Price: varies by
brush product line and style
www.dynasty-brush.com
718-821-5939
info@dynasty-brush.com
I was pleased to
receive a package of fine artists’ brushes from Dynasty, a NY-based family
company that both manufactures and imports these products. Artists are
as finicky about their brushes as we modelers are about our favorite tools
(and in many cases brushes straddle that fine line between both fields).
Jacqueline Mink at Dynasty provided a variety of brush styles
for this review. Dynasty’s product line ranges from the Kid Dynasty
“Early Learning” brushes (probably an apt selection for my hamfisted painting
skills) through their exclusive Black Gold series. These are hand crafted
using synthetic bristles, kiln-dried handles, and seamless metal ferrules.
List prices as given in Dynasty’s catalog range from around $5 up to the low
$20 range for the most expensive styles. Sets are also available.
I don’t think I really appreciated what a difference a good brush can make
in the quality of a painted finish till I started playing with the Black Gold
line – my previous “better” brushes (collected over a lifetime of modeling)
have been relegated to the scrubbing, washing, and (gasp) putty application
pile.
If Black Gold isn’t your cup of (Texas) tea, you might want
to take a look at Dynasty’s DB Brush and Dynasty Brush Collection series.
These mid range and entry-priced brushes represent an affordable compromise
to the high-end Black Gold series but still offer great performance and easy
cleanup. I didn’t realize how much paint and gunk can collect in the
ferrule seam of my other brushes. Wiping the ferrule and bristles after
cleaning can drag paint down from this seam back into the bristles of the
brush.
Side note: Any brush, regardless of its cost, will benefit
from TLC during and in between use. A visit to your local artists’ supply
or craft store will yield a variety of storage media, cleaning solutions,
and life-extending conditioners. Good brushes like those in the Dynasty
line represent an investment for the modeler, but with care, it can be a one-time
cost resulting in years of enjoyable modeling and painting.
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