hoping to get the same results on my F/A 18 Super Hornet, but I've got a way to go...Such is the learning curve. It'll make a good test-paint model...

Maybe I'll pick up those new brushes sooner rather than later - I don't want to repeat my mistakes on my GB kits!

Steve,

What sort of brushes are you using? Quality brushes make a huge difference.

Spending $4-$5 (or more) on an "artist grade" brush may sound expensive, but when you see the results, it's worth it, and if you take proper care of them, they will last longer than the "cheapies".

HSteve

mg.,

You're one of the maybe 3 people I've read that recommends Acrylics for brushing...

If you really want to brush paint with acrylics, get yourself some Vallejo Model Color paints. They're awesome, and they thin and clean up with plain old water.

BTW: Michael, add about 30% thinner to Taniya acrylics and your brush-painting experience will be transformed.

HSteve

mg.,

You're one of the maybe 3 people I've read that recommends Acrylics for brushing...

No primer?

I'll give it a try on the SU 25...

Still need to get the paints - I'll post on the GB thread re: colours...

 

Nope, I rarely if ever use a primer when I brush paint my builds. (And I brush paint all my builds,no airbrush what so ever.) Here's one of my builds I did this past year, everything and anything you see in this pic is brush painted. (the hull is done in acrylic paint, along with a majority of the other parts)

mg.,

You're one of the maybe 3 people I've read that recommends Acrylics for brushing...

No primer?

I'll give it a try on the SU 25...

Still need to get the paints - I'll post on the GB thread re: colours...

First off, I don't suggest using enamels if your gonna be brush-painting. I started my brush painting with enamels and long story short their a PITA. If you want to save yourself the hassle of getting paint to thinner ratios correct and rid yourself of the infamous brush strokes then the solution is to switch to acrylics.

I personally use MM Acrylics and have no real complaints.(just stay away from Tamiya acrylics for brushpainting)  I find that with MM acrylics you just need to stir them up and your ready to go! With MM acrylics brush strokes are a thing of the past, it can be applied without primer, and they can be wiped off with water if mistakes happen. The only real tradeoff is that multiple coats is necessary(for me just two.) Other then that you should seriously look at acrylics, I think you be amazed how much easier it is to paint with them.

I would suggest going with a higher thinner to paint ratio.  You want it nice and thin, but not thin enough to start running into places it should not be.  Use as few brush strokes as possible and start from an unpainted area and stroke into the spot you last painted.

I also learned long ago that Future does not hide brush strokes...indeed just highlights them

Strip it or not is up to you.  I would call this a lesson learned and move forward, but if the model is something you are really really proud of build wise then go ahead and strip it to start over.

Brian