Following on from my previous article about Rosemary & Co. paint brushes, if you’re using those or any brushes, then you should really invest in a pot of Masters Brush Cleaner, this stuff is absolute gold dust.
I’ve heard of many ways to keep your brushes clean, shampoo & conditioner, soap, washing up liquid, the lot, but when our very own Colonel Mustard Stevie Boxall chirped up about something called Masters Brush Cleaner, I had to pay attention. Needless to say, he likely uses this stuff to get his victims blood stains out of his mustard clothes, but after a few questions, as is my way, I was directed to Amazon, and shortly purchased a pot of this mystery unguent.
I was always one for just giving my brushes a clean with hand soap in warm water, nothing more complex, and consequently, said brushes weren’t lasting so long. I’d maybe get 8 months or so out of one but by that time they would be utterly fucked.
My first test of this stuff was on a manky old large drybrush from Army Painter, if you’re drybrushing, this is the brush you need, nicely angled, good quality, paint goes on smoothly, do NOT use your new Rosies you tit.
This thing was caked with paint right up to the head where the bristles are fixed and was beyond use to anyone.
I realise this is a regiment brush but id already cleaned the drybrush when I got the cleaner, I left this one to go hard for demonstration purposes.
Having given it a soak in warm water and offered up a prayer to the Omnissiah, I applied the magic potion.
Likely not too dissimilar to what Boardie & Pete put on their hair, only cheaper
The cleaner itself is a hard block in a screw top plastic pot, a bit like what I imagine all that expensive hair wax is like for the Corehammer Crew with big fancy barnets. Just swirl your wet brushes bristles in the wax, then manipulate it through, I tend to make small circles on a tile or something, anything will do, and it works right though the brush, loosening up all the caked on paint. You can visibly watch the paint coming out, even where you might not see so much on the bristles themselves!
Round round round round, I get around!
If your brush is really wrecked then a few applications might be necessary, but the chances are, this WILL get it back in to use. It cleaned up the aforementioned drybrush for a few more months use, and is stopping my current drybrush from getting in to such a state.
I also applied it to those edgy looking Army Painter brushes I mentioned earlier, and lo and behold, it not only cleaned them up nicely but seemed to condition the bristles so I could get a fine point again, extending the use.
Clean as a whistle and soft as anything!
My new brushes get a treatment of this about once a week to keep them spotless and the bristles in good shape, its completely next level compared with the old fashioned soap or your other halves herbal essences.
No matter what your intentions, whether you’re going for Golden Demon, or just a nice neat base coat for gaming, coupled with some good quality brushes, this stuff is not only going to make your life easier, and those figures more fun to paint but save you coin in the process. And the beauty of it is, you can buy it from pretty much every art store on earth so its not even difficult to get hold of.