Size 2 is the largest MAESTRO Series 10 brush we stock. The body measures 1.70 mm at the ferrule with 11.5 mm of visible hair – longer hair than Series 35 carries in size 000. Despite the volume it still finishes in a point, so a base layer does not force an immediate brush change. Made in Nuremberg from pure Siberian Tobolsky Kolinsky red sable.
| Series | 10 (MAESTRO) |
| Size | 2 |
| Hair / fibre | Tobolsky Kolinsky red sable |
| Shape | round, pointed |
| Visible hair length | 11.5 mm |
| Brush body diameter | 1.70 mm |
| Total length | 190 mm |
| Length with protective cap | 200 mm |
| Handle | short wooden, black-polished |
| Ferrule | silver-coloured |
| Manufacturer | da Vinci Kunstlerpinselfabrik DEFET GmbH, Nuremberg |
| Country of origin | Germany |
| Manufacturer code | VA-10_2 |
A useful coincidence: the NOVA 1570 in size 2 carries exactly the same 11.5 mm of hair, on a thicker 2.05 mm body, in synthetic fibre. On ordinary acrylic base coats the two do the same job.
The difference is what you are painting with. For thinned paint, glazes and layering, sable wins clearly – it holds more medium and the point does not splay. For coarse-pigment metallics, primer, varnish and washes, reach for the synthetic; using sable there just wears it down.
If you want a bigger reservoir with a sable point, Series 35 in size 2 carries 14.0 mm of hair on a 2.41 mm body.
Is a size 2 too big for 28 mm figures?
For detail, yes; for base layers, no. That is exactly why it pairs well with a size 0 – one covers the area, the other finishes the face.
Is a Kolinsky brush worth buying for basecoating?
If you thin your paint and layer, yes – sable holds more medium and the layer settles more evenly. If you apply thick paint straight from the pot or work with metallics, buy a synthetic and save the sable for where the difference shows.
Can a Kolinsky brush be used with acrylics?
Yes, as long as paint never dries in the ferrule. Rinse as you work and never stand the brush in water.
How do I make a Kolinsky brush last?
Keep paint out of the ferrule, wash with lukewarm water and brush soap (da Vinci makes one on a pure vegetable oil base), reshape the point with your fingers and dry it flat or tip-down. Never store it in water, and keep metallics and pigments off it.
Is this real Kolinsky or a blend?
Series 10 is pure Tobolsky Kolinsky – Siberian red sable from selected male winter tails, with no blended hair and no synthetic filler. Every brush is individually checked and the handle is imprinted MAESTRO TOBOLSKY-KOLINSKY 10 GERMANY.
Not sure which series fits your work? The complete guide to da Vinci brushes for miniatures compares every series by hair length, shape and use.