Best brushes for painting miniatures
Without a doubt, brushes for painting miniatures and figures are one of the most important tools. There is a great variety of them, which offer us different functions.
But in this article we will talk about the 10 best brushes for painting miniatures according to our team of expert painters at Bigchild Creatives.
Contents
- 1 Best brushes for painting miniatures
- 1.1 What are the parts of a brush?
- 1.2 How are brushes classified?
- 1.3 What do you need to care for and wash a brush?
- 1.4 TOP 10 Best Miniature Painting Brushes of 2023
- 1.4.1 Da Vinci Maestro Series 35 No. 00
- 1.4.2 Da Vinci Maestro Series 35 No. 0
- 1.4.3 Da Vinci Maestro Series 10 No. 0
- 1.4.4 Da Vinci Maestro Series 35 No. 1
- 1.4.5 Da Vinci Maestro Series 35 No. 2
- 1.4.6 Da Vinci Maestro Series 10 No. 1
- 1.4.7 Da Vinci Maestro Series 10 No. 2
- 1.4.8 Da Vinci Maestro Series 10 No. 3
- 1.4.9 MINIATURE MAESTRO SHORT BRUSH
- 1.4.10 MINIATURE MAESTRO LONG BRUSH
What are the parts of a brush?
Brushes are tools that have 3 parts in their composition: bristles, ferrule and handle.
They work as follows:
- Bristles: they are responsible for absorbing pigments or products to make lines and apply them on a surface
- Ferrule: it is the union between the handle and the bristles, whose main function is to hold each of the bristle hairs and connect them to the handle
- Handle: it is the elongated end by which the brushes are held. It can be made of different resistant materials such as wood, plastic, glass, among others.
Once the components of a brush are known, the question is what are they for? Simple, they are responsible for transporting and applying the layers of pigments to a miniature or figure. They must be of different sizes and shapes, used for different purposes and finishes.
How are brushes classified?
The classification of brushes can be defined in different ways, either by their size, type of tip, bristles, among others. Therefore, some of the factors to consider when classifying or choosing a brush are the following:
Types of brush tips
There is a wide variety and styles of tips on the market. We must know that each of them will give us a different stroke and finish style. Among the most common and used we have:
- Flat tips: these are usually the types of brushes that give straight and structured strokes. The way this brush is designed allows you to achieve a great capacity for color. It is also a very handy brush.
- Fan Tip: These brushes are used a lot in oil or watercolor painting, but not as much in miniature painting. They are generally used to cover surfaces or to give delicate shades when painting
- Round tip: these types of brushes have a fine tip, but their structure is cylindrical. They are the most used when painting miniatures and can offer a great variety of strokes and thicknesses, just by changing the force that is exerted when painting
- Rounded tip: they provide similar results to flat tip brushes as they tend to be consistent in the type of strokes they provide in terms of pressure exerted. The difference is that the ends of the strokes tend to always be rounded due to the shape of the tip.
- Superfine tips or delineated: It is one of the most used brushes in miniature art, since they are ideal for applying fine details and for drawing the most perfect lines.
These are some of the most common brush tips on the market, although not all of them are used for painting miniatures, some of the best brushes for painting miniatures have these types of tips for drawing.
Type of bristle or material
Did you know that the bristles of the brush can be made of both synthetic materials and natural hair? Probably not, but this has a big influence on the way that strokes mark and absorb paints or other materials.
Generally, brushes made with natural hair tend to be more compliant and absorb more paint than synthetic ones. However, brushes made with this type of material (natural hair) are much more expensive than those made with synthetic materials.
On the other hand, thanks to the technological advances that can be seen today, there are already brushes with artificial bristles that provide almost all the functions of a natural bristle brush.
Thickness
The thickness of the brush is another fundamental point when choosing the one that best suits your needs. The tip cut is not the same as the tip thickness.
When we want to carry out filling or base work on miniatures, we usually use brushes with very thick tips, in this way we can cover all surfaces in less time.
On the other hand, if what we want to do is make details of shadows or lights, the most suitable brushes are usually those of medium-fine thickness. They allow you to blur the tones easily and quickly.
Finally, when you need to paint small details to define an element, such as eyes, small accessories, flashes of light, among others. Normally, the appropriate thing is fine-very fine point brushes or brushes that allow you to apply the right amount of pigment in these small areas, without affecting the rest of the work.
Handle length
To conclude this section and go on to indicate which are the 10 best brushes for painting miniatures, we must tell you that the length of the handle is also a factor to take into account when choosing the brush. Although it is not as relevant as the points mentioned above.
