silly question i know but....................

[Stormpony6]

does it matter what paintbrushes you use when customizing?

[Griffin]

It certainly does! Good brushes can save you from a lot of frustration. It's a bit difficult to give any exact advice on choosing brushes, though... you need to experiment a bit to find the tools you like best. I like synthetic brushes for customs, for detail work especially, since acrylic paints can be pretty tough on natural fibres. Besides, synthetic brushes are cheaper.

For FBRs you'd want a large and soft brush, I use a fan shaped synthetic brush but natural fibres would probably work great, too, as they are softer.

For detail work I recommend liner brushes, since the long bristles make them more flexible, resulting in finer lines. They don't need to be that small in size either, as long as the tip of the brush is sharp. I use my 0 sized liner a lot, although for smallest details like eyelashes I need a smaller brush. I suggest to experiment with brushes of different sizes and varying flexibility/bristle length to find the ones that work best for you.

[Maniah]

I agree with all of the above. But I choose my brush types based on feel. It's odd, I know. I wait till the isle is empty.. You are going to call me a freak.. BUT.. I brush any new paintbrush across my lips (Dry!) to test softness. I buy according to feel, and I feel things more delicate like that with my lips than my fingers. It's been a habit of mine for the last  18 years. Softer brushes leave less brush marks, is my experience.

I go through detail brushes so fast it seems. I am always buying the smallest thinnest brushes I can find. I actually like the size 18/0 liners or rounds. The rounds are shorter I think, and I feel like I can control the brush a bit better. But because they are shorter, the paint builds up fast. They get cleaned more. they wear out faster.

[zzzova]

I agree with all of the above. But I choose my brush types based on feel. It's odd, I know. I wait till the isle is empty.. You are going to call me a freak.. BUT.. I brush any new paintbrush across my lips (Dry!) to test softness. I buy according to feel, and I feel things more delicate like that with my lips than my fingers. It's been a habit of mine for the last  18 years. Softer brushes leave less brush marks, is my experience.

I go through detail brushes so fast it seems. I am always buying the smallest thinnest brushes I can find. I actually like the size 18/0 liners or rounds. The rounds are shorter I think, and I feel like I can control the brush a bit better. But because they are shorter, the paint builds up fast. They get cleaned more. they wear out faster.

We can be freaks togheter! I do the same thing
But I'm kinda boring, I have been useing the same brand for about 5 years. Some times I have triend new ones but they never work as good
Soft,smooth and short!  Thats how we like it!

[creampuf]

I like taklon brushes, something about the smoothness of the bristles.

I also cheat and buy the cheap taklon sets and then use baby nail clippers to remove outside bristles to trim them to the thinness I need for details.

I also only swirl my brushes in water and make sure to roll them softly over a paper towel to dry them. Of course my toddler manages to grab my brushes (despite the fact that he has his own set of cheapies) and ruin them...so by buying cheap and customizing them myself I save a bit of money.

I also use an airbrush for full body paint jobs and a cosmetic sponge for touches, I have a wider brush I use for sealing but you don't need to buy anything fancy for that.

that's about it for brushes and stuff.

[jupiternwndrlnd]

i usually use a 10/0 liner and spotter. good brushes make a huge difference!
tho i tend to burn thru them.....cause as soon as they start to misshape or fray I ditch them. (i have a huge collection of brushes I never use...woops)