Appreciation post: cheap paint brushes vs the one nice set in Columbus

I used cheap synth brushes for over a year on my Warhammer and D&D minis, thinking that was just how painting goes. Tried a friend's $25 kolinsky sable at his place in Columbus last month and the tip held a clean point the whole session, no split ends after 10 minutes. Went home and ordered my own, a size 2 from a brand I can't pronounce, and the first face I painted had eyes that actually look like eyes. The paint flows off it differently too, less dipping, more control, so I'm finishing models in about half the time. I still use the cheap ones for washes and rough basecoats, so they're not wasted. Anyone else find that one pricey tool just clicks, or did you end up tossing it back in the drawer?

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leodavis6d ago

My buddy Mike dropped $40 on a single Windsor brush for his oil paintings and swore it lasted him six years before the ferrule finally gave out. He said the cheap ones he'd bought before were basically disposable, and now he only buys that one brand when they go on sale. Have you tried switching back to a cheap brush after using a nice one, or is it all you can do to keep using the good one?