The Best Brushes for Miniatures (2026)

A good brush does more for your painting than almost any other purchase. You do not need many - two or three good brushes beat a tub of cheap ones - but the right brush, well cared for, transforms how paint behaves.

Synthetic vs Kolinsky sable

• Synthetic - cheap, durable, and fine for basecoating, drybrushing and rough work. Modern synthetics (like the Army Painter Hobby range) are genuinely good for beginners and a sensible place to start.
• Kolinsky sable - natural hair that holds far more paint and snaps to a razor point, giving you longer strokes and finer control. The choice for detail and fine highlighting. Rosemary & Co Series 33, Winsor & Newton Series 7 and Artis Opus Series S are the community favourites.

The sizes you actually need

You can paint almost everything with three brushes:

• A size 1 or 2 for basecoating and general work.
• A size 0 or 1 detail brush for fine lines and edge highlighting.
• A cheap old brush dedicated to drybrushing and metallics (which destroy good brushes).

Bigger is often better than smaller - a size 1 sable holds a fine point and enough paint to actually work, where a tiny 5/0 dries out mid-stroke.

Look after them

A good sable brush lasts years if you treat it well and dies in weeks if you don't. See our brush care guide - never let paint dry in the ferrule, and use brush soap.

Tips

• Buy one good detail brush before a set of cheap ones.
• Never drybrush or paint metallics with your good brushes - keep a cheap synthetic for that.
• A bigger sable holds a finer point than a tiny one - don't go too small.