Cheap Synthetic Brushes Vs. Expensive Sable Paintbrushes- Microscope examination!

[@GoobertownHobbies]

I got the idea for this video from chat while hanging out on Twitch! I'm in the habit of streaming on twitch Sunday afternoons ~~ 3pm EST. See ya there! :-) www.twitch.tv/goobertown_hobbies

[@panicbombarcade4283]

I have been anticipating this since that stream! Bravo great video!

[@davedogge2280]

hey Goobertown you mentioned that you restored some brushes using just 'rubbing alchohol' and the results looked decent. You got a video showing how you do that ?

[@pepi560]

Remember: Dont do twitch kids

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

Thank you for doing this buying / painting guide!!

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

TIMESTAMPS for the paintbrushes' brands (I did not include prices, since those can change depending on the country you live and whether you are watching this video now or in the future): SYNTHETIC PAINTBRUSHES 0:50 Eve Wand Makeup Brush (Disposable eyeliner) 1:10 One Happy Choice - Size 00 1:28 Plaid / Folk Art Golden Taklon 1:53 Sax Optimum - Size 0 2:54 Sax Optimum - Size 6 (for basecoats) 3:12 Artist's Loft Vienna No. 1 3:51 Army Painter Hobby: Highlighting 4:19 Citadel STC Base S (for basecoats) 4:51 Citadel Base S (small, blend of synthetic and natural hair bristles) NATURAL PAINT BRUSHES 5:33 Army Painter Wargamer: Regiment 6:30 Army Painter Kolinsky Masterclass (ideal for eyeballs) 6:51 Winsdor & Newton Series7 - Size 1 7:20 Citadel Artificer Layer XS 8:15 Microscope examination

[@DSShirls]

I would absolutely love to see a video with your process of how you rehab those older brushes, they look great when you were done with them!

[@frankbranham7404]

Yep. Rehab and brush cleaning care tips/process would be priceless.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

I intend on making this video for sure! The quick answer is rubbing alcohol to get the gunk out, and brush soap to condition them a bit.

[@eduardorodriguezcorrea7386]

@@GoobertownHobbieswill try this

[@berlinberlin4246]

+1 for a video about the brushes and/or? Paint rehab.

[@fischziege]

Would also love to see Goobs work here. Midwinter Minis has a nice video on this, also.

[@JaapZeldenrust]

I get the impression that brushes marketed as specialized tools for mini painting generally give you less value for money than brushes from non-specialized brands. It does make sense economically, as they operate in a space where there's less competition (game store vs. art supplies store) and they do provide some value for the buyer by explicitly informing them that a specific brush is suitable for the intended task. If you're going to be painting base coats, a brush that's marketed as being good for base coats is probably a decent choice. It might be functionally identical to a no. 5 brush from a general brand that 30% cheaper, but if you don't know enough about brushes to tell that they're basically the same, you might want to pay the extra 43% to be able to stay in the store where you just bought a mini and not run the risk that you buy something that just doesn't do what you want it to. It also fits my anecdotal observation that many people switch to general art brands once they have enough experience to know what they're looking for.

[@Rebecca-zj4wq]

As a laboratory scientist, i just wanna say your slide prep is just fine.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

so many air bubbles! ;-) thanks though, I appreciate it

[@Rebecca-zj4wq]

@@GoobertownHobbies if you're prepping more in the future, it can be helpful to touch down one side of the coverslip first, then drop it from that angle. Also "pre-cleaned" slides are rarely that clean.

[@lukehill9934]

Also a lab scientist, and seconding this. You did fine. The really pretty slides you see in publications are the ones that turned out GREAT and got saved in a "fit for publication" folder somewhere, where the rest got turned into aggregated data and used in a graphical form. The stars really have to align just right for a slide to have no bubbles or other problems of any kind, and for the light to turn out just the way you want it.

[@Sachaztan]

Yeah, in my lab we typically use a mounting robot for our slides but when you have to mount manually it never turns out as good as with the robot.

[@Kaiesis]

As a youtube commentator, i just wanna say your slide prep s just fine.

