You've been using your brushes wrong all this time!

[@SquidmarMiniatures]

Regarding the wetpalette: I was a bit unclear in what i said in the video! If you want to be notified when the wet palette is ready for launch (it's trapped on a massive freight ship right now) you can sign up to our newsletter at the bottom of our website and we'll let you know directly when it comes out! www.squidmar.com

[@squeesmyth9025]

Do houthi have them hostage lol

[@Gorriladudes345]

i subed thanks for your videos :)

[@Zocawi]

I skip the difficult brush steps and just dip my models into paint directly. Huge time saver 🎉

[@ger5956]

Genius!!! 😅

[@mhateys]

rofl

[@MechbossBoogie]

Why stop there? Thin your paints when they're wet? Thin them on the model after they've dried, especially if you're dipping them.

[@DaruKari]

Just lick the paint and apply it directly with your tongue.

[@McGoughable]

Why am I only finding this out now!

[@ConstiausPankow]

Hey Emil, I've seen Sergio Calvo removing the excess water of the brush on a paper towel. The difference is having the towel already wet. This helped me a ton and kept me from the dreaded brush licking :P

[@SquidmarMiniatures]

Thats a good tip for those who are not strong enough to lick the brush! Good tip!

[@JasonRoe71]

This has been my method for years as well. I've also noticed significantly less erratic behavior compared to my brush licking friends. 🙃🤣

[@Beets82]

I use lint free papertowls, you can get them cheap at automotive supply shops as they are used for car paint prep.

[@758richy]

@@Beets82 Second this. Was a game changer finding the lint free paper towels. Not more little hairs on the brush tip!

[@jayfreck2]

Is kitchen roll in the UK same as lint free paper towels? It seems like it to me

[@TwitchyMofo]

This is exactly what I've been missing and it's something no painting videos ever go over.

[@ScottMcnulty-gy4mk]

I came here to say exactly this!!!

[@legionnaire5947]

I really appreciate that you made a point of dragging the brush downwards and other things that would probably sound too obvious to say out loud, I'm a beginner painter and appreciate basic advice like this! 🙏

[@AXEWebDesign]

I have been trying to search for years on how to keep my brush tip pointed and this video finally gave me that answer. Holy shit! I was drying it too much. Very profound. Thanks.

[@Gorriladudes345]

holy shiza (thats how you say it in germando)

[@historygems1190]

Thank you so much for this. I cannot work out why my brushes keep splitting and you’ve just answered the question

[@Auriorium]

But what if you want to Beat the Devil out of the brush.

[@MzfrVictorious]

Hahaha Master Ross!

[@mighty8357]

Instructions unclear. I licked my mini and painted my water mugg

[@Deletirium]

😂😂 There are many reasons why I love the internet. Comments like this are one of them.

[@puppethound]

Wow, you're lucky, I have a broken mug, a chipped tooth and my tongue is like 6 different colors.

[@jamesv.7041]

@@puppethound Yeah well I licked my..... brush...

[@grizzlyblackpowder1960]

Spit is the only medium.​@@jamesv.7041

[@Vortid]

I came here for toothbrush instructions and am also confused.

[@maevethefox5912]

Having been taught by some 'Eavy Metal guys early on was such a game changer. Realizing I've just been doing all this automatically and not knowing it wasn't common knowledge is a bit of a shock. Will also say that Kolinsky is just ... such another level. It won't make up for a lack of skill, but one you have the skills, you're able to express them so much better.

[@GriffythTV]

i have to hold the brush in my mouth (full quadriplegic) and really love youR videos. im using the artis opus brushes and they work great

[@TheScribe_TheScribe]

that's dedication to the art

[@Crioca]

That's hard core, respect.

[@JMashProductions]

Superb! I’m sure others have explained the same in tutorials I have seen but the way you break this down is so helpful and easy to understand. I have been painting for years and often wondered why I still couldn’t get the same coverage as professionals - problem certainly solved now! Thanks Squidmar!!

[@jasonevans6091]

Awesome video. I've been painting for years now and tried this out tonight and it was soooo much better than how I had been painting before. Wish I'd seen this video years ago. Thank you.

[@ochoaE3]

I have just started to get a little more serious about edge highlighting and thought the hair splitting on my brush was just me getting a bad brush from the lot. I'm glad to know the fix is just to keep the brush moist.

