For the longest time, I used cheap paintbrushes. Then I finally made the leap to higher end brushes. Now it's time to look back and see just how that "high end" brush has held up.
This little journey of mine started in October of 2010. It's 9 months later now and I've come to the point where I need to retire my super-duper good brush from front line duty to backup work.
It's been quite a ride along the way. I started out using the cheaper end paintbrushes that most of us use. That original post spawned a two-part Guest series discussing the differences between brushes. That's when I made the leap and picked one up for myself. With some help from some friends, I was set straight.
Five months later, I updated everyone with my progress. Despite my repeated attempts to kill the thing, it was holding up like a champ and performing flawlessly.
And that brings us to where we are now. Nine months into this and my paintbrush has seen all the front line work she can handle. After one of the regular weekly cleanings, I took a look at the tip of my brush and noticed it wasn't as sharp as it used to be.
A quick comparison against the new paintbrush I had waiting on the sidelines showed the difference nine months of heavy painting can make. The tip is considerably shorter and not as fine. It still has a good tip to it, but I can no longer get the super fine detail I could before.
The body of the brush has held up nicely as well. It still has it's shape and regular cleanings have extended it's life and helped I'm sure.
I won't be throwing my brush away. It will be doing mostly basecoat and wash work now. I'll bring in the new one for detail work when needed. I've already ordered a new one from Secret Weapon Miniatures.
In the end, I'm glad I spent the extra money and went with the higher quality brush. It's made a huge difference in what I can paint and the speed and ease in which I can do it. For an operational life of nine months on the painting front lines, I can't complain at all.
If you're still using "cheap" stuff like I used to do, I highly recommend you give the good ones a try. You won't be disappointed.