[@ooll25]

The cats are on top form this episode

[@GoobertownHobbies]

always :-)

[@SentientTent]

I'm a traditional painter, and this is probably the best video ive seen on brush comparisons. Really knocking it out of the park here on how the different brush fibers interact. might need to pick up some of those $0.07 brushes for single use fine detail work.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Pretty neat, eh? :-)

[@reneg8]

For content: Could you test the adage (that for example squidmar is saying) that you should use cheap brushes for metallics, because it messes them up or destroys them for other non metallic color use? I think the microscope could be very beneficial here. Testing old wifes tales as an idea, or like hobby myth busters.

[@niall142]

I'd love to see that!

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

Metallics apparently contain very large pigment particles, and from my experience, they dry and goop up the brush very quickly and are quite difficult to clean. I can’t say if they do lasting damage to the brush, but you don’t want to get them up in the ferrule, as that will be very hard to remove.

[@Jonas_Fox]

You're doin the lord's work. Thanks Brent. ❤

[@PerfectionHunter]

People within Games Workshop have revealed that GW-brushes are in-fact just rebranded Winsor & Newton brushes.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

ah yes! I remember hearing that. This makes sense, they even come in the same plastic tubes! :-)

[@batmandalorian5504]

Yeah that "lead bristle" on the GW brush is common in W&N brushes as well.

[@truesprue]

One of the best informative vids in this channel!

[@richardmarriott-smith9517]

Great video. Seeing the brush bristles under high magnification was very interesting. What jumped into my mind on seeing the images was, “a picture is worth a thousand words…”. You can immediately see the difference, especially when you showed the ends of a single hair and a single fiber. Thanks Brent.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

The differences between those individual bristles was WILD, eh? :-)

[@oddmandrill1260]

just wanted to say i fell down a rabbit hole of your videos and i love it. i just recently started painting and your videos are great inspiration

[@GoobertownHobbies]

welcome aboard!! :-) I hope you're having fun with your first models!!!

[@oddmandrill1260]

@@GoobertownHobbies im absolutely loving it thanks for the reply!

[@benjaminrogers8875]

Need that scope to paint eyes.

[@comlitbeta7532]

Only the bad workman blame his tools

[@photonfartsqueeze6694]

Your hand movements wouldn’t be fine enough for it to work. You’d barely move your hand and you’d have the brush totally out of frame.

[@thecuriousboardgamer]

@@comlitbeta7532Excited to see your video painting minis with a 2" flat nylon paint brush from Home Depot. ;)

[@avinashtyagi2]

​@comlitbeta7532 That's only true to a certain point, if your vision is weak for example, then you certainly need good tools to make up for it, such as a magnifier and probably a good pair of glasses, regardless of your overall skills.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

I'll try it someday for lols :-)

[@MrMxyzptlk5]

Always such a pleasure to get the notification for your videos. They cut through the noise of a lot of hobby content by being informative, non-clickbaity and full of personality, truly in a league of their own.

[@theandf]

Agreed about the rush of seeing a notification from Goobertown. I also think it helps that he doesn't flood us with updates just for the sake of it; you know when there's an update that it's going to be high quality.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

awww, thanks for hangin out! 🙂

[@michaeltribou4261]

Thank you for the deep dive on the different types of brushes

[@Dracobyte]

I love that yhis video is very informative, insightful and does not need a clickbait title!

[@GoobertownHobbies]

thanks for watchin! :-)

[@Dracobyte]

@@GoobertownHobbies you are welcome!

[@doomdog797]

Artist loft black and yellow are my go to. Love em

[@GoobertownHobbies]

cool! I've used a few of them and they're not bad... and they're locally available! :-)

[@Finkeldinken]

YES, some OG Goobertown nerdery! This is my kinda shit. And I know some watercolor artists who will love this one, so I'll get sharing. ❤

[@GoobertownHobbies]

yay!!! thank you finkel pruh!

