The best brushes for miniature painting

There is no single best brush: there is a best brush for each job, and a good kit is a mix of cheap and expensive. Below are well-known brushes that miniature painters use, grouped by job. For what the hair types and shapes mean, see brush types for miniature painting.

How we picked. We only list brushes whose hair, sizes or purpose we could check on the maker's page or a stockist's listing, linked as the source. Price levels compare the brushes with each other; we don't give prices, because they change and differ by country. The Painters Desk doesn't sell brushes and earns nothing from these links. Brush names are trademarks of their makers.

A good first kit

One kolinsky or good synthetic-blend round, size 1 or 2, for layering, highlights and detail. Look after it.
Two or three cheap synthetic rounds, small to large, for basecoats, washes, contrast paints and metallics.
A drybrush.
An old brush for glue, varnish and texture.

Add a second good round, a bigger one for large models, or a detail brush, when you find yourself missing it.

Starter sets and everyday synthetics

Cheap, tough brushes for basecoating, washes, contrast paints and metallics. Everyone needs a few, even if they also own sable.

Army Painter Hobby brushesSynthetic · BudgetRed handles: Basecoating, Highlighting, Precise Detail, Super Detail and Drybrush. Sold singly and in sets. Source
Citadel STC brushesSynthetic · BudgetGames Workshop's synthetic range, with white handles, in round and straight-edged shapes. Made to keep their shape under heavy use such as drybrushing and edge highlights. Source
Monument Hobbies Pro Synthetic setSynthetic · BudgetFrom the makers of Pro Acryl. Source
Princeton Velvetouch Series 3950Synthetic blend · Budget to midAn artists' brush sold in rounds from tiny to large, and a mini round. Popular with painters who want an all-synthetic main brush. Source

Main brush: a kolinsky round

The brush you will use most: a size 1 or 2 round with a sharp point. Spend the most here.

Winsor & Newton Series 7Kolinsky sable · PremiumHandmade in England. Sold as a regular round, which has a bigger belly, and a Miniature round with shorter hair for extra control, which holds less paint. Source
Raphaël 8404Kolinsky sable · Mid to premiumA French watercolour round, sold down to very small sizes (4/0). Source
Rosemary & Co Series 33Kolinsky sable · MidA pointed round sold from 10/0 up, with the hair size of each brush published (a size 1 is 1.7 mm across and 11.8 mm long). Short or long handle. Source
Artis Opus Series SKolinsky sable · MidMade for miniature painters. Sizes 000, 00, 0 and 1 in the set, with 2 to 6 sold singly. Source
Army Painter Wargamer Kolinsky MasterclassKolinsky sable · MidBlack handle. Army Painter's top brush for fine highlights and details. Source
Monument Hobbies Pro SableSable · MidFrom the makers of Pro Acryl, sold singly by size and as a set. Source

Fine detail

Short-haired brushes for eyes and tiny detail. Try a good size 0 or 1 round first: it may be all you need.

Artis Opus Series MHair not listed · MidShort hair for fine detail and precision, sizes 000 to 2. Source
Army Painter Wargamer Insane DetailHair not listed · BudgetWhite handle, for eyes and other very fine details. Source
Winsor & Newton Series 7 MiniatureKolinsky sable · PremiumSee above: shorter hair for control. Source

Drybrushes

Soft drybrushes give smoother, chalk-free results than old splayed brushes.

Artis Opus Series DHair not listed · MidDrybrushing and texture work, sizes XS to XL. Source
Army Painter Masterclass Drybrush SetGoat hair (Miniature drybrush) · MidThree soft round drybrushes: Miniature, Moderate and Mighty. Source
Army Painter Wargamer Small and Large DrybrushHair not listed · BudgetAngled heads for reaching into tight spots. Source
Soft make-up brushesUsually synthetic · BudgetRound, domed make-up brushes are a cheap, popular stand-in for soft drybrushes.

Big models, washes and terrain

Large brushes that hold a lot of liquid.

Army Painter Wargamer Monster BrushHair not listed · BudgetFor larger models and heavy washing. Source
Army Painter Wargamer Vehicle & Scenery BrushHair not listed · BudgetBig surfaces and Quickshade dip. Source

Before you buy

Sizes aren't standard between makers, so compare the hair length and width where the maker lists them, not just the number.
Even good brushes vary. If a new kolinsky won't come to a point when wet, most shops will swap it.
A good brush lasts far longer with care: see looking after your brushes.