Short answer first. If you are buying one brush for miniatures, buy the MINIATURE MAESTRO 70 in size 2. If you are buying three, add the MAESTRO 35 size 0 for layering and the NOVA 1570 size 2 for primer, metallics and glue. The rest of this guide explains why those three, and when the answer is different.

da Vinci has been making brushes in Nuremberg since 1890 and offers over three hundred series. About twelve of them make sense for miniatures. The problem is that the series number tells you nothing and the size number tells you even less – size 0 means a 4 mm hair length in one series and 12 mm in another. This guide is a decision table built on the manufacturer's published measurements, not on impressions.

1. The three things that actually decide

1.1 The fibre

Dark Rose stocks five different da Vinci hair types. The difference is not "better and worse" – it is "for what".

The wavy filaments in the COLINEO range are not marketing copy. Mixed among straight filaments they create capillary gaps that hold paint the way a hollow sable hair does. That is why COLINEO can carry a glaze while ordinary synthetics run dry on the third stroke.

1.2 Hair length: reservoir versus control

This is the parameter that matters most and almost nobody checks it. Long hair holds more paint – fewer trips to the palette, smoother lines, more even glazes. It also flexes more and forgives less. Short hair goes exactly where you put it, and runs dry in three strokes.

Here is how much it varies at the same size number:

Four brushes with the same number printed on the handle and a threefold difference in the thing that matters. A size number without a series number means nothing.

1.3 The shape

• Round – series 10, 35, 70, 76, 100, 1505, 1570, 5522, 172. Ninety percent of the work on a miniature.
• Filbert (cat's tongue) – series 1375. The rounded edge leaves no hard start mark, so it produces blends you do not have to go back and soften.
• Flat dry brush – series 140. The straight edge catches armour panels, plate edges and stonework.
• Round dry brush – series 143. The dome wraps around organic shapes: fur, grass, cloaks.

2. How to read da Vinci size numbers

Smallest to largest, the order runs like this:

20/0  <  15/0  <  10/0  <  5/0  <  000  <  00  <  0  <  1  <  2

With zeros the rule is: more zeros, or a higher number before the slash, means a smaller brush. 20/0 is the smallest brush da Vinci makes – 4 mm of hair, 0.50 mm ferrule.

Two things trip people up constantly:

• Sizes do not transfer between series. Size 2 in series 10 has a 1.70 mm ferrule. Size 2 in series 70 has a 2.00 mm ferrule. Same number, a fifth thicker.
• The MINIATURE MAESTRO 70 and 76 ranges use their own scale. These are not watercolour sizes. Their size 2 sits roughly where a watercolour size 1 would.

3. Decision table: what are you doing right now

4. Full measurement table

Official da Vinci measurements, in the format hair length / ferrule diameter / overall length, in millimetres. These are the manufacturer's figures, not estimates.

MINIATURE MAESTRO: series 70 – size 2: 13.0 / 2.00 / 180, size 3: 14.0 / 2.50 / 185, size 4: 17.0 / 3.00 / 185. Series 76 – size 2: 10.0 / 2.00 / 180, size 3: 12.0 / 2.50 / 185, size 4: 13.5 / 3.00 / 185.

DRY BRUSH (hair / width of stroke / overall length): series 140 flat – size 6: 6.5 / 6.0 / 155, size 8: 6.5 / 8.0 / 155. Series 143 round – size 12: 10.0 / 7.5 / 155.

NOVA 1375 filbert (hair / width / length): size 0: 10.0 / 3.0 / 180, size 1: 10.0 / 3.5 / 180, size 2: 11.0 / 4.5 / 190.

MAESTRO 1505 – da Vinci publishes only hair length for this range: 000: 3.0 mm, 00: 3.5 mm, 0: 4.0 mm, 1: 5.0 mm, 2: 6.0 mm. The set is extra short and dense, the handle black lacquered.

5. Four pairs people mix up

5.1 MINIATURE MAESTRO 70 versus 76

Same range, same sable, identical ferrule diameter and identical overall length. The only difference is hair length – 3.0 mm in size 2, 2.0 mm in size 3, 3.5 mm in size 4. That is the entire story.

• Series 70 (longer hair): freehand, long lines, layering, glazing. Holds more paint and the stroke runs smoother.
• Series 76 (shorter hair): precise detail, edges, control. The tip does not flex.

If you cannot decide, start with the 70. It forgives less in fine detail but covers far more ground.

5.2 COLINEO 5522 versus NOVA 1570

In sizes 0 and 2 they have exactly the same hair length and ferrule. On paper they are indistinguishable. One thing separates them: the filament.

• NOVA 1570 – straight golden filaments. Cheaper, stiffer, ideal for primer, varnish, metallics, pigments and glue.
• COLINEO 5522 – straight and wavy filaments forming a capillary reservoir. Handles layering, glazing and detail almost like sable, with no animal hair involved.

Looking for a cruelty-free brush for fine work? That is COLINEO. Looking for a brush you will not mind destroying? That is NOVA.