[@Finkeldinken]

@@GoobertownHobbies I got you, little brother 🥰

[@stephenx2857]

i love the shots where the cat is intently looking at the brush or what's going on under the microscope. would lay odds there's an out take or two of little kitteh paws trying to bat the brush off that little holder.

[@boyfrog5809]

the cats, the topic, that was awesome. you always bring great ideas!

[@MentoliptusBanko]

This is very interesting. Thanks for showing us this microscope images.

[@theezekarion164]

Let's get down on that "GOOBERTOWN!"

[@TheBod76]

Great video! I would love to see you paint on a plastic sheet under the microscope with different brushes!

[@GoobertownHobbies]

This is a good idea- actually I bet it would be easy to just paint directly on a glass slide... I bought a box of 100, gotta do something with the rest of them! :-)

[@jasontrinque]

@@GoobertownHobbies You should look at how different paint finishes (matte, satin, gloss) and primer are under the scope. Great Video!

[@geosyrrus6423]

​@@GoobertownHobbiesI'd be especially interested in seeing paint bead up on over-primed surfaces vs a proper coat. Or maybe the difference between air brush vs hobby-specific vs Krylon.

[@Shiftarus]

Awesome idea

[@Sigh_Bold]

I watched the rehab video followed by this one and I have got to say this style of evidence based analysis with the microscope are packed with knowledge I would never know. Thank you for these videos and I hope to see more in the future for other miniature equipment. Curious what you could do comparing paints and what not as well.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

I love digging into this kind of stuff, I've learned a ton this way. I've got a microscope video about metallic paints, and an older science video about pigments... but I definitely have more science that I wanna do on paint! 🙂

[@Sigh_Bold]

@@GoobertownHobbies oh nice I'll check those out!

[@Banshun]

My father trained as a sign writer back when it was still done by hand. I still have some of his fine detail brushes from the 1960s. He always said 'Look after your brushes and they will look after you.' He meant always keep them clean. I am often surprised at how many mini painters don't clean and store sable brushes after each session. My father also said professional tools don't make you a better artisan, but they do allow you to do the job with less trouble.

[@matthewroderique7468]

As a signwriter myself, $28 for a brush is actually cheap, I myself own some $200+ brushes, I not only clean them regularly but also re-oil them, and some of my brushes are over 15yrs old and are still close to perfect

[@Banshun]

@@matthewroderique7468 My late father would be happy to hear the craft still exists. Yeah. The brushes expensive to the mini painting community are not really expensive at all, and they can still last years with the correct care because we should only really be using them for the detail work.

[@paintball582]

@@matthewroderique7468 I’ve never heard of oiling a brush. Would you mind explaining it? I always clean my sable brushes with Master’s soap after each use, but I’d love to step up my brush care.

[@BalooSJ]

I feel that a good brush raises the ceiling of what you can do, but if you don't have the skill to take advantage of the increased quality it's not going to help.

[@matthewroderique7468]

@@BalooSJ great point, yes I still have cheap brushes but for high end work a good brush is essential

[@scottcary9260]

Always learning, it is cool to be a nerd. This is cool

[@Garrth415]

Stuff like this is why I love Goobs, just a quick interesting dive into something a lot of us wouldn't think of.

[@defenderfortheEld]

I really appreciate the scientific approach to this question. I have constantly asked myself if I was going about things the wrong way preferring synthetic brushed(mostly for the cost point). I also really appreciate you saying the brushes that you use the most!!!!

[@ImaginerImagines]

This was so educational. As a miniature painter for years I'd heard that natural brushes were better, and now I see why.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

kinda cool to see, right? :-)

[@ImaginerImagines]

@@GoobertownHobbies Heck yes. Again thanks. It will definitely factor into my next brush buying decisions.

[@arlenneylon4755]

Nothing like some sweet hobby science to get you ready for the week.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

that's the spirit :-)

[@rexfrancorum7173]

I love the science videos! Well done!

[@Sluggernaut]

A new video just in time for my birthday! Thanks! Edit: This was great. Even if the information isn't super scientific, it's helpful. How were those brushes restored?! Wow!

