Christmas is coming!

[mahon]

Ho ho ho,

Christmas is coming, so why don't you check this out: http://chestofcolors.com/miniature-painting-christmas/

Thanks, Nameless!

[Corvus]

I thought those 300 EUR GW box sets were mandatory in such gift guides!

Seriously now: have you tried those Raphael brushes already?

[Nameless]

this is not a gift guide, just an invitation to a discussion

and yes, I had Raphael brushes and found them better than W&N7. but, I only had 1 or 2 of both, so it's a very subjective opinion.

[Corvus]

better in what way?

[mahon]

We had both W&N and Raphael brushes. As far as I am concerned - I don't really care, both brands are equally good to me, but quality of Raphaels is more predictable IMHO while W&N are more of a matter of luck. If you can pick your brushes in a store - that's fine, if you order them online it's less fun.

Ana tends to prefer Raphaels, but for example Kacpero (or I think it was him) claimed he likes to use both - the ones with shorter bristles were better for some tasks, while the ones with longer ones - for some different jobs. I can't recall it all in detail, but I think he preferred the shorter ones for freehands and detail works, and the longer ones for normal painting and/or blending...

[Nameless]

bristle of W&N7 separated quickly. Raphael brush kept the shape better.

[mahon]

bristles of some W&N brushes we bought separated before they were delivered ^^

I heard that W&N brushes suffered from quality drop some time ago. Many people moved on to different brands. I don't know if now the quality is as good as before or not yet. But we tend to stick to Raphaels now. 8404 series.

[endrem]

I've also had W&N7 brushes with a bad point, but so far I'm pretty much satisfied with them. I just love the short and pointy bristles. If you take care they live long and I treat my favorite brushes well. I clean them thoroughly after every use, on longer painting sessions, even in between. Every time I use brush soap to remove all paint rest I can. I never let them dry before they are completely clean, keep them hanging in water. This way I achieved a pretty good life span of most of my brushes.

I haven't ordered any for quite a long time, since I still have a good stock of them at home. It might very well be that I missed that quality drop. I still have to try those Raphael brushes.