AIT Art Premium Round Detail Kolinsky Paint Brushes, Size 1, Pack of 3, Pure Russian Red Sable, Handmade in USA for Crafting Exquisite Details Using Oil, Acrylic, or Watercolors

2-month update. Still using the first of 3 #2 that came in the package. Updating now because I feel like that first one is about at the end of it's days and I was curious how long it was in use. The tip loses its point faster these days and the hairs aren't as springy. Bear in mind that it has been my go-to brush for the past 2 months, and I try do some acrylic miniature painting 5 days per week. That makes these brushes great value for me. When I got the #2 I also bought the 3-pack of #1 and haven't even used them because the #2 point has been great. --- end of update. I gave up on more expensive brushes for my mini painting after I kept getting used/returned ones from Amazon. I've been using synthetic for a couple of years now but thought I'd give these a try since my latest set of brushes need replacing. It took a few hours to readjust to sharp tips with bodies that hold a lot of paint but now that I've readjusted I'm wishing I had found these sooner. A couple people have mentioned that they are smaller. I agree. Comparing an AIT #2 to a W&N #1: the overall length is about .5" shorter at ~6.75" overall. Likewise, the shaft is thinner (roughly 2/3 the size). The girth of the bristles also seem a little smaller but they do a great job of holding the paint. As you can see in the image, the AIT #2 is a little smaller in every way than the W&N #1, so size up if that matters to you.

I'm in the middle of a painting, and unwilling to wait the 10 days to get brushes from another website, or drive to the nearest art supply store, I ordered this set of three size 2 round Russian Red Sable brushes. Thankfully, they arrived promptly. The website states these are for oil, acrylic or watercolor. I am an oil painter. These are natural sable brushes. They do have a shorter handle than my other short handle brushes, being only 6 1/2" long, and they are smaller around. The bristles are softer than expected, even for Russian sable. That said, they seem to be well made, the bristles did not fall out, and they work surprisingly well for detail. While they will not compete with premium brushes costing double or more, they maintained a nice point and applied paint as expected. I will order more. It is important that you gently wash these before use and allow them dry. And after a day's work, I always carefully wash my brushes with Dove or Ivory or other gentle soap and reshape them. Thanks for reading :)

My use case is miniature painting with acrylics. For the price, these are great. Are they the same quality as a WN7, Raphael 8404 or even Rosemary 33? No. But they're not THAT far behind. I think these are a great middle tier brush for even fine detail work. If you're absolutely flush with cash and don't mind dropping $20 per brush with WN or Raphael, you're not the target market. If you can't justify using this brushes for base coating and stippling, or can't justify the price at all, I think these do a fantastic job. I generally use that for the bulk of miniature painting and use the higher end brushes for the final stages.

Keeping it short and simple for those looking to find starter brushes but are not willing to spend a crazy amount. These are perfect! The whole brand of Kolinsky sable brushes they have are great for miniature painters who are just starting out. So if you can get the set version of these do so. One thing to notice they are a lot thinner than Princeton 7050 brushes. I have a size 0 and size one. Compared to those, the AIT versions are a few cm thinner. But the great part about them is they are stiff. They keep there point for the most part but they still do have a little more flex than Princeton. To conclude great brushes to start with if you don’t want to spend too much starting your miniature painting adventure.

Warhammer 40k or Scale Model enthusiasts look no further. Looking to buy quality natural hair brushes for tiny detail work? Look no further, this is without a doubt the best bang for one's buck. I have roughly 10-12 Winsor Newton Series 7 brushes and I am constantly using these brushes in lieu of my more premium ones. Why one might ask? Well, because for one they actually have a more snappy, responsive tip than any of my Series 7 brushes. They hold paint well in their belly much better than any synthetic, at any price point, would be able to match. Consistency, I have only had 2 brushes with a stay hair that needed to be snipped and they have had perfect tip retention. I have also ordered several batches spanned over a year and never had any glaring issues. The only caveat to these brushes is that they are skinnier and longer than typical round bellied painting brushes. I would say it is somewhere between a standard round and liner brush, which I actually prefer for general detail work. Whenever I need to paint fine detail work using metallics, I always use these brushes, because they are excellent at performing the required task, and I don't feel guilty degrading the more expensive brushes with abrasive pigments. I generally only use the Series 7 brushes when I need to paint a large area (bigger belly holds more paint) or when I edge highlighting on the 2nd or third pass and need to have super crisp, freehand lines, which the Series 7 Miniature brushes excel. However, honestly if I wanted to I could acheive nearly idential results using these, I would just need to purchase the double 0. Also, as others have mentioned, due to the fact this is a more slim, longer bristle brush than the standard brush sizing used by Winsor Newton, DaVinci, or Artis Opus, it is recommended to size up to reach a more similar brush profile, should one be new to painting miniatures and tends to be inclined to following youtube guides using the same brush sizes. Just bear in mind, even with a similar profile, the brush will always have a longer, sharper tip that handles differently than round belly or minature brushes. No matter one's price range or experience these brushes will have a place in one's quiver and will see a lot of use.