Hello. I am a beginner and about to delve into shading so am after a little advice. Badger Brushes seem rather expensive, is their an alternative brush type i could use? i note shaving brushes with round tops are somewht cheaper. Or do I really need a flat top? Any help gratefully recieved. thank you
You're right that some 3 inch badger blenders are expensive. On the other hand, they last a lifetime, and longer. The expensive ones have their purpose: for instance, if someone's doing restoration - that is, making an exact copy of an earlier glass painter's effect - the expensive blenders might be the only ones which, through the quality and thickness of their hairs, achieve the right effect. Note: might be. Many times, a less expensive blender will work perfectly.
In the studio, we have one expensive blender (several hundred pounds sterling in today's prices), and several cheaper blenders which were perfect for everyday use. The cheaper blenders also lasted decades.
The thing to do is to find a stockist for the cheaper blenders. In the UK, there is AS Handover; in the EU, there is PELI Glass Products. I don't know about the rest of the world, but if you somewhere in the rest of the world and draw a blank, the ex-UK or -EU import duties won't add that much to the cost of your purchase.
You mention you're a beginner and about to delve into shading. Now I don't know if you expressed yourself precisely, but I'd consider shading to be an intermediate technique. Second, beginners also need to learn to use a 3-inch badger blender: if you look at the "Techniques" section of this website, and work through the "letters" (articles) from the very beginning, you'll see why: what we term the "undercoat" is a key technique, a foundational technique. And you're not doing that with a shaving brush, or with anything round-headed.
Yes, therefore, you do need a flat top. A 3-inch flat-topped badger blender is the time-sanctified tool. And there are inexpensive brands available for you to buy and use for years and years.
This may be known to everyone but when cleaning HAKE soft bristle brushes the bristles would always mat up like wet dog hair for me. After wiping the bristles on a cloth to remove most of the paint. Using "FELS-NAPTHA bar soap" and warm water then scrubbing the bristles in my hand with the soapy solution until clean. This will clean the brushes very well but will leave the bristles very matted and unusable when dry. By using my pocket comb starting with the coarse tooth side and slowly combing out the tangles then switching to the fine teeth the bristle are as good as new. The comb is also cleaner. I hope this is useful.
Hello. I am a beginner and about to delve into shading so am after a little advice. Badger Brushes seem rather expensive, is their an alternative brush type i could use? i note shaving brushes with round tops are somewht cheaper. Or do I really need a flat top? Any help gratefully recieved. thank you
You're right that some 3 inch badger blenders are expensive. On the other hand, they last a lifetime, and longer. The expensive ones have their purpose: for instance, if someone's doing restoration - that is, making an exact copy of an earlier glass painter's effect - the expensive blenders might be the only ones which, through the quality and thickness of their hairs, achieve the right effect. Note: might be. Many times, a less expensive blender will work perfectly.
In the studio, we have one expensive blender (several hundred pounds sterling in today's prices), and several cheaper blenders which were perfect for everyday use. The cheaper blenders also lasted decades.
The thing to do is to find a stockist for the cheaper blenders. In the UK, there is AS Handover; in the EU, there is PELI Glass Products. I don't know about the rest of the world, but if you somewhere in the rest of the world and draw a blank, the ex-UK or -EU import duties won't add that much to the cost of your purchase.
You mention you're a beginner and about to delve into shading. Now I don't know if you expressed yourself precisely, but I'd consider shading to be an intermediate technique. Second, beginners also need to learn to use a 3-inch badger blender: if you look at the "Techniques" section of this website, and work through the "letters" (articles) from the very beginning, you'll see why: what we term the "undercoat" is a key technique, a foundational technique. And you're not doing that with a shaving brush, or with anything round-headed.
Yes, therefore, you do need a flat top. A 3-inch flat-topped badger blender is the time-sanctified tool. And there are inexpensive brands available for you to buy and use for years and years.
They're the ones you see us use in all the demonstrations. You can also see a photo of them on this page here: https://glasspaintersmethod.substack.com/p/yes
Hake brush cleaning,
This may be known to everyone but when cleaning HAKE soft bristle brushes the bristles would always mat up like wet dog hair for me. After wiping the bristles on a cloth to remove most of the paint. Using "FELS-NAPTHA bar soap" and warm water then scrubbing the bristles in my hand with the soapy solution until clean. This will clean the brushes very well but will leave the bristles very matted and unusable when dry. By using my pocket comb starting with the coarse tooth side and slowly combing out the tangles then switching to the fine teeth the bristle are as good as new. The comb is also cleaner. I hope this is useful.
Thanks, Tom Lipinski
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