[@orsonincharge4879]

2:26 Mr Cat is purring in approval

[@PhYnKL]

Goobertown doing the hard work to dig up the answers we didn’t know we needed. Thanks, Brent!

[@dances4980]

What a fantastic video! Educational, entertaining, and original also? meta breaking.

[@wastelandnerd]

8:14 I like how you put it "it looks decent, this is what 28 $ will get you at the Warhammer store these days" 😏🤣

[@GoobertownHobbies]

heh, what else is there to say? :-)

[@SJGvP]

That was awesome! Never stop making hobby science videos. They are the best. Since a few years I've started using Chinese calligraphy brushes to paint my miniatures. And despite being dirt cheap they hold their points much longer than the synthetic arts and crafts brushes I used before. I'm not sure if the hairs on these calligraphy brushes are synthetic or natural. I would be interested to see those under a microscope if you can get hold of some.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Oooh, thanks for the tip! I'll have to look into this :-)

[@fredericapanon207]

@@GoobertownHobbies I second that request!

[@lrstudio3221]

Great video! I'm a professional landscape, wildlife and portrait artist, and I've bounced around various brands and types of brushes for years and have finally landed on Rosemary and Co brushes. Great quality throughout their line. Now, while I don't mind paying a high price for a great brush (I regularly pay upwards of $100 for single brushes) I HAVE learned important lessons that save me money in the long run. First and foremost don't use expensive brushes for work that will never be seen. In oil painting as in miniature painting there is initial block in work that my clients never see. I have a set of decent but cheaper synthetic brushes that are used for laying down basic shapes and deciding on hues and values. This work is often the hardest on a brush so I keep to my cheaper sets for this. Later in the painting I bring out my finest Kolinsky Sables where their precision matters and can be noticed. The 2nd important lesson I've learned is that having an effective cleaning process is a must. I invest a good chunk of money in my brushes and I take great care to make sure they are well cleaned and maintained between use. I've some brushes that have lasted for years, and while natural hair will eventually loose their tips due to abrasion, if maintained properly they can be used very effectively as what I call support brushes. (For instance when I paint a cat's whiskers, I rarely am able to do so without wobbles here and there in them. To fix it, I use a nice older sable brush, fill it with mineral spirits and push the line of paint into a nice even whisker.) I enjoyed this video and have subscribed! Well done!

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Right on! Thanks for sharing your experience, this is super useful :-)

[@lrstudio3221]

@@GoobertownHobbies thank you, kindly!

[@jamesgherbaz7009]

This channel produces the best "Hobby Science" content. Interesting information, always positively presented and great reminders to think for yourself and remember the limited sample size/ scope of what is being shown. 10/10 work Brent 👍

[@GoobertownHobbies]

I'm glad you like this stuff! I love doing it, it's just a matter of me figuring out some cool things to show :-)

[@Beniah107]

Your lab assistants are great. 😼

[@adammoore251]

Amazing video. As a man of science I can really appreciate it. You can see a groove down the sable hairs.

[@xDasNiveaux]

I love your painting science videos. These scratch some itch for me. Could you show us your deep clean routine? I might save some brushes from my "rough up or let my child use" pot.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

indeed! time for us all to do some deep cleans 🙂

[@fredericapanon207]

@@GoobertownHobbies , my niece (11-12 years old) paints a lot but she does NOT take care of her brushes. It hurts to see the state they are in.

[@mjpete27]

Hullo Brent, I still have a Kolinsky Brush my Gran gave me before she passed away. I use it for watercolor painting and it is 50 years old! It is a size 12 and just keeps going and it is because she and I keep it clean and never sitting in a glass or container of water! Masters Soap and brush cleaner is the brand I use, but I have used several over the years and most do a very good job as long as you are kind to your brushes! I have tried several synthetic brushes over the years and in the past 10 years or so they have greatly improved! There is even some new mixes of natural and synthetic hair brushes that work as well as full natural hair brushes! Some Artists say they are better as the synthetic hair had good retention properties that some natural hairs lacks. Wonderful video and I look forward to your brush cleaning video!

