Brush - Detail - Round Synthetic No. 10/0

Vallejo - Brush Detail, round synthetic, size 10/0

The finest round brush of the Vallejo detail range, with synthetic fibers. It is a tool, not a kit and not a paint. The manufacturer offers this range in sizes 10/0 to 4, and 10/0 is the finest end of the whole range.

Why 10/0 is the finest

With round brushes the numbers with a slash mean the opposite of what a layman would expect: the range runs 2, 1, 0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0 and on up to 10/0, and the higher the number before the slash, the finer the brush. Ten over zero is therefore finer than 5/0 and much finer than size 1, which is the largest of the three sizes compared here.

Use

• eyes and faces of figures: pupils, eyebrows, lips
• microdetail: the thinnest lines, small lettering, instrument dials, individual rivets
• spot touch-ups where every tenth of a millimeter counts
• fine cracks, scratches and worn spots in hand-applied weathering

Honestly: where the drawback lies

The finer the brush, the less paint it holds. With a 10/0 that means you have to reload very often, practically after every short stroke, while the paint dries on the palette in the meantime. An extremely fine brush is not better, it is specialized. A beginner who buys a 10/0 for everything will only suffer: areas will take forever and the paint will dry faster than it can be spread.

So which size to take

For universal detail work the most practical is size 1, the largest of the three sizes compared here, which holds the most paint. For small details, instruments, fittings and outlining edges, reach for the fine 5/0. And keep 10/0 for exactly what it is for: the eyes of figures and microdetail. A sensible kit is a combination of two or three sizes, not one single brush.

Care of the brush

• Load the paint onto the tip only. Dipping it up to the ferrule is the quickest way to kill a brush, because dried paint at the root of the fibers will never come out again.
• Wash it immediately after work: acrylic with water, lacquer or enamel with the matching thinner. With such a fine tip a single dried drop is enough.
• Let it dry and store it with the fibers up; never leave a brush standing tip down in a jar.
• Synthetic fibers cope with aggressive thinners better than natural hair.

The brush is a tool. Paints, thinners and cleaner are not included in the package.