[@Ropsuguy]

Thanks for actually going over the tiny details and showing how to find the right balance between too dry and too wet.

[@rubenpalomollinares1479]

Great video. The moisture problem with the paper is exactly what I'm struggling right now. Thanks for all the advices!!

[@insertuniqueusernamehere]

Thank you for stepping this out. I expected this to be a video about not getting paint in the ferrule and other basic tips, but it was so much more than that. I've been painting for over a decade now and daily for the last year and never realised that the amount of moisture in the brush head could have been causing my tip to split. I'm also guilty of not rinsing out my brush frequently enough. Your advice in this video should help me keep my brushes keep their sharp tip much longer.

[@rick_bassman]

Thank you, I just started back into the hobby a month ago and after having lost my old brushes from yesteryore am only down to a citadel starter and small layer. I've been noticing how I use my brushes and how moist they are is super important. I really appreciate the breakdown.

[@dougsundseth6904]

I'm pretty sure that I have enough cadmium, chromium, bismuth, and acrylic monomer in my diet already, so I'll leave brush licking to people with dietary deficiencies. You can get essentially the same result using a wet paper towel. My paper towel becomes and stays wet quite rapidly just from use. Alternatively, you can drag your brush away from your paint drop on your we palette to get a very similar effect.

[@elendor3428]

You recommended I watch this. Honestly this was the perfect content for what I needed. Ive bought brand new brushes and thought they were faulty because they didnt keep their tip when they were dry. Ive even thrown out a couple of GW brushes for this reason. You have enlightened me.

[@dantana317]

As a person just learning, this is truth. I unfortunately have very shaky hands due to a medical condition but I keep painting and keep learning. The shakes won't ever go but my adaptation will get better. Thank you

[@campfire_minis]

I am someone who needed this video, thank you so much for saving both my brushes and my sanity.

[@Gorriladudes345]

💀 XD

[@TylerAndToast]

This is possibly the most useful painting video I've ever seen. Thank you

[@YouChen]

I recently upgraded to kolinsky brushes and I was so disappointed in the fact that they splitted all the time, resulting in a lot of frustration. Turns out it was me (not really a surprise) mismanaging the moistness! Thanks for the tips, this really came at the right time and it was incredibly helpful!

[@edwindaughenbaugh2939]

This was really validating. My technique for keeping my brush hydrated has been before I start painting to pre-moisten the paper towl I use (especially easy when setting up a fresh wett pallette) but what i hadn't considered were thr paper towel fibers. Instead of using my hand I think I'm gonna try a small moistened sponge. Don't feel bad either Emil I also lick my brush sometimes too.

[@DarkLolification]

Thanks for going so much into details ! That's really useful and few people cover this kind of thing. We all see people painting and the results but we don't really see what they're doing.

[@Elbacone82]

Adding moist before painting.. you just blew my mind!

[@BB-pn2qv]

Shockingly helpful, thank you

[@garethjamescrompton7938]

Thanks for this video, I am guilty of so many of the issues you raised without realising. Now to change tact!

[@ddstevenson1]

I always use a damp sponge to wick away the excess water from the brush

[@ryo86ok]

if you use a piece of paper instead of a paper towel, it removes less water and you can also shape it as well. My workflow is now water pot, post-it note pad, palette, post-it note pad (instead of back of hand), then paint on model. no fibres from paper towel & hands stay clean

[@MarleneSB]

Great explainations, I think anyone with a brush could learn from this, from minis to DIY decorators. Thanks!

[@thejayb1983]

I found this super helpful gave me a proper moment of clarity regarding my brush struggles, thanks gor the vid!

[@doncoterel9140]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is the type of detailed explanation/information that I’m always looking for. This will directly impact, and hopefully improve my painting, Tonight when I sit down to paint. Just as important, at least to me, my understanding of what I’m doing has been improved by the information in this video. Did I say thank you….really appreciate your content

[@TheMiniJunkie]

God...I just realized when I start a painting session, I grab my brush and start painting "dry". Can't believe I haven't been wetting it first! TIL!

[@Doids28]

Great tutorials, ive just picked up a set of the squidmar paintbrushes so im looking forward to getting their true potential out!!

[@mjdoombreed]

Glad I watched this before I opened my new brushes.

[@Xaltotun]

With how many times the word 'moist' is used in this video I'm sure @Miniac should love it.

[@TheMindBullets]

Totally dig that wet palette design! So clean.