Although the handle does not directly affect the final result of the strokes made, it is a very important factor when it comes to the comfort of the painter or artist. So if you have small or medium hands, all kinds of handles will suit you.
However, if you have big hands, short handles will likely be a problem for long painting sessions. For this reason, we recommend that you always try to look for long handles that facilitate the grip and that are comfortable for your hand when painting.
What do you need to care for and wash a brush?
Without a doubt, the best option is to use a soap made from pure vegetable oils.
They are ideal for maintaining the texture and elasticity of natural hair such as bristles or synthetic fibers.
TOP 10 Best Miniature Painting Brushes of 2023
Now you know all the factors that you must take into account when choosing a brush. Here’s a list of the top 10 brushes for painting miniatures for our team of expert painters at Big Child Creatives. And these are:
Da Vinci Maestro Series 35 No. 00
We start with this incredible Maestro Series 35 No. 00 brush belonging to the Da Vinci Maestro series. It is a tool with a rounded tip, whose length is 11.0 mm long and 0.9 mm wide.
It is ideal for making delicate strokes and its bristles belong to the high-quality range, as they are made from the tail hair of the Kolinsky Siberian Red Marten. This allows better absorption and retention of pigments and paint products.
Without a doubt, one of the best brushes with the best value for money on the market.
Da Vinci Maestro Series 35 No. 0
Moving on to the Master Series 35 No. 0, which has similar characteristics to the one mentioned above, due to its round tip. It differs in size as it measures 12.0mm long and 1.10mm wide.
This brush is very versatile and can be used for a wide variety of tasks. It has a handle that adapts to all types of hands.
Da Vinci Maestro Series 10 No. 0
Do you need a thin but consistent brush? Then the Maestro Series 10 No. 0 is your best option. It has a rounded tip that tapers as it reaches its upper end, measuring 7mm long and 1.10mm wide.
It is ideal for making delicate details that need a lot of precision, since its design will give you the stability you need in this type of task.
Da Vinci Maestro Series 35 No. 1
The Maestro Series 35 No. 1 is not much different from the Maestro Series 35 No. 0. The only thing that changes a bit is the dimensions, as this brush is 13.0 mm long and 1.3 mm wide.
Da Vinci Maestro Series 35 No. 2
Made from the highest quality materials, the Maestro Series 35 No. 2 is one of the best brushes you’ll find on this list.
Its length is 14.0 mm long and 1.7 mm wide.
It is ideal for thick lines, techniques such as the wash effect, light application of shadows on the thumbnail, among other functions.
Da Vinci Maestro Series 10 No. 1
It is one of the most versatile and functional on this list.
The Maestro Series 10 No. 1, has a length of 9 mm long and 1.30 mm wide. This gives us the option of making very varied lines, since, depending on the applied force, they can be thick, medium or fine. Impressive isn’t it?
Da Vinci Maestro Series 10 No. 2
With its thick round tip, the Maestro Series 10 No. 2 allows us to carry out various jobs on our miniatures, it is a very versatile brush and can even be used to apply base colors.
Its size is 11.5 mm long and 1.70 mm wide, it has a handle adaptable to any style of hand and is an ideal piece to work long hours.
Da Vinci Maestro Series 10 No. 3
Do you want a brush that has a thick body, but allows you to make delicate designs?
Then the Maestro Series 10 No. 3 is your best option. Their lengths are 14.0 mm long and 2.05 mm wide. Without a doubt, it is one of the most comprehensive on this list.
However, it still offers the option of fine strokes.
MINIATURE MAESTRO SHORT BRUSH
The master brush is made with selected Marta Kolinsky hairs of the highest quality.
A piece that allows superfine details and is mainly intended for the small areas of any miniature. Its size is 13.0 mm long and 2 mm wide, its tip is round, very short and considerably pointed.
MINIATURE MAESTRO LONG BRUSH
To finish with this top 10 of the best brushes for painting miniatures, we have the Miniature Maestro Long Hair brush, which belongs to the 70 series of the Da Vinci Maestro brand.
It is round, extra long and extra pointed, ideal for detailing, applying bases, working on wide surfaces and for many other tasks due to its versatility.
It measures 9mm long and 2mm wide.
These are the best brushes for painting miniatures that we can recommend so far, as you will see, they all have different qualities and are ideal for a variety of tasks. Without a doubt, we think you will love them.
You may also be interested in our article: Top 10 best figures to paint: From beginners to experts!
