I disagree on always using the most expensive brushes you can for a job. I own really good brushes and I own really crappy brushes and I use both regularly. Good brushes are nice but they're more about feel than functionality, if you like a smoother flex in your brush then a Sable hair brush will suit you well. If you want a more snappy flick to your brush then you want synethic brushes. Some times you want to apply something nasty that will eat a brush so you just need something functional and a cheap £2 brush will do the job better than your £10 brush. It doesn't matter if it can't hold the point for more than 1 job, it's only got 1 job to do (a suicide brush, now that's a movie that needs making. Only one brush can stand up to the terrorist ink washes.. Barry Brush!)

For dry brushing you want something mid range at best. Something where the hairs won't fall out, large enough to do the job and disposable. Anything more than that and you're destroying a good brush.

I recommend trying lots of brush ranges before settling on anything. They're pretty cheap and you're always going to need another size 1/2 brush so it's not hurting you much to grab a different one every time you go to the hobby shop or place an online order. I see too many people going from dirt cheap beginner brushes to ultra expensive professional brushes without ever understanding their own painting needs. I did the same thing by skipping right to Sable brushes and then found I could do the same thing with a cheaper synthetic brush that had a shorter life span but I could get 4 for the price of 1 of the expensive ones. I then went to a slightly cheaper Sable brush and found it had a worse life span than the synthetic brushes did, but were highly recommended as an alternative to the top tier brushes.

Definoioitely not a zombie thread in terms of subject. Always worth discussing.

Darren;

     To be honest with you and everyone else, I haven't used an airbrush in at least four or five years. If I paint cars I use a fifty -fifty mix in my Enamels. Now, this is the thing. Paint doesn't matter much. Except the Acrylics, which some brands have lousy brushability there isn't much you cannot do with said Brush.

     Now here's the trick. Don't use cheap brushes! Buy the best you can. This means going to wherever you would find them and buying the brushes in the various styles for Oil Painting! I use even the fan style brushes to apply dryer washes to Machines and Armor when I build it. Dry brushing to me is fun and I really enjoy bringing life to a Cockpit or Wheelhouse that way.  Tanker-Builder

woahhhh i have no quams with it lol, i was just amazed to see a thread that had started in 2003 pop back up

These internet forums are such fickle things. It’s either “this is a zombie thread” or “this topic has already been covered - try using the search function next time.”

Ya just can’t win  

TankerEasy

zombie thread

 

Yeah... somebody (not a new guy) dug up a long dead one instead of asking what should be a legitimate new question... 

 

zombie thread

GMorrison

I have deep respect for those who do hand brushing.

Echo that, in spades!

Hand-brushing small parts and out-of-the-way areas is an excellent way to get a 'feel' for whatever brushes and paints you have elected to use.

If there is one single bit of advice I would pass on to a 'rookie,' it would be...when brush-painting large areas or surfaces...never imagine you can do it in a single coat. You will be sorely tempted, to be sure, but believe me, it will never end well. Patience and nicely-thinned paint are the way to go, building up your color in gradual layers. That will save the impulse to go back and 'touch up' that one troublesome area...at which point the whole process usually begins a downward spiral.

Practice, practice, practice....

 

I use a brush to paint smaller parts, ones that will be different color from what major assemblies are.

Painting larger areas is harder.  If you are good at it, you can do flats without too much trouble, but large areas of gloss paints are a real challenge.  I do believe it takes more skill to do a large glossy surface by hand than by airbrush.

I have several friends who do WW1 aircraft with a brush, and some who do old ships with brush (again, flat paint).  Just like with airbrush, proper thinning ratio is important.

 

Old thread, but no harm there as the question is a good one.

Yes, I paint a lot with a brush. For the purposes of discussion, some areas of modeling invite more, or less, use of a brush. For instance, I believe the figure modelers almost uiniversally do their painting with brushes because the genre requires a lot of shade and shadow, simulation of the effect of light on the subject, and detail nuance.

I don't think armor modelers do nearly so much as their subjects tend to be a lot of one color. They'll use the ehand brush for details. I fact they often mostly assemble the model before painting it, and an airbrush really works best for that.

The llist continues, but you'll get the idea. I have deep respect for those who do hand brushing. If you look at model magazines from Great Britain, that seems to be a real art and is pretty commonplace.

Success also depends on the paint you choose. Since no one person has tried them all, read reviews on which paints folks think works best. It also changes constantly as new paint lines become available.

Get good brushes, it's very important. We all probably started modeling hand brushing with lousy brushes, and it turned off a lot of people.

I like to use a good flat brush for painting areas, say 1/8' to 1/4" wide.

Do not try to use the paint to cover up mistakes or as a filler. Work in thin coats.

 

And practice. It's like a lot of things, say cooking as well. The more you do it, the better you will be at it.

.

 

Anybody out there using a brush to paint their models? If you have any advice, suggestions or warnings my ears and eyes are wide open.

Thanks
Darren

[/quote]I would assume it is possible but what needs to be changed or addes to make brush painting the exterior viable?

Check out FSM October 2001 for an article on spray painting.
One tip is to warm your bottle in 38 degree celsius (100 ferenhiet) tapwater, then shake really well.

also, FSM May 2002 for an article on brush painting
use a soft brush, well thinned paints with multiple coats, and paint from dry to wet.
Let each coat fully cure as well, as adding a coat before the bottom is cured can really create a mess.

I'll use a brush often on 1/72 scale WW II fighters and planes of that size. Especially because I usually just build that scale for fun. Any model bigger than that, especially a 1/48 Phantom, it would be too difficult to hide all of those brush marks. However, I have found that if I am going to heavily weahter an aircraft often times brushmarks can be covered or hidden. I once brush painted a 1/48 Harrier and extensive weahtering and pastel exhaust staining on the whole underside hid the fact that I brushed it.

As for your question, I would brush before I use a spray can. Brushing may not yield the quality you had hoped for but I find using aerosol cans is very hit and miss. At least I can predict my results with a brush.

Dont use a paint brush for the exterior, It is a pain in the ****** and uses alot of paint to get even a semi decent finish. Use a spray can!!!

If you must handbrush: use a quality brush. I've had good luck with enamels anda wide, soft flat, about 1/2 or 5/8. The Model Master brush is good for this kind of work. If you are using acrylics, it will be harder, since acrylics will soak into and soften most natural hair brushes, and most synthetics will not lay down as smooth a coat as the natural brushes. I've found it helpful to gloss coat and flat coat with sprays after painting, as it smooths the surface and sometimes makes fine brushstrokes disappear. Use good technique, flowing on paint with the brush rather than spreading it, and be careful about recoating an already painted area, since a new layer of paint may soften the underlying coat and leave marks or roughen the texture. Also, cure time will be longer when handbrushing, as the coat of paint is unavoidably thicker than when airpainting. Over the years, Paul Boyer and others have written many articles in FSM about brush painting.

Aagh, spray painting. That's one option that's pretty much hit or miss; it's dependent on outdoor temperature and humidity to the point that you'll turn out well or you'll get some real nasty orange peel, especially with gloss on a hot humid day. Spray lightly between coats and bring your model in as soon as you're done before the weather gets to it. With brushing, just go for small parts like interior pieces or landing gear.
Until then, good luck.

I don't think I would do the whole aircraft with a brush, Darrenbb... It's so hard getting the paint on evenly. Smaller scales maybe, but not 1/48. Now spray cans, there you have a realistic option.