Da Vinci Maestro Kolinsky Series 35 Sable Brush Set

Product Information

For those of you who just want the TLDR: the most “popular” choice of miniatures paint brushes, (by a very ‘clear’ margin) is the Winsor & Newton – Series 7 Kolinsky Sable Brush set. Not to be easily confused with the Winsor & Newton – Series 7 Kolinsky Sable ‘Miniature’ Painting Brush set – more on this later). FauxHammer.com is dedicated to finding the best tools for your hobby. Start with our list of Essential Hobby Tools which will lead you to find the Top-10 tools for each category. The 'Maestro' designation is reserved for brushes manufactured using male winter Siberian Kolinsky Red Sable fur. These are Da Vinci's top-of-the-line, highest quality brushes. The extra sharp needle-like point and longer tapered hair length results in faster action at the tip and a snap at the point. Expect superior spring and control, plus excellent water-holding performance.

I’ve kind of turned to Artis Opus’s base set to answer this question. In their set, you get #000, #00, #0 & #1 and that seems like a fair starter range. However, I use their #3 brush primarily. Like with the Raphael 8404, the point is so fine you can use these brushes for pretty much any job. And finally, if you want the best brushes for very very little money (not listed below) I find these Generic Triangular handled Brushes are fairly decent. It’s what I buy for my kids to use. I call them “Generic” as they are given different brand names globally, In the UK, they are often under the moniker “ Golden Maple” but if they look like these, they are the same thing. I’ve had some fine detail brushes fray on me after only one use. For those invested in the Citadel brand, these brushes are entwined into all of their painting guide media, from the White Dwarf and painting books to their online videos. If you are just starting out there’s nothing wrong with these especially considering the value-add Games Workshop gives you with all the painting guides they provide for free. You can easily follow along using their recommended tools and get up to a very-good painting standard using this kit. The starting point for many miniature painters, if for nothing more than the only ones people are aware of due to Games Workshop’s popularity. The range strips away the typical naming convention used in every other art brush set. The skeptic in me believes this is to reduce people’s ability to directly compare them to other brand’s brushes, keeping users invested in Games Workshop.

Are the Winsor and Newton Brushes the best miniature paint brushes for you? Well, If you want to know, have a look at the summaries below. Rosemary & Co, Da Vinci Maestro and Artis Opus are equally good options if you are looking for the best quality and reliability. and Rosemary & Co brushes are especially popular among the more Budget Concious Painter. Best value for money here, with no doubt. Finally, if you are buying Games Workshop or Army painter brushes, you are getting brushes which are worth the price you pay. Neither will make you the best painter you can be, but equally, neither are restrictive in getting you to that “excellent” quality level.

I’ve had no issues with mine, but I’m an infrequent user and I keep them washed and clean with masters brush soap. They are an excellent choice of brush, but you are paying nearly half again on top of the Raphael 8404 Series and they are almost/over triple the cost of Rosemary & Co’s Series 22/33 respectively.Like many of the options on this list, Da Vinci’s Maestro Series 10 are watercolour brushes made from Kolinsky red sable hair. Preferred as the best brush by many miniature painters. They are some of the more affordable high-end brushes they come in just under the average price of brushes on this list. A huge range of sizes is available, from a crazy small 10/0 (aka 0000000000) to an insanely large size 50! The latter of which you have no need for, and don’t want to see the price of. Fully endorsed by several signature (god-tier) miniature artists, I personally use these brushes exclusively now and have done since 2019. Da Vinci Maestro Series 10 Watercolour Brushes are made from Siberian Kolinsky sable and meet the highest standards of brushmaking. Several people have asked what “Must Have” brush sizes are. Like the brushes themselves, this really depends on you but you also need to be aware that brush sizes are not at all consistent across brands. Army Painter’s Wargamer Series are the most directly comparable range to GeeDubya’s ( Games Workshop’s) offering and in many peoples opinion, of superior quality. However, this is purely subjective. Unlike most of the alternate brands on this list where brush sizes follow the naming conventions used for all fine art brushes 000, 00, 0 1, 2, etc. Army Painter (like Games Workshop) have their own unique names for the brushes they offer. In some products, they do advise the equivalent Fine Art brush size. Their ‘Masterclass brush’ being something equivalent to an average 00 for example.

Whilst there is no simple answer, the thing to take away here is that the best brush is the one that works for you. One that fits your style and budget appropriately, just don’t break the bank on a brush expecting it to make you a wizard. Start out with some cheap options like Games Workshop and/or Army Painter and work your way up when you have learned proper care and protection.To be honest, you could just get a #000 & #1 rather than either of the #00 & #0 depending on what you paint. Another good option would be a #10/0 for things like eyes, but a good pointed brush of any size can do this. All discounts against RRP are made against the United Kingdom Recommended Retail Price (RRP). Unless specified, offers and vouchers are not valid on products which are already discounted from RRP, gift vouchers, books and from the I LOVE ART range. Their Artificer Brushes are a different story, apparently made by Winsor & Newton (so I’ve read from a few online claims but I haven’t found any evidence to support this). The Artificers are 60% more expensive than the average price of brushes on this list! So if they are made by W&N GW are adding approximately %5 to the RRP. of the equivalent brush. But again, consider the value-add you get by being invested in GW. They need to support paying for people like the Warhammer Community team somehow. The set main Series S set comes with 4 Brushes from Size 000 to Size 1. You can get a 5-brush case to store one of their additionally offered Size 2-6 brushes. It also comes with a little pot of brush soap. Unfortunately, there is no 9 x brush case to store the whole set. Whilst not the most popular, these are the often amongst the most critically acclaimed brushes in the list. Almost every commenter talking about these had tried and compared them to the normal Winsor & Newton Series 7 brushes and said that these were hands down the better quality of the two brands.