PAINT BRUSHES

I thought a few words on brushes might be useful.

As much as possible I  use sable brushes. Although they are expensive I find they last and give a much better finish. They also hold the paint very well. For basic painting of screw soldiers and vehicles I tend to use brushes with man made fibres as the threads of screws tend to be hard on sable brushes and other fibres tend to be too soft so it becomes difficult to get the basic olive drab paint into the nooks and cranies of vehicles. However be warned, I find that man made fibre brushes wear out maybe quicker than you might expect.

For screws I use a number 5 brush both for the basic green uniform colour and the overlaying varnish. Rank and arm of service colours are added with a OO sable brush. For vehicles I also use a number 5 brush but wheels and horses are painted, both primer and finished colour, with a number 3 sable brush. Flags are also done with a number 3 for the primer and basic colour with detail executed with a OOO sable brush.

I am a great believer in stirring paint thoroughly. I stir every time I open a pot, even if I used it only hours before. I use round modelling wood sticks for stirring, a specific stirrer for each and every colour which are wiped after use. I also make sure there is a little fresh paint around the rim of the tin to ensure a good seal when the lid is fitted.
As mentioned before I use Humbrol paints. I also use their thinners, a bit expensive but very effective.