Which brushes should a Warhammer beginner buy first?
Use the brush in your set, then add three: a medium base brush for larger areas, a small layer brush for edges and detail, and a drybrush. Keep a cheap brush for Technical paints, so the layer brush stays sharp. Leave the Artificer brushes until you have finished a unit.
Begin with the brush in the box
Several beginner products here include a brush, according to their listings: the Introductory Sets, the Paints & Tools sets, the Orks, Space Marine and Tyranid paint sets and the Getting Started boxes. The 10th Edition Paints + Tools set describes its brush as a starter brush that is just the right size to get the basics painted. The 11th Edition Paints & Tools set carries one too. Use it for the first squad, then buy what you find you are missing.
The three to add
| Job | Brush | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Covering larger areas with Base paint | Warhammer Colour Base Brush (Medium) | £4.15 (sold out at the moment) |
| Edges, highlights and small detail | Citadel Small Layer Brush | £5.53 (sold out at the moment) |
| Fur, chainmail and other rough surfaces | Warhammer Colour Dry Brush (Medium) | £4.15 (sold out at the moment) |
All three together come to £13.83. A Shade brush such as the Citadel Medium Shade Brush is £6.12 and is worth adding once you start shading recesses.
Why the drybrush is separate
Drybrushing wears a point down fast, and so do Technical paints. Keep a cheap brush for those jobs and your layer brush stays sharp. The Technical paints page explains why thick paint is hard on a brush.
When Games Workshop launched its synthetic brush range, it called the springy, stiff synthetic fibres excellent for drybrushing and for highlighting raised edges.
The Artificer brushes
The Artificer Layer brushes cost far more than the standard Layer brush. The small one is £16.20, against £5.53 for the standard small Layer brush. A costly brush ruined by dried paint is a bigger loss.
Hobbyists look after an Artificer brush like this: rinse often, keep paint away from the metal band at the base of the bristles, and wash it when you stop.
The brushes we list
Common questions
What brushes should I use for Warhammer?
Start with the brush in your paint set. Then add a medium base brush, a small layer brush and a drybrush, in that order, as your painting needs them. A Shade brush follows when you start shading recesses.
What brush size for Warhammer?
The starter brush in the paint sets is sized to get the basics painted. Add a medium base brush for larger areas and a small layer brush for edges and detail.
Is it worth getting nice brushes?
Not for a first army. In one r/minipainting thread, owners of costly brushes stress a careful rinsing routine, and one commenter advises keeping them off metallics and other harsh paints. Learn on the cheaper range and upgrade a layer brush later.
Do I need a separate brush for drybrushing?
Yes, it saves your detail brush. Drybrushing wears the bristles, and Games Workshop says its synthetic fibres suit the job. A medium drybrush is £4.15 and is sold out at the moment.
Brush range and fibres: Warhammer Community, 6 May 2021 (STC synthetic brushes). Technical paint and brush wear: Warhammer Community, 14 July 2023. Starter brush: our 10th Edition Paints + Tools listing, read 29 October 2026. Brush sizes come from product titles. Prices and stock: this shop, read live.