Paintbrush recommendations?

dockattner said:
Great. Now that we have a better idea of the scope of your project I think others will weigh in...

The decision to paint the decking/masts/yards would be a personal preference...but, no, I would either stain them or leave them natural.

So the painting is basically limited to large surfaces. That's not something I have done a lot of but here are some best practices...

1. Since you asked about type of brush, I assume you don't have an airbrush. That's probably the best solution but I certainly wouldn't purchase one just for a one-off build (though you did mention making a plastic ship next and plastics guys use airbrushes all the time).
2. I would recommend acrylic paint not oil-based paint (I just annoyed a bunch of guys).
3. I would spend an eternity getting the very best wood base I possibly could - this means filling cracks and sanding the hull smooth (leaving some of the planking visible gives a nice result but on a scale model this is often overdone in my opinion).
4. I would prime with a wood primer and then evaluate the surface and go back and fill gaps and voids and re-sand until you are satisfied.
5. Rather than a thick coat of paint I would use multiple thin coats. Acrylic paint is easily thinned with water. You might even want to sand or steel-wool between coats. I can't imagine getting a good surface with less than 3 very thin coats. Just use a soft flat brush (sable brushes are nice) - if your paint is thin enough brush strokes will be essentially nonexistent.
6. Don't forget a finish coat of your preferred finish. I would go with matte or satin poly or something similar.

My specialty is really in painting the very finest of details so hopefully others will offer suggestions or corrections to what I have shared here.

Be sure to start a build log!

PS: Here's a particularly nice painted hull (begins here and continues):

HMS Vanguard 1787 1:72 scale by ADoyon - First Build

It’s been a while since I last worked on my ship model and I’m now glad to be back. Hoping to accomplish much before the summer weather arrives. I recently completed installation of the upper and lower Wales, and some exterior hull details.
shipsofscale.com

There are others but this one popped into my head.
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I agree with @dockattner about the airbrush. That is what I use to paint my hulls. That is a large surface to paint by hand, and I find airbrushing yields the best results. But that is not your question. So I will not say anything further.
 
What model ship and company is that? I have never seen such wonderful work. That model is magnificent. It looks like the Corel Prins Willem.
 
It may or may not help you, but I'm on my second Vasa build, the first crashing from the shelf due to a lightning strike right outside my window. I, too, used toothpicks & the smallest micro brushes I could find, but my niece, who is a beautician, suggested disposable eyeliner brushes, which worked wonderfully well on all the smallest of figures. My second Vasa is looking 10 times better than the first! The eyeliner brushes are cheap, & can put down very small, accurate amounts of paint! For me, they worked beautifully!
 
rick robbins said:
It may or may not help you, but I'm on my second Vasa build, the first crashing from the shelf due to a lightning strike right outside my window. I, too, used toothpicks & the smallest micro brushes I could find, but my niece, who is a beautician, suggested disposable eyeliner brushes, which worked wonderfully well on all the smallest of figures. My second Vasa is looking 10 times better than the first! The eyeliner brushes are cheap, & can put down very small, accurate amounts of paint! For me, they worked beautifully!
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The lightning wasn't some kind of hint, was it? :oops:
 
As to your basic question, "what brushes", either a softer, small round or a liner brush for really fine detail, I also use them in my oil paintings. To see for yourself, visit a fine art supply store, (it's worth the cost over cheaper alternatives). Don't apply the paint too heavy, even if you have to re-coat. As an old sign painter, and it may sound obvious, I'd suggest, for "shaking hands----hold your breath!
 
I have two sets of brushes…one for basic painting needs and one for finish details. One set is normal quality…the detail set is high quality. Each set consists of five or six different size flats and points…although the finish/detail set is mostly fine points. For my basic painting I do get those multi brush packs but the better quality (meaning higher cost). I throw away brushes when they wear out. I try to get sable hair brushes for my acrylic paints and nylon brushes for stains. I try to keep things simple and cheap (for example I get my paints and brushes from Joann Fabrics and Crafts while my spouse ships for quilt fabric) in the brushes department of the shipyard. :)
 
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danielsje said:
I have two sets of brushes…one for basic painting needs and one for finish details. One set is normal quality…the detail set is high quality. Each set consists of five or six different size flats and points…although the finish/detail set is mostly fine points. For my basic painting I do get those multi brush packs but the better quality (meaning higher cost). I throw away brushes when they wear out. I try to get sable hair brushes for my acrylic paints and nylon brushes for stains. I try to keep things simple in the brushes department of the shipyard. :)
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I just ordered a bunch of da Vinci sable brushes of varying sizes. I picked the ones I thought were most suited to my goals with my current project. Had no idea those dang things were so expensive. lol
 
Ghost said:
I just ordered a bunch of da Vinci sable brushes of varying sizes. I picked the ones I thought were most suited to my goals with my current project. Had no idea those dang things were so expensive. lol
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You don't need a lot of different brushes, just a few favorites as far as size and shape. Some sable brushes are expensive, some not. It depends on where you buy them.
 
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