# Citadel Paint Brushes. Problems with.



## Uveron (Jun 11, 2011)

Greetings all. 

I brought a new paint brush 2 weeks ago, a Citadel fine detail brush. 
Well I was using it this afternoon, and it didn't appear to be applying paint very well at all.

well beeing as though Iam at work, I looked at the head though my 10x mag microscope, and it appears that over 50% of the brisles have fallen out/broken

Is this a common thing with the citadel brushes? Does anyone have any tips on how to keep them good?


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## Djinn24 (Jan 12, 2008)

Tip 1: Don't buy them
Tip 2: Don't buy them
Tip 3: Buy a Kolinsky crush and some good cleaner.


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## Lubacca (Sep 4, 2011)

Citadel brushes aren't the best in the world. Most people swear by either:
Windsor & Newton
or
Raphael

They both have a very good series of Kolinsky brushes that work fantastically well for painting miniatures. Granted they aren't inexpensive by any means of the word.. you will probably spend a little over 40 dollars (American) for the three most commonly used brushes 00, 1, 2. But they last a LONG time. 

Also consider buying a Master Brush Cleaning tub, use it once a week on your brushes, it helps keep the point longer and helps get all of the paint that may stick to your brush off. 

Hope this helps my friend, good luck and happy painting!

(Also, take the damn thing back to the shop and try to get your money back...that's just shitty)


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## Midge913 (Oct 21, 2010)

djinn24 said:


> Tip 1: Don't buy them
> Tip 2: Don't buy them
> Tip 3: Buy a Kolinsky crush and some good cleaner.


I echo this. Citadel brushes are just crap, I have bargain walmart brushes that have stood up longer than the citadel's I bought many moons ago. Invest your money in a good brush and you will end up spending less over the long run as you continually replace a shitty one.


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## Uveron (Jun 11, 2011)

Lubacca said:


> Citadel brushes aren't the best in the world. Most people swear by either:
> Windsor & Newton
> or
> Raphael
> ...


Thanks! 

I will have a look at what I can pick up at the hobby lobby next time I go home.. 

a few months ago I would have taken it back to the shop, but its not a GW shop its a Local shop, and feels a bit stingy to hurt a nice local retaier (not when Iam reaching the type of personal funds my crazy job gives me..)


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## Uveron (Jun 11, 2011)

djinn24 said:


> Tip 1: Don't buy them
> Tip 2: Don't buy them
> Tip 3: Buy a Kolinsky crush and some good cleaner.


Cool. 

Whats good Cleaner (not my Big Black tub I keep in my home/Lab labeled SOLVENT DO NOT DRINK! probably!)


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## Djinn24 (Jan 12, 2008)

Master Brush Cleaner and Restorer is awesome for everyday cleaning and Windsor and Newton Brush Restorer for weekly cleanings.

If you look in the tutorials I have a brush cleaning and brush buying guide.


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## Lubacca (Sep 4, 2011)

May I ask what you do so I can have the crazy amounts of income to go and get more stuff for my hobby? LOL


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## Djinn24 (Jan 12, 2008)

I paint models for a living right now.


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## Achaylus72 (Apr 30, 2011)

I get a set of 6 paint brushes from my local $2.00 shop and they last me on average 6 months before replacing, when my large brush becomes to damaged it becomes my tank brush, then i get an extra 6 months out of it.

I take the care of my brushes seriously even though they are the cheap and nasty.

I was given two Citadel brushes and they lasted all of one month and i took care of them, they fell apart.


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## Lubacca (Sep 4, 2011)

djinn24 said:


> I paint models for a living right now.


I know you know Djinn lol I love your work. I was talking to the OP


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## Djinn24 (Jan 12, 2008)

Oh my bad.


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## Uveron (Jun 11, 2011)

djinn24 said:


> Master Brush Cleaner and Restorer is awesome for everyday cleaning and Windsor and Newton Brush Restorer for weekly cleanings.
> 
> If you look in the tutorials I have a brush cleaning and brush buying guide.


Great! I will check that out, thanks


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## Uveron (Jun 11, 2011)

Lubacca said:


> I know you know Djinn lol I love your work. I was talking to the OP


Heh.. 

I work out in the Oil Field, I am a Field Geologist (though mostly I am called "logger" by the rig hands) I live in a small trailer next to land rigs for the 2-3 weeks it takes to drill a well, I look at the material pulled from the hole, and report things going on to the Geologists employed by whatever company is paying for the well. 

I work, basically 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.. If a well lands over a public holiday, I work, the flip-side is that it pays well, I take home a few thousand dollars every 2 weeks.. I have free time during the day, I have to make sure I file a report (at 5am in the morning) but other than that I just have to keep on top of the small tasks, which means I can have days when I do virtually nothing (and equally others, when sleep becomes rare)

so yep...


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## Djinn24 (Jan 12, 2008)

Oh lucky bugger, you can paint pretty much full time and get a pay check!

if you ever find yourself behind the curve I do commissions  If you want to treat yourself to a nice holiday gift!


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## Uveron (Jun 11, 2011)

> djinn24 said:
> 
> 
> > Oh lucky bugger, you can paint pretty much full time and get a pay check!
> ...


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## Djinn24 (Jan 12, 2008)

Well get with me in May . I do everything from single models to full armies.


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## bitsandkits (Mar 18, 2008)

im gonna go out on a limb here and it may not be a popular thing to say but........good expensive brush bristles will also fall out,split and apply paint like shit if not look after too....just saying...and the new GW brushes i find to be pretty good to be fair to them, the old blues were shite but these new black ones are not bad


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## Dragearen (Sep 8, 2009)

I've never used the new ones, but I actually haven't had too many issues with the old blue ones as long as you clean them out well AND often. My small drybrush is fried, partially because I've been using it for basing, but my regular(I think) brush and my fine detail brushes are both doing great, a few loose hairs I've had to clip but nothing big.


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## Wolfbane (Oct 22, 2011)

I take good care of my gw brushes, and if Im painting on a daily basis, I will wear the fine detail one out in less than a month. I do bulk buy, and I inspect the bristles before I do though. I didnt even know they had black brushes now. A question about the really good expensive brushes. At what point do you deem them not worthy anymore?
I tend to have two or three fine detail brushes on the go at any one time. A new for fine details, a medium used for larger areas and a well used for overpainting, fine drybrushing etc.
How long do you have to paint with a slightly substandard brush before you deem it unworthy of the task anymore? With GW ones or the humbrols I also use, I just bin them without a seconds thought and get another out the drawer.


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