[@GoobertownHobbies]

That's so cool! I really want to learn more about what's out there for modern synthetics, hopefully they really do get better every year :-)

[@Spartan536]

I have 2 Kolinski Sable brushes, both from "The Army Painter", they are ultra fine and cost about $10 a piece, but when you need to get into the finest of details there is just no substitute. 90% of my miniature painting (I am new to this) has been done with synthetic brushes, I use Winsor & Newton Cotman/University 100% synthetic brushes for that. I have size 0000 to size 2 from Winsor & Newton. They are a top shelf name brand and are still 50%+ cheaper than Citadel and their brushes are better. I can tell the difference between super cheap brushes and my Winsor & Newton ones when painting based on how they "feel" when painting such as control, release, point accuracy, streakiness, and capacity.

[@boshhh123]

Is that the Army Painter Masterclass brush? Its a 00 right? I had their Regiment brush which I thought was nice even though I read bad reviews for it online (the point has eventually gone but I was kinda abusing it/not cleaning it regularly, before then it was good). I might give the W&N Cotman ones a try, are they soft synthetics or firm/springy synthetics (like the orange ones taklon ones)? I kinda like the firmsynthetic fibres when basecoating because I can jab my brush into cracks/crevices with the confidence the point will re-shape and I wont ruin the brush.

[@Spartan536]

@@boshhh123 The Army Painter ones are the Masterclass ones which includes their Psycho brush for micro fine details. As for the W&N Cotman, they are more of a middle ground which makes them really easy to control.

[@ohjay93]

This video was great! You said it so well: "When I see this picture I understand why natural hair brushes last longer than synthetic brushes"

[@GoobertownHobbies]

thanks! yeah things suddenly make sense when you see that massive magnification! :-)

[@Ainar86]

This was awesome! And just to explain that feeling of strength you get from natural hair, the reason for their durability is elasticity coming from the layered structure. The synthetic strands are made from nearly uniform material making them inherently more susceptible to permanent bending and breaking. Now there is a company called Escoda that claims to make synthetic brushes that perfectly replicate behavior of natural hair but I have yet to try them as they can cost as much or even more than sable. Also, my favorite brush so far is Raphael 8404 size 4, I highly recommend that series.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

that's really cool! now I want to buy a more expensive microscope and start looking at cross-sections of hairs and bristles :-) Thanks for the information, I'm really curious about the advancements in synthetic brushes!

[@HumanistGordian]

Brent do a video about surface structures of the different materials minis are made of under the microscope, metal , different plastics, resin, etc that eould be interesting especially how primer adheres or even fills up irregularities on the surface. You could even do microscopic imaged of different painting methods, washes, blends, drybrushing, layering, stippeling, etc. You just opened a whole new range of videos for your channel.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

dang that's a good idea!! texture of primers... hmmm yess...

[@YTAlpha01]

Thank you for the interesting video.....I often use the curved tip of a synthetic brush to reach a spot on a mini that I can't get a straight tip to reach.

[@oriel2962]

Whoa, did you read my mind?! I was actually just wondering about your opinion on this exact subject!

[@itsjustbrodie2681]

Echoing the many people who want to see your brush restoration methods. Especially with your approach in videos like this, I think it would be really helpful. And there are a lot of products on the market recently but it's hard to find reliable info on any of them, let alone if they're necessary or better compared to something that might be cheaper and more accessible

[@M3Studios]

Imma remind you from our painting faces class that you don't need a smaller brush for painting eyes, you need a brush with enough belly to keep the paint active and have a good tip. You are really going to love that WNS7 and I bet it'll be your best brush for painting eyes from now on.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Hehehe thanks for all the tips!! :-)

[@M3Studios]

@@GoobertownHobbies thanks for all the super informative videos! Loved the approach to this one, a really good study on brush fiber.

[@schlitzie72]

great video, very eye opening. My take from this is that synthetic brushes are best for rough work (base coating, dry brushing, or using textured paints) while the natural brushes are better for more delicate work and fine detailing (painting eyes, panel lining, and such). I've kinda always had that notion, and this video further cements that. Of course your mileage may vary. Keep on painting bravely my friend!