[@cbjewelz]

awesome tutorial! we need more every tips like this. I'd like to see a "real time" airbrush tutorial showing thinning+loading paint and then swapping colors (intra-color cleaning). No one ever shows the whole process, they just gloss over it verbally.

[@cfnfl]

another good tip is two or more water pots one for rinsing and one for painting. Ideally 3 with a second rinse as some pigments are almost always going to get picked up from the initial dirty rinse water. I have perfectly fine Kolinski Sable brushes that have lasted more than 3 years

[@markbakerii920]

I got my friend a Ork combat patrol and and I are new to Warhammer table top(we've played the pc games). He loves orks I send him your videos, he is nervous about painting because he's severely colorblind. For science I want to take him to pick paints/colors that he does like and watch him paint his Ork combat patrol. Thank you for your content It helps alot.

[@Swordsnstuff]

You got me right away with the paper towel! I'll avoid this in future. Thanks! :D

[@Ainar86]

Escoda makes synthetic brushes that are almost identical to sable and some are actually better for certain tasks (they have a version that holds as much paint, keeps a good tip but is much stiffer).

[@kaz9357]

Wow, that first point, I never even realized!

[@alecryan5962]

I honestly didn't know that removing excess water with a paper towel was causing my brush to split... unfortunately I've started using artist-grade acrylics with toxic pigments, so I can't lick the brush. I'll stick to my hand for now and see if that helps.

[@sebastianpetersen2617]

Sweet, thanks Emil - definitely been messing up on a few of those - for years... Remember the link for the wet pallette once available, was the first thing I looked for :)

[@anthonywaggett9317]

Thank you for this, I have been using a relatively cheap Kolinsky Sable set from Cass Art (a UK discount art store, around £20 for a set of 6) quite happily but wanted to move up to a Winsor and Newton Series 7 for the finest detail (£25 for a size 1 again from Cass Art) but found the bristles splayed as soon as I started using it, so it went back in it's tube. Now I understand what my mistake was and will be giving it another go.

[@jorgemontero6384]

It's not supposed to splay quite like that anyway: WN has some non-trivial quality control issues nowadays, so you might find better luck with other manufacturers. Rosemary & Co series 33, and Raphael 8404s are cheaper, good brushes that might not have as good a construction as a WN made 10 years ago, but will not look like a witch's broom the second they are even a little dry.

[@anthonywaggett9317]

@@jorgemontero6384 Cheers I'll bear that in mind

[@Replicasoul]

thank you , i actually learned alot there, im a crap artist by enjoy trying

[@philgee486]

Would be a great vid just for the advice to carry more water than you'd think in your brush. Always be assessing the tip, it'll tell you everything you need to know, keep your wet palette genuinely wet and don't try to remix/rewet dry/part cured paint, a new drop is cheap, a bad paintjob is forever

[@omgitsnilsson]

I even lick my airbrush.

[@IanGerritsen]

This sounds like an onlyfans promotion : p

[@leog2257]

Most underrated comment

[@SimonUren-z9t]

So helpful, so many good tips in here, thanks for making this video.

[@TheMuffinBagare]

Great tips! I already do all of these, but they sure are good tips. (Including licking the brush. GW shades are some of the worst tasting paints. I quite enjoy Ivory Vallejo Model Color, it has a sweet taste)

[@TheFriendlyEnglishman]

Actually really helped me with this one! Thanks guys!

[@AcoylteKraven82]

Another great video!!! Even though I already knew a lot of what you covered, I still know how difficult it was to figure them out on my own! And with how the majority of these content makers edit their painting tutorial videos, you would think a lot of them don’t do any of these steps!!! My biggest issue “still” is that I know what I “want” to do and what I “want” it to look like at the end!?! But for the most part, I still don’t have any idea how to do it?!? But the reason is because now I’m trying to do far more complicated things than I did in the beginning!!! And for some odd reason I’m still having issues with wet blending! Lol I don’t get it

[@stevenborman9110]

You should do a video on placement of paint on wet palette, ie do you have a bigger blob of lighter colours near others or do you just blob it wherever?

[@SquidmarMiniatures]

I blob wherever. Every painter is different :)

[@DaruKari]

Love you guys, This is exactly the help i needed. Thank you very much!

