Fine liner/script brushes

[Briggsy]

I discovered liner and script brushes a few years ago and have relied on them heavily since, especially for detail. For those who don't know the brushes have very long bristles, around the 12mm mark.

I use as you can see above Daler Rowney System 3 Liners size 10/0. What I find is good about them is that the longer bristles hold a greater volume of paint along the length. Where as a traditional 10/0 would hold very little and necessitate re-charging the brush frequently. However the point is not as fine as the size would suggest compared to a traditional brush hence using the smallest size exclusively.

A Script Brush runs along the same lines as the liner with bristles in the 20mm range, they are also a lot thicker.

Whilst browsing the net the other day I came across an advert for Nail Artist Brushes. No I don't paint my nails, well part from the rattle can primer! I did a bit of digging and found these;

The whole set only cost £3 plus change so I ordered some. As I have nothing in the painting stage just now I haven't used them yet, I will report back on this thread when I do. Looking at them they should be very good for fine lines, like the coloured lines in British Infantry coatee lace from the Napoleonic era. Not sure how long they'll last but as cheap as they are that isn't such a big deal.

There are dozens of different sets, many similarly priced some more expensive and possibly better quality, just pop Nail Artist Brushes into Google if you want to give them a try.

One thing I must add here is that the Daler Rowney brushes and the Nail art ones are synthetic bristles not sable. Personally I always use synthetic, I just don't like the feel of sable, for me they are too flexible and bendy. So if you are a committed sable user as many are these may not be for you, I don't know if liner and script brushes are available in sable but I would imagine they are.

Cheers Simon

 

[Briggsy]

OK I could have waited before writing the above until I had used the brushes, that would require fore thought not my strongest attribute. As I just started a new V Bench thread I have now used one of the mid sized brushes on the face.

I lined the eyes, inside the nostrils and the ears very easily. The brush held plenty of paint and applied it very smoothly, impressed so far. The down side is that after only one use the tip has started to curl as synthetic brushes tend to. For me who uses synthetics all the time this isn't an issue as I utilise this curve when painting, but I would have been happier had it taken more than one short session to curl. Still at only three quid odd it's not a problem, the test will be after prolonged use.

Cheers Simon

 

[frog]

Thanks Simon

 

[Briggsy]

Thanks Simon

Hi glad you saw this, I really love these brushes for fine lines.

Cheers Simon

 

[theBaron]

What kind of paint do you use, Simon? Water-based acrylics, enamels, oils, or maybe a mix of types?
I ask because I found that with a fine brush, the water-based acrylics would dry too quickly between the palette and the target, unless the brush had a head big enough to act as a reservoir, like a round. The fine tip lets me apply a fine line or a dot, etc, but the body of the brush head holds a reservoir of paint without drying out. It reminds me of a fountain pen, where the tip is the nib, and the head is the bladder in the pen.
With enamels or oils, I could use fine brushes, and smaller brush heads, because the paint stays wet longer.
I know some will say they would use a retarder with the water-based acrylics, too, but I don't want to bother with more adjuncts than just the paint, the thinner, and the brush. Even when airbrushing, I just use the paint and a thinner, no levelers, retarders, etc.
But those brushes look like the head is big enough to hold enough paint-again, like a fountain pen-and the fine point allows applying the fine detail.
Prost!
Brad

 

[Briggsy]

Brad, I use acrylics, more recently Scale 75 but Vallejo, Citadel, Reaper and Army Painter. I use a wet palette now and dilute the paint with either Mig Matt Lucky Varnish or more recently AK Ultra Matt Varnish and very little water. Occasionally with the Vallejo and Citadel paints I will add some Liquitex Ultra Matt Medium, but have never bothered with retarder or flow improves. I find the the length of the bristles holds enough of a reservoir to allow you to paint nice long lines, I have only so far used the small and medium sizes not the thicker very long ones and have only had good results. But they are limited to lining, which with the Kaisers Army is something worth having, they are no good for general coverage. A tool worth having IMO.

Cheers Simon