How to Care for Miniature Paint Brushes

A good brush makes painting miniatures easier, but how you use and care for it matters just as much as what you paid for it. Here are our answers to the brush questions we hear most, from which brush to buy first to how to keep a point.

What brushes should I buy if I'm new to painting?

Start with inexpensive synthetic brushes. Everyone destroys their first few brushes, no matter how high-quality the brush is. Paint gets pushed up into the ferrule, a brush gets left in the water pot, the tip gets mashed into a crevice. It happens to all of us while we're learning, and it's a lot less painful with a cheap brush.

Once you can keep a point on a cheap synthetic brush for several painting sessions, that's the time to consider moving up to a sable or a high-end synthetic. By then your habits will protect the better brush, and you'll notice the difference it makes.

How do I keep a good point on my brush?

Keep paint away from the ferrule. Load paint on only the front half to two-thirds of the bristles. Paint that creeps up toward the metal ferrule dries there and splays the bristles apart.
Don't let paint dry in the bristles. Acrylics dry fast. Rinse whenever you pause, even for a minute or two.
Rinse often. Swish the brush gently in clean water and wipe it on a paper towel. Don't grind the tip against the bottom of the water pot.
Don't leave brushes standing in water. Resting a brush on its tip bends the bristles, and soaking can loosen the glue and swell the wooden handle. The exception is a soaking cleaner used the right way (see deep cleaning below).
Use the right size for the job. Covering a big area with a small detail brush wears out the tip quickly.

How should I clean my brushes after a painting session?

Rinse the brush in clean water until no more color comes out.
Work a little brush soap or brush cleaner into the bristles, gently, with your fingertip or in your palm. Pay attention to the area near the ferrule.
Rinse again until the water runs clear.
Gently squeeze out the extra water with a paper towel, then reshape the tip (see below).

How do I deep clean or restore a brush?

The everyday rule still applies: don't leave brushes standing in water. But some brush cleaners and restorers are made for soaking a brush, and they can often bring back a brush with dried paint in it. If you soak a brush:

Follow the directions on the product you're using, including how long to soak.
Use a brush cleaning pot or holder that suspends the brush, so the tip never touches the bottom.
Keep the liquid below partway up the ferrule, never past it.
Rinse the brush well in clean water, then reshape the tip and let it dry.

We carry brush soap, cleaners, restorer, and brush cleaning pots with our brushes.

How do I reshape and store my brushes?

Reshape the tip while it's damp. Roll the bristles gently to a point with your fingers. Some painters leave a thin coat of brush soap on the bristles to dry, which holds the shape until the next session. Rinse it out before you paint.
Store brushes tip-up or lying flat, never resting on the bristles.
Don't put the plastic cap back on. It's only there to protect the brush in shipping. Re-capping often bends or catches the bristles.
Let brushes dry before closing them up in a case or box.

What can I do with an old brush that's lost its point?

Don't throw it out. A worn brush is the right tool for jobs that are hard on bristles, so you can save your good brushes for detail work:

Drybrushing
Metallic paints (the metal flakes can be hard to clean out of fine bristles)
Washes and shades over large areas
Brush-on primers
Mediums, varnishes, and glues
Speedpaint, Xpress Color, Quick Gen, 1-Step, and other contrast-style one-coat paints, which tend to stain bristles and work their way up into the ferrule
Basing materials, texture paints, and pigments
Stirring or mixing paints

What's the difference between sable and synthetic brushes?

Sable brushes are made from natural hair, usually Kolinsky sable. Each hair has a fine natural taper, so a good sable brush holds a lot of paint and comes back to a sharp point. With good care, a sable brush can last a long time. Sables cost more and need more careful cleaning.

Synthetic brushes are made from man-made fibers. They are less expensive and hold up well to rough work, and some painters prefer them for metallics and contrast-style one-coat paints. Many basic synthetics lose their point sooner than sable, but high-end synthetics have come a long way and many painters use them for detail work.

Neither one is "right." Plenty of great painters use only synthetics. If you're starting out, start with synthetic (see above) and decide later whether a sable is worth it for you.

Which brush sizes and types do I need to start?

You don't need a big collection. Brush sizes aren't standardized between brands, so use these as rough guides:

Detail brush (around size 0 to 00): eyes, edge highlights, and small details. A smaller brush isn't always better. A brush that holds a good point and enough paint is more useful than the tiniest one you can find.
Layering or general brush (around size 1 to 2): your everyday brush for most of the painting on a miniature.
Basecoat brush (around size 3 to 5, or a small flat): covering larger areas quickly and evenly.
Drybrush: a stiff, flat or domed brush for drybrushing raised edges and texture. An old worn brush works too.

Brush sets are an easy way to get a good starting range in one go. Browse all brushes, or shop by brand: The Army Painter, Monument Hobbies, and AK Interactive.

This guide is general hobby advice for miniature paint brushes sold at Gnomish Bazaar and elsewhere. It is not a substitute for the manufacturer's care instructions when a brand provides its own.