[@keokiw2353]

I needed this!! Can't wait to give this a try

[@KuroSukotto]

dang it definitely buying that wet pallet it looks so cool

[@craigcook5121]

This is perhaps the most helpfull mini painting vid I have ever watched. Lol I’ve watched a shed load. Love it and you guys rock.

[@Wmaddox333]

I give my brush a hard little whip/ finger snap. It removes the perfect amount of water and holds what it needs, and swirls the hairs into the perfect tip. downside being you send barely a drop of water spraying into whatever direction you aim it - which isn't really bad at all.

[@alexkerridge]

Great and really useful video! Thanks Emil!!

[@JOSEDAVINCI_]

Thanks my friend !!! 🤗🤗🤗

[@blablablabla3014]

Now i feel very dumb, thx for telling me! i had the Problems with the splitting Brushes for a long time, this is an amazing Advice!

[@edwardmcdonough1426]

Excellent video! Something I do after I'm finished using my brushes & cleaning them is stroke them in brush soap, carefully shape the tip, and let them dry that way. I then use one of those gadgets to hang them upside down. The brush will dry nice and pointy; this works with inexpensive brushes as well. As far as control of the brush, I prefer to wrap my brushes in those silicone straws, cut to fit. I've never actually seen anybody use those straws as straws, but added to my brushes, it gives me much better control over the brush, easier to hold & no slipping. Hey, heard anything about the Squidmar Infinity release date?

[@ThePebblor]

😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱 I thought I kept on getting a defective brushes!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

[@StuartKushon]

Hmmm, I am one of the people that "never" had this problem. I wipe on a paper towel, and I have my "bag of tricks" which I use. So, needless to say, I was suspicious. So, I went to the drawer and pulled out a Raph 8404 of the new type. I never, ever, ever struggled with the old type with the perfectly straight handles. . . But these new brushes always split early after loading, while the old ones never do. Im convinced their hair supply changed. Anyway, this is the phenomenon described and these brushes were in the drawer so, why not try? Guess what? Squidmars trick helps! For whatever reason these new 8404 benefit much more than my other brushes from this technique. I used a wet swedish dish towel to sharpen after cleaning. Very interesting. I had no issues with 90% of my brushes, not the new 8404. I tried the trick with my favorite brushes and it dilutes the paint too much for me to be interested in using it there. So this is very much brush dependent in terms of utility for me. There is a dilution factor to be concerned with when using this approach. It's cool, and there are many other ways to skin the cat that result in more controlled and reduced dilution. Nonethless, this was a cool one!

[@danbarnaby4053]

I freaking love this video!! Thank you!

[@MrZangetsu1997]

I actually use my water cup and my wet palette to remove excess water, I can judge how much water I remove bu how much water is coming off onto the palette, that way I can avoid brush licking

[@TylerAndToast]

Now can we get a brush care and cleaning video for the kolinsky sable brushes?

[@AcoylteKraven82]

4:50- That’s actually very awesome!!! Is that the first one you’ve made? I personally think you should make a Necron one next!!! I’d get that one!!! Or Orks!!!

[@GoufinAround_]

I do the paper towel thing on the first tip....Let me test this tonight when I do some painting....

[@Gunplabro]

You can also moisten the paper towel instead of licking your brush and eating god knows what.

[@Deletirium]

​@@Gunplabro Pros pee on the paper towel, because the uric acid releases more of the colour's binding agents. Don't lick it though. Or do, it's a brave new world.

[@diyfireking]

Never boring to watch your video 👍👍

[@nicolasannawn5715]

About the brush, the funny thing is it's why I don't watch lyla the miniwitch anymore. The way the brush is brutalized is stressing me out ahah. Great video once again. Caring for the brush is vital, moreover when we spend 15-25 in a good brush. A lot of friends told me that "Raphael is shit" because they actually treat them as 2 euros brushes.

[@dylanfife5444]

Most people won’t have issues with most paints, but be careful licking the brush if you are using artist paints. Some pigments can be bad for you like cadmium pigments

[@andybillco2424]

That used to be true but most artist paints don’t use cadmium anymore. Or any other toxic material. Best to check the brands website or the bottle/tube - it’ll tell you what’s in it.

[@ProudPlatypus]

The tiny bit of diluted paint on a brush isn't going to add up too much, even drinking a bit of paint water is unlikely to hurt you, though it’s important to keep it away from pets and small children, I wouldn't recommend drinking it on a dare or anything. Air brushing toxic paints is highly dangerous though.