[@HeretixAevum]

Yeah I think this is a good conclusion to make. I've only been in the hobby for less than two years so I've been using cheaper synthetic brushes and have been a bit frustrated at how the tips haven't lasted. Seems like it would be worth picking up at least one good sable brush for painting those smaller details. Some rubbing alcohol for cleaning, too!

[@schlitzie72]

@@HeretixAevum of course one of the pros of synthetic brushes is that they are cheap and pretty easy to find in the wild

[@Dracobyte]

Very interesting observation!!

[@vickyguarnieri9385]

Thank you for making this. VERY COOL!

[@chaoticpainting1507]

Brent strikes again! Love how you approach the hobby with a scientific mind to provide to us amazing information that we can't find anywhere else but here! Thanks for taking the time to investigate the brushes and the treasure trove of information you've provided!

[@DingoPaints]

Wow, its good to see the differences in the brushes.

[@sciencegeekgrandpa8]

my favourite kind o' Goobertown video. I do love me your hobby science!

[@derekgarcia3069]

The extreme closeup of both hairs, combined with the side biy side of the older brushes before and after cleaning, was really striking. A very "ah ha!' Moment in the difference between the two.

[@iRiselyTech]

When I started painting models, I used cheap brushes for about 5 minutes before I bought multiple different W&N Series 7 Miniature brushes. I will never, ever buy another brand after using them. And considering they are made by hand and by eye, they are seriously impressive and imo, a cut above the rest

[@GoobertownHobbies]

nice! thanks for sharing your experience :-)

[@iRiselyTech]

@@GoobertownHobbies Thank you for your reply! I’ve followed your channel for a while, you’re one of the reasons I took up model painting! 😁

[@GoobertownHobbies]

right on!!! such a good hobby :-) @@iRiselyTech

[@jpboy79]

Thanks for taking the time to a bit deeper into these things!

[@MikeNmurdoc]

I really appreciate kitty's dedication to science! Awesome vid as always

[@DanteMac26]

So I'm guessing we're looking at paints next? You could probably even do different episodes for different types of paint. A video for oil paints, an acrylics episode, washes, metallics, panel liners! The list goes on and on!

[@RottenJeeves]

Pro tip.: Dont waste your money on a tiny brushes to paint eyes. Buy a Micro-Pen Fineliner Size 005.

[@brianrussell3356]

Hell yeah man, bringing the science to mini painting. Love it! See ya in Texas next week!

[@Bodkin_Ye_Pointy]

Here's a tip for your tool box/ For clipping off those errant strands of fibre on old brushes, use nail clippers. The curved shape of the blade allows you to be selective about the strands you want to clip and they are sharp enough to take that fibre out.

[@DaniCal1forn1a]

Ahhh yes this is such a good tip! I use some cuticle nippers myself, the pointed end and plier-like grip I can hold them with means I can be super precise 😊. I also like to gently grab the rogue strand with tweezerman pointed tweezers to isolate it and make sure I'm not catching anything else - cheaper tweezers would probably be fine but I only buy tweezerman ones because they stay really sharp while also being grippy enough because of the shape of them I think? The point is very precise but the inner surfaces are flat against each other when you close them so you can get hold of really fine hairs/fibres without just chopping them like I've found cheaper tweezers to do 🙃

[@antongunther3977]

I bought like 100 synthetic brushes for less than $10. They are great for base coating (you dont generally need precision) even when their tips start to bend. They are also great for paints and effect paints that you dont want to expose to your nicer brushes (texture paints, rust paint, oil, ect). Everyone should have at least a pack of these as sacrificial brushes.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

yupyup, synthetics are perfect for basecoats!

[@lukastemberger]

And also, you avoid cruelty to animals.

[@ClaytonPajot]

I'm really loving the deep dives into the science and finer physical details of our mini painting hobby.

[@echodelta2426]

Great video. Thanks for the scientific review Brent

[@HasteHobbies]

Very cool. Appreciate your science hobby niche maaaan.

