Brushes building a complete set...

I had a hard time this weekend with my sable brushes way too soft. Do they burn out, are they affected by the weather?
I need to brush shop- I want to set up 3 complete sets of brushes so I have a clean set for each party on any given day. Thoughts on the best acrylic brushes? Besides the #4 round what other brushes are a must in a complete set (brand?). My main set is paradise A&B I detail in DFX and have just started using split cakes ( I know I'm late to the party but you guys make them look so good).
Thanks for the input!

I like #2 rounds as well. At least two of them. One for black and one for White.

Any brands better - I am curious about what I read about the Mark Reid brushes being good. Or an I just good with LC brushes - gold vs. white takon?

I use brushes from Michael's & love them. Lowe Cornel, Royal Soft grip(I love the grip), Royal Majestic, Master's Touch, American Painter.

I like angle brushes for edges on butterflies & for tiger stripes.
3/4 flat brush split cakes
2,4,6 round for tear drops & line work
2 filber for small lines
3/4 filbert for large areas(I'm lousy w/ a sponge)
I love my sm, med & lg dotters

I'm a bit of a brush addict & probably own too many.

I use Lowe Cornell (I got a #1 and 2 round in white taklon, then bought #0, 4, 6, 8 rounds, 1/2" wash in gold taklon.), 1 Royal Soft grip (3/4" flat), and a 1/2" rake brush from American Painter. Love those.

Also have a Royal Soft grip 3/4 filbert which I don't use too often but still does the job, and a 1" flat from DeSerres, all in my working kit. Mishmash of RSG and DeSerres that have been retired (I mean to use them to practice or paint on myself before gigs, and don't...haha), and a couple of LC angle brushes that are neat but I never use.

54 brushes,7 smoothies, and 3 maxi/mini mops sighhhhhhhhh

I know in another thread we said we should start a 12 step program for us paintaholics (addicted to buying face paint)............ So I'm thinkin we might wanna throw one in there too for the secret brushaholics in the room

I have several of the Royal and Langnickel "Sofia line" of brushes...what a deal that was ( usually 49.95/brush A.C. Moore had them clearanced for $10. I also have the Loew-Cornell "LaCorneille line" golden takalon brushes, I have couple of Robert Simmons "Sapphire" brushes scooped up on clearance, I have Royal "Soft Grip" and American Painter

Really!!! it didn't look like that much until I started counting it all up. sighhhhhhhhh <-----as I shake my head in disbelief and denial.. lol


My favorites are the small script liner brushes and my 1" flat(the big daddy), and the butterfly brush that I made.

Shout out to Metina for that one...... cam out really good. Me likey very much.

You know I have yet to use a mop - are they easy to use?

I bought a classroom pack of Royal golden taklon (I think... not in front of me), I figured it would be good for festival use. Good deal, tons of brushes. They are student grade, I suppose, but seem to do the job okay. I'm so hard on my brushes at festivals, I don't like to spend a bunch of money on them. I reserve my favorite brushes for photography and fancy occasions.

But over the weekend I was at a United Art and Education and picked up a few rounds and a one stroke of their synthetic sable. I'ved never used sable before and decided to give it a go. I looked at the regular sable ones for a bit, but the synthetic ones they had seemed to have a better tip. It'll be nice to try them out. One reason I'm excited to go to convention is to see what all people use and try things out.

I've only used a mop for watercolor washes... hmmm.

A clean set for each gig?

When I'm packing up I wash all the brushes that I used (which are already clean as I clean after each person) again in clean water, douse in the alcohol, lay them to dry while I'm packing my kit, then pack them.

If I have another gig following, they are all clean and ready to use.

Although I do carry so many that even if I didn't have time to clean at the end of a gig I'd have enough to do another.

I carry about 8 with me on gigs.

Two #4's (white and black)
a #1
a #8
Three 1" filberts
and a butterfly brush
oh, and a powder brush...

that's it. I use golden taklon mostly.. but I have one sable brush that I like. Mine are the Qualita brand that Jerry's Artarama sells.. like $1.50 each.. work great!

Shannon sometimes I get stuck for time and I have 3 gigs in a day and I gotta run when I finish that last "1 more, something small" kid. I am a panic about being clean - I don't like to open my kit if the paints are dirty( mixed with another color) and I like my brushes clean. My own personal issue I know.
I am going to take that tip on alcohol - I was using this wash I got from SF - thanks.

So I got paid in giftcertificates for doing a snazz paint demo in an art store and I went to town on the brushes yesterday OMG! I can't wait to paint today.

LaCornelle Golden Taklon
Loew Cornell White Nylon
50% off!
I bought like $90 bucks in brushes
I was goofing around in the kitchen last night, cause I just couldn't stand it, before I went out last night nice and spingy
I am going to the Boys and Girls Club today to practice - I figure if I'm going to try out new stuff I might as well make some kids happy at the same time.

What a great idea to just go to the B?G clubs for practice! Duh.

I am another Paintbrush addict. I cannot resist AND I always make up "sets" of brushes to take with me but then run back and grab some favorite "security blanket" brushes too!

I can never keep my brushes upright if I have a lot of people, I wind up tossing them down to grab another it is an awful habit.

I'm much better now that I have the icecube brush holder thing. I used to set my brushes down because it was easier than putting them back in my canvas brush holder... then they'd be lost on my table. This has made a big difference in speed, etc.

I used a mop when I 1st got started. It's hard to keep them the right consistency of paint & water. I'd always end up to soggy. I also find it hard to get in the eye area by the tear duct. I still keep the mop around for the occasional quick ball on a little shy boy face or hand.

what is a mop? all that comes to my head is the ones to "mop" the floor!!

i'm with you acarreon lol....I have no idea what a mop is - besides the one that mops the floor

A mop it is a round shape sponge, they are grate and save you a lot of time when you need a round shape small or big, and grate to use it with rainbow cakes to.
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTuJlKA8iEZnnRgxCKiWmIV9mYCtvoFKI0PNBGOMqlOW5hKpj4pkA

I found that using a little mop to do the eyeshadows is more effective than brushes.

Just getting started, wheres a good place online to order these brushes, Lacornelle golden Taklon

The FacePaintForumShop.com (the brightly coloured rectangle in the header above this column sells some awesome Taklon brushes. Taklon is the material. You can get it in many different brands.
I love Loew and Cornelle 7000C series and the "yellow handled brushes"
http://www.facepaintforumshop.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=4
Different painters will give you different favourites and preferences. Try different brushes and paints at Jams.
Happy Painting!

I have a Loew Cornell #2 yellow handle and I'm very impressed with it's elasticity compared to my others. It's tear drops are noticeably cleaner, as well as it's line work. Perhaps I will get a full set.

aah...thank goodness for pictures- I was "mop" confused for a minute. Seems we're talking about sponge mops, also called pouncers, daubers or dabbers.

There's also a mop brush, which is a round, full bristled brush (think of a blush brush). I was very confused as to how those would be used on a split cake!