Paint Brushes of Renown; Winsor and Newton series 7 Kolinsky Sable

Windsor and Newton series 7 Kolinsky Sable 

Price: £6 - £10 depending on the size.

Availability: Easy to source online or in Hobby Craft.

Whenever the question is asked: what paint brushes are best / should I use for my miniatures, inevitably, the Winsor Newton series 7 Kolinsky sable brush will be recommended.  These paint brushes were the preferred choice of Queen Victoria and have carried on a tradition of excellence and performance ever since. I believe that the 'Eavy metal team use these brushes, and so do many other prominent painters within our circles.

These were the first brushes I used outside of Games Workshop's range, and I have found them to be quite spectacular. The brushes have a good belly and an exquisitely sharp tip (I use the size 1 for most of my work , even the fine detail because the tip is so fine). Even though these brushes may seem quite expensive, when taken care of, these brushes will endure years of heavy use. 

The Winsor Newton make two kinds of series 7 brush; Round and Miniature. The Round (below) will be more familiar to us as the workhorse brush. 99% of your painting will be performed by the Round since it has a large belly and longer bristles.

Click the picture for actual scale of paint brush.

 The Miniature range (below) has a shorter bristle length, perfect for detail jobs where brush control is paramount. Because of the excellent belly load of the hair and the short bristle length, the brush retains it shape better during paint; meaning I can almost use it like a pen to create freehand designs, or dot eyes.

Click the picture for actual scale of paint brush.

I use the Round 1, 0, 00 and the Miniature 0. This collection fulfills all my blending, layering, and fine detailing needs. You may also wish to consider the 2 if you intend to blend on large flat surfaces, however I have found the 1 large enough fulfill this role quite nicely.

If you buy a set of these brushes I would advise you buy some brush soap and store them bristles down (keep the plastic sheath for this). For the price you are paying, you want these to last longer than a few paint sessions. I've had my brushes for just over two years of heavy usage. and only now have I seen the number 1 split at the tip. This is the brush I use the most so its not surprising it has started to die. Disturbingly however, many people have posted problems with split tips with much younger brushes. 

With the arrival of Rosemary and Co. offering better value for money for comparable quality and Raphael series 8404 offering superior quality control, the Winsor and Newton series 7 still remains an excellent choice of brush - but is no longer the apex tool of the miniature painter. 

Links:

Winsor Newton series 7 Konlinsky sable brushes (eBay link)