[@JayAdan]

The One Happy Choice brushes are my day-to-day workhorse brushes. I use them for almost everything. Learning to love cheap brushes really was a good move for me.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

I get lots of use out of those too :-)

[@the.witch.of.november]

Gotta love the orange floof trying to get pets while you were filming this 😍

[@ovan2190]

This is fascinating! It's always said Natural hair brushes are the better than synthetic. But until you get something like this video to show the difference it just sounds like a "this is better because I like it" but even just showing the difference between them makes the "argument" more understandable even if it's just based on the look of the brush Great video Brent

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

Thank you for doing this buying / painting guide!!

[@Dracobyte]

Yeah!

[@theandf]

Halfway through the video, and I gotta say: I admire what you do. Science applied to finding truths and myths about our hobby. Like the thing you did a while back about the relative usefulness of priming (I quote it everywhere and people still resist believing in a result demonstrated empirically). This about brushes is illuminating (it also shows that, like with wine, more expensive is not always better). Please keep uploading this kind of videos, they are very enjoyable!

[@mattratcliffe2181]

I love how we can take a nerdy hobby and make it even nerdier. It amazes me where my attention will be pull.

[@dspartan007]

awesome video, never saw something like this on any other miniature painting channel. Great Job.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Thanks for checking it out! :-)

[@aaronbono4688]

Always providing a fresh perspective on an old topic. Thanks so much.

[@RuthlessMojo]

I have been using a digital microscope for my miniature painting for quite a while now. My microscope has a HDMI out so you can connect a larger screen. For the last year I’ve been collecting hobby gear to start my own hobby channel that will focus on budget diy hobby tips, advice and product reviews. It will also feature my own home brew recipes for paints and hobby supplies. Hopefully I should be up and running soon. Seeing this was very interesting as I have purchased over 100 brushes to compare. Great video.

[@kevinsoney3051]

Our hobby is pretty from the get go. This even more geeky. I Love It. Science. Knowledge. Fun.

[@kevinsoney3051]

*geeky is missing.

[@harkejuice]

I was a huge stickler for cheap brushes until I ran out of brushes that didn't have hooks in them and noticed my one regiment Army Painter brush still had a pointy tip for a bit after it was cleaned. I eventually caved and obtained a W&N Series 7 and I'm blown away at how durable and responsive it is. Going to have to crunch out some more commissions to afford some more ha!

[@GoobertownHobbies]

that regiment brush was a surprise. I've used several of them, but never really appreciated them until I put it under the microscope!

[@ZombieApocalypse09]

Inspired to practice some brush necromancy on my natural hair brushes.

[@Gogking1414]

Hobby science! It’s back!

[@theChistu]

This is the best brush video I've ever seen and your research assistants are adorable. Can't wait to see what other use cases you come up with for the microscope!

[@Theexplorographer]

3:44 That Artist Loft brush looks like they added a few thicker bristles in to make the brush stiffer? At least that is what it looks like to me. Very odd.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

I wonder if those are bristles that were put in "backwards" There's definitely directionality to the bristles, they're thick on one end and thin the other... it's a good question for sure!

[@Theexplorographer]

Thanks for your testing and insight. Was a good watch. @@GoobertownHobbies

[@kleinerfisch43]

Thank you for doing the hobby sience for us, very informative and easy to understand ... really appreciated 😊

[@RoblikestoPaint]

I've gotten some looks at Michaels for pulling a magnifier card out of the wallet and inspecting brushes.

[@Deris87]

You're always bringing us novel video concepts that end up being very interesting and educational. Thanks!

[@GoobertownHobbies]

thanks! I gotta keep coming up with new ideas... :-)

[@shilor6348]

This was very cool to see! I use mostly natural hair brushes since that dreaded curl in synthetics tends to happen pretty quickly. You should make a video on how you restore bad brushes, the ones you did on here look great!

