REVIEW: DICK BLICK ART MATERIALS

It may seem unusual for me to review a business, rather than a product, but this is the kind of GOOD news that hobbyists and serious painters need to hear.

A few days ago, discouraged with the inferior quality of the "new" line of Citadel brushes and at the end of my rope trying to find good Kolinsky brushes locally, I broke down and ordered some brushes online.  I have always been hesitant to do this, as I do not have the opportunity to examine a brush to make sure they have (and keep) a good point.  I have rejected Kolinsky brushes by even the best manufacturers in the past, because I know that any hand-made product might have the occasional errant bristle.  The "finest sable" brushes you usually find in a gaming store have not measured up - Reaper allegedly uses Kolinsky in their Master Series brushes, but every single one I've bought has needed to be replaced within a few months.

How do you test a brush, you ask?  The fellows at Genessis Models demonstrate how in their YouTube review of W&N Series 7 Brushes.  Take a moment to view the video to get an idea of what you're looking for.  A brush that won't hold a point after just being dipped in water and run over the back of your hand, will not hold a point when dipped in paint and run along your model.

Since I can't do that with a brush I'm buying by mail, I have until now been reluctant to order brushes online.  But I remembered an article I read at Hand Cannon Online when I started getting serious about painting and using good brushes, and Ghool had mentioned that he has had good experiences with Dick Blick Art Materials.  For those who haven't heard of Ghool, he is hands-down one of the best painters of Warmachine and Hordes miniatures and I made his acquaintance on the Privateer Press forums years ago.  He gave me some stellar advice on what to use for best results, and I'm passing this along to you.

It's difficult to find quality Kolinsky brushes in the United States, for a couple of related reasons.  First is the nature of the Kolinsky sable: It is made from the tail whiskers of the Siberian weasel (not an actual "Sable" per se).  You can imagine that this is a rare animal, and even then, surely not all of the bristles are up to the standards of quality for a premium brush.

Because these brushes are made with natural hair from such a rare animal, import falls under the regulation of the US Fish & Wildlife Service.  Now, I don't expect that they have to kill these weasels just to harvest the tail hairs, but with all of the political friction between the USA and Russia, there has been a partial embargo on importing products made with these bristles.

But I digress.  The main purpose of this article was to let you know about my experience with Blick.  I ordered three brushes - a Windsor & Newton Series 7 Miniature brush in #1, and Raphael 8404 brushes in #1 and #2.  Each of the brushes was around $15 USD, which is reasonable and far less than what I paid for my W&N #0 and #00 in an art store,  Total with shipping was about $55.

When I placed the order, I noted that I am very particular about my brushes and asked them to select only pristine specimens and to please pack them carefully.  They took my request very seriously, and noted these instructions on the packing slip.

For three brushes, I was expecting a package about the size of a box of spaghetti - maybe 2"x4"x9" or so.  What I got was a much larger box - something large enough to ship a couple reams of printer paper!  Inside the box were several of those little air cushions, which surrounded a taped bundle of large bubble wrap.  Inside that was a cardboard sleeve, which had been taped around a plastic-wrapped bundle containing my three brushes.  All of them had snugly-fitting point protectors, and as expected the W&N brush came in its customary tube.  So these brushes were very well protected from the rigors of shipping and the sometimes rough handling that may occur at the hands of carriers who lack our dedication to precision and finesse.

I have never used a Raphael brush before, so I was somewhat surprised to discover that the bristles had been packed in some kind of preservative or protectant.  It was almost like they had been pointed with hair gel.  I've seen that in other brushes before (which makes it difficult to test them in a store) but it's not a big deal.  It rinses off easily in water.

I gave each of the three brushes the point test from the aforementioned video.  Both of the #1 brushes passed with flying colors.  You know a brush is good when simply dipping it in water brings it back to a nice, sharp point after use!  The Raphael #2, however, did not fare quite so well.  Close examination showed that a couple of the bristles were sticking straight out to the side of the tip.

This is not a major issue, since the #2 is intended for applying base coats to an already primed miniature.  But when you are paying $15 for a brush you have every right to expect quality - and if a couple of bristles are out of point, the entire brush will lose its ability to hold a point sooner than you should expect.  I gave Blick a call and Julia, the customer service representative, was very helpful and accommodating.  I explained my concern and she promised to ship out a replacement right away.  She advised me to discard or donate the defective brush when the replacement arrives.  Other painters who buy Kolinsky brushes from Blick have told me about this no-hassle, no-return-required policy, and it's one of the reasons I chose to purchase from them.

I like not having to go to the trouble of packing up an item, going down to the post office and then waiting for a merchant to receive the return before shipping the replacement.  I like being able to articulate a valid concern and being treated like a serious artist and not like someone who's trying to get something for nothing.  Blick is a professional art supply company that treats their customers like professional artists, and for that reason they have my continued patronage and my highest recommendation.

If you want the best results, it helps to use the best tools - and Dick Blick is the best place to get them!

NOTE: I do not recommend using Kolinsky brushes for the following: Priming (especially using my preferred Acrylic-Polyurethane Surface Primer), Metallics (which will rapidly ruin any brush), ink washes and glazes (especially Army Painter Quick Tones), and of course varnish or other topcoat (even acrylic).  All of these substances contain materials which can shorten the lifespan of a brush and impair its ability to hold a point.  Get yourself some good but inexpensive synthetic brushes at your local Michael's or your FLGS (friendly local game store) for those applications.