5.3 MICRO-COLINEO Set 172 versus MICRO-MAESTRO 100

Same short 145 mm handle, same ladder of micro sizes, and in size 20/0 identical measurements (4.0 / 0.50 mm). Set 172 is synthetic and gives you four sizes at once; series 100 is Kolinsky with slightly longer hair in the larger sizes.

The advice: if you are new to micro detail, buy the set. A few months in you will know exactly which single size you keep reaching for – buy that one in sable.

5.4 NOVA 1375 versus NOVA 1570

Same filament, same green handle, same range. The only difference is shape: 1570 is round, 1375 is a filbert. If you already own one, do not buy the other for quality – buy it for what a rounded edge does to a blend.

6. Three ready-made kits

Starter – three brushes

1. MINIATURE MAESTRO 70, size 2 – the main working brush
2. NOVA 1570, size 2 – primer, metallics, washes, glue
3. DRY BRUSH 140, size 6 – dry brushing

You can paint an entire army with these. Nothing in the set overlaps.

Expansion – five brushes

Add the MAESTRO 35, size 0 for layering and glazing, and the MICRO-MAESTRO 100, size 10/0 for eyes and micro detail.

Full bench

Add the 1375 filbert for blends, the 1505 for retouching, the 143 size 12 for organic dry brushing, and the COLINEO 5522 as the cruelty-free option for fine work.

7. What not to buy

• Sable for primer, metallics and pigments. Metal flake and pigment lodge in the hair structure and never come out. That job belongs to the 1570.
• Size 20/0 as your first brush. The most common mistake in the hobby. Four millimetres of hair holds paint for two strokes and then you are dragging a dry tip. Eyes are painted with a tenth of a normal brush tip, not with a micro brush.
• A normal round brush for dry brushing. Dry brushing destroys the set of the hair. Series 140 and 143 exist for this – short stiff filament and an extra short handle built for pressure.
• Two brushes from the same series side by side. A 35 in size 0 and size 1 do nearly the same job. One 35 and one 76 will serve you far better.

8. Making them last

An expensive sable brush dies in a month if paint reaches the ferrule. Three rules: load only the lower half of the hair, never leave a brush standing in the water pot, and wash the hair clean after every session.

Ordinary soap and detergent strip the hair of its natural oils – it dries out and starts to split. da Vinci brush soap 4033 is made from pure vegetable oils and has a re-fatting effect, so it cleans and conditions in the same step. One honest caveat: soap is maintenance, not repair. A splayed brush does not come back. A step-by-step routine is in How to care for brushes.

9. Frequently asked questions

What is the best da Vinci brush for miniature painting?

For a single all-purpose brush it is the MINIATURE MAESTRO 70 in size 2 – the range da Vinci designed specifically for miniatures. Needle point, 13 mm of hair, and it handles layering, detail and freehand. For pure micro detail it is series 100; for glazing it is series 35.

Is Kolinsky worth it when good synthetics exist?

For layering and glazing, yes – sable holds more thinned paint and returns to a point even after an hour of work. For everything else the gap is smaller than the internet suggests. COLINEO 5522 comes close enough that you only notice on long glazes.

What brush size do I need for the eyes on a 28 mm figure?

Either a 10/0 from series 100 or a size 0 from series 1505. Going smaller is pointless – a 20/0 will not hold enough paint for a single stroke and you will be back at the palette mid-pupil.

Why is size 0 different in every series?

Because the number describes the ferrule within that range, not across ranges. That is why this guide lists hair length in millimetres for every series – it is the only number you can actually compare.

Which brush for dry brushing?

Series 140 for edges, panels and metal; series 143 for fur, grass and cloaks. Both have extra short handles, because dry brushing is a pushing motion, not a pulling one.

What does Tobolsky Kolinsky mean?

It is the selected Siberian grade of kolinsky hair. Series 10, 35, 70, 76 and 100 carry it; series 1505 is Kolinsky without that grading – which on a 4 mm retouching brush makes no practical difference.

Why do some sizes share the same hair length?

In the 140 dry brush range, sizes 6 and 8 both have 6.5 mm of hair – they differ in stroke width (6.0 vs 8.0 mm). In the 1375, sizes 0 and 1 both have 10.0 mm of hair and differ in width, 3.0 vs 3.5 mm. It is not a typo in the table.

Can I use one brush for both acrylics and oils?

Technically yes, practically no. Oil and enamel thinners dry out sable. If you paint oils or run enamel washes, keep a separate NOVA synthetic for that job.

Where are da Vinci brushes made?

In Nuremberg, Germany, where the company has operated since 1890. Every range in this guide is German made.

How long does a sable brush last?

With daily painting and proper care, one to two years. With paint dried under the ferrule, a week. The difference is not the brand – it is what you reach for when the metallic paint needs stirring.

All measurements in this guide come from the official da Vinci dimension tables. The full range is in the da Vinci Brushes category.