[@gamer7138]

@@ProudPlatypus The amount of artist that have died young in history due to this disagrees with you. Even in modern day "Nontoxic" just means as far as we know. be safe and just use a small sponge or wet a piece on your paper towel.

[@ProudPlatypus]

@@gamer7138 Well yes, historically a very wide range of toxic substances has been used in paint. Also, I forgot some places still have lead paint. Perhaps I'm underselling it a little bit too far, considering licking a paintbrush for this reason could end up being too regular a habit. Even if airborne paint is substantially more dangerous.

[@bardhathedisasterartist]

I usually use fold the paper tower to touch only the base of the bristle. This keeps the tip still fine.

[@jessicaalvis7063]

Do you have a video about kolinsky sable vs synthetic? Like, when should you use one over the other? Is it good to use oil paints, washes, metallics, or effect paints with sable brushes? Also, what about those who says that the enzymes from your spit will dissolve the glue in the ferrul?

[@TysonHamilton-io4xo]

Love your guys videos and I love your warhammer paintings but it would be cool to see you guys do like a witch song miniture or one the other companies that have sponsored you guys. They have some amazing detailed models and it would be cool to see how you guys would approach them.

[@e7yu]

This was, so very interesting and informative.👍🤠

[@artfrombelow]

I never thought a humidifier would help, I keep seeing cheap ones at the thrift store Ill pick one up

[@weshammer]

2:16 Ah, a fellow man of culture 🎨 🍷

[@sonoffire]

Great video. It'll definitely help me in the future

[@Biffiee]

Great tip for perfect brush moisture after rinsing without ingesting paints with heavy metals: Flicking the brush tip as if you are resetting mercury thermometer (hello boomers :D). I find this way I get rid of all the excess but the bristles always retain a good amount of water. After that few strokes against your dry skin, as Emil shows, also dry the brush a little bit, giving you huge amount of control of the moistness.

[@kringshot]

I always struggle with the amount of water in the wet palette (Redgrass one) so tricky to get right, what level even is "right"?!

[@rasmuskristensen5901]

To add to this, how do I avoid it pooling on top of the parchment, while still getting it nice and moist

[@16Fishwrap16]

Supposedly when it's just enough to cover the sponge fully, that's the right amount of water.

[@Met377]

This hobby is all about the moist. Noice.

[@darkestcloister]

I prefer squirrel tip brushes over kolinsky, because they somehow hold more paint and have a very consistent stroke

[@Nikita_Brus]

If i manhandled my minis like that when painting, the paint would strip in seconds. Emil must have the cleanest hands.

[@JamesHart-h2u]

You knew the hate was coming.... haha once the advice came it cracked me up....Very good advice though, thanks.

[@cerostan]

I also use the mouth on the tip ! (Of the brush)

[@758richy]

Just an idea, now that you've done a "You've been using your brushes wrong all this time!" maybe you can do a "You've been using your WET PALETTE wrong all this time!" video, because the number of people I see post photos or videos which have their wet palette in the background with air bubbles all over it and giant creases in the paper is just wild. I think a lot of people could really benefit from being shown how to properly set up a wet palette and being provided with a basic explanation of how they work, how to keep the sponge moist but not flood the palette, why it's important to remove those air bubbles and creases; how easy that is to do once you know how to do it, ways to get the most out of a wet palette.

[@Wychfyre_]

If I could paint even 10% as good as Jose I would be set for life

[@christof586]

this a huge part (50% ?) of the skills of painting, that is rarely shown. always details and personal prefferences of techniques are debaitable. but great clip about a topic that is not sexy but so important.

[@Juggale]

You know Pro Acryll has a whole ad about not eating the paint. I feel like it was made for you now Squidmar.

[@redgrass]

Great video with great tips 👏👏👏

[@davidwoody5228]

Been using my mouth to shape my brush for years. No discernible reaction so far. 😂😂

[@Beatstinger]

A wet brush is so obvious is retrospect but for some reason that didn't dawn on me when my brush hairs were splitting...

[@thesoothsayer9223]

This is going to be my go to reference for teaching basics. So hard to find someone explaining this is an easy to follow way. I had to stumble for years to get this stuff. Thank you

[@IIItiberius]

Great video - very helpful tips!

[@cerisekappes580]

Thank you 😊 Definitely a helpful video. 😊😊😊

[@MarcinEstkowski]

That is sooo useful!