[@tuskarthetauren]

So cool to see the bristles in such detail - it's amazing. Thanks a lot Brent.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

yeah! it's pretty neat, eh? :-)

[@abeenocees4299]

I’ve been shopping for my first natural hair brushes, and I appreciate this video popping up at the right time! I think if I had a microscope I’d be putting everything I own under it for curiosity’s sake. Would love to see different paints, mediums, inks, etc. magnified. Also a a cat whisker if you find one unattached. That’s what I use to dot mini eyeballs lol

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Absolutely! Microscopes are fun :-)

[@mattcongdon3283]

Have you tried a “synthetic kolinsky” brush before? I snagged some at the local artist supply store for ~$7-9/brush and found they were solid performers. Wear out faster than my natural hair brushes but had better performance than the mid tier gold taklon I was using before. There seems to be an industry push to find a way to make better synthetics to avoid all the issues that come with Russian weasels.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

I'll keep an eye out for these, good quality synthetics are definitely needed. It's hard to tell when it's just marketing hype or when the synthetics actually are something new and different... Let me know if you have a recommended brand! 🙂

[@mattcongdon3283]

@@GoobertownHobbies I have had good luck with the Princeton “Velvetouch” line so far - found them at Artist & Craftsman in Portland. They have a pretty dizzying array of options there at every price-point so it was hard to decide.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

nice! well... that's on my list of things to do this week hehehe@@mattcongdon3283

[@drmcweazel]

Oooh, man! If you'd told me that second Regiment brush you pulled out came from my own stash, I'd have double checked to make sure none were missing. Glad to see I'm not the only one who's a fan of the Regiment brush, though. Those things have been my workhorses for years. Overall, this whole video's been pretty enlightening, even if I don't think it's gonna change my brush buying habits.

[@RRonco]

This was spot on righteous fun up my alley on a rainy Sunday afternoon. I'm an ink grinder myself, and horsehair and badger brushes are more to my liking. I bet horse and badger hairs would look like garden hoses or inner tubes next to a sable hair under magnification 😅

[@DauntlessPanda1986]

Great video. Synthetics have definitely come a long way to replicating a natural hair brush, but they’re not quite equal yet in my opinion. Would really appreciate a video going through how you restore and condition the brush as you’d give good insight into reasoning

[@pauljs75]

It appears they can't completely avoid getting bubbles into the polymer mix in the extrusion process. If they can solve that, then they'd be much more on par. (Better quality synthetics get close to doing so.) It's the little bubbles that cause breaks or weaken things as the synthetic fiber narrows from being stretched out. If you look into how "wet spinning" works, then that likely gives a good idea of what is going on when they make the fibers.

[@peacemaker00]

Ive had huge success with W&N series 7 and Raphael Kolonsky sables both have lived through years of punishing use.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

good to know! thanks for sharing your experience :-)

[@vaebntei]

Just wanted to say I genuinely enjoy your content. Relaxing, educational, and enjoyable. So yeah, thanks for doing this.

[@TheRedBard]

JUST bought one of these microscopes to paint with and while it didn't do what I wanted, it does what it does incredibly!

[@GoobertownHobbies]

pretty cool, eh? :-)

[@fredericapanon207]

Are you painting tiny, miniature paintings with your microscope?

[@AllinWhenPlaying]

That faulty bristle is something in W&N is something that would warrant a replacement, as it seems to pass QC where it shouldn't. They are really serious about this, so shouldn't be a problem. Easier in UK where you can actually contact the factory and give them the QC number that comes with the brush. I think you're really missing Raphael here, those are insane - contrary to Artis Opus that are essentially a kickstarter scam with a very, very nice storage box(this would prove it) as the wick is the same as Rosemary and Co (that are good in itself) and only the wood is changed.

[@origulator]

very interesting video. Have you thought about making a video about cleaning your brushes? Mine never look that good even after a deep clean.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

I plan to! the answer for the brushes in this video is just IPA :-)

[@will6258]

Love this. As others have said, would love to see your routine for both caring and rehabbing brushes. Thanks for the video!

[@komma8203]

Been missing these videos, you should do more of this thecnical stuff vids

[@GoobertownHobbies]

I've got some planned :-)