By The ARTnews Recommends Editors

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, ARTnews may receive an affiliate commission.

When deciding on the best paint brush for your project, it’s important to consider the brush’s tip material as well as its size and shape. A quality brush will hold a good amount of paint, facilitate a smooth stroke, and won’t shed or split. A kolinsky sable hair brush, also known as a red-sable or sable-hair brush, is intended for fine art use. The hair is sourced from the Siberian kolinsky, which is a species of weasel, not a sable. The hair is gathered only in the winter, from one of the coldest places on earth, producing the longest, densest, and most luxurious hair; these brushes are rare and can be expensive. Kolinsky sable brushes are used for watercolor, acrylic, and oil paint and are a great choice for detail work, thanks to the fineness of the bristles. See the best brushes below. 

Esocoda’s Optimo line of brushes is a high-end series that is great for general use. Well-balanced and resilient, they work well for watercolor, oil, and acrylic painting projects. These are round brushes, but they’re slightly more pointed than your typical round, making them excellent for both executing small details and laying down swaths of color. Each is made of fine-haired kolinsky sable, with brush ends specially cured to hold their shape and retain a pleasant springiness. The ferrule is impressively triple-crimped to ensure that the brush won’t become loose, and by design, the bristles are seated deep into the ferrule, maximizing the brush’s snap and control.

Best used for watercolors, Winsor & Newton’s kolinsky sable–hair round brush comes in sizes ranging from ultra-fine (triple zero) to thick (12). While some round brushes lose their crisp point with heavy use, this brush has excellent durability and will snap back into shape when wet. Color flows evenly and consistently to the point of the brush, thanks to the dense bristle belly, and doubly crimped ferrules ensure that the brush head won’t become loose. 

For art students looking to find a set of brushes on a budget, look no further than this product. This pack, which features five brushes, includes round brushes ranging from size zero to size six. Manufactured with certified green processes, each brush has a sustainable wood handle and nickel-plated brass ferrules. Handcrafted by skilled artisans at the da Vinci factory in Germany, all brushes are individually tested to ensure the finest tips.

This flat, round-tipped size-eight brush is a great choice for precision and detail work. The natural hair has a slight stiffness that makes this a particularly good choice for even and smooth application of oil paint. Made of pure red sable, this brush performs well and maintains its shape and spring—at a slightly more affordable price than kolinsky sable. Still, we like this particular Filbert because the bristles lay down paint with minimal visible strokes, it presents a nice snap, and it features an extra-long length that allows for precise control.

Packaged in a sleek leather pouch with individual holders, this set of three expertly crafted kolinksy-tajmyr sable paintbrushes is a luxury pick for fine watercolor artists. Featuring rounds in sizes two, six, and 10, it covers the basics you’ll need for plein air painting. Each brush features an elegant and ultra-comfortable golden-finished handle that doubles as a cap, a design that provides enough brush length for control while keeping these tools portable. The brushes maintain their points beautifully and showcase an impressive amount of water retention. Like the rest of Escoda brushes, these feature a triple-crimped ferrule to ensure longevity for years.

The World's Premier Art Magazine since 1913. Subscribe today and save up to 33%!

Sign Up for our Newsletters

Get our latest stories in the feed of your favorite networks

We want to hear from you! Send us a tip using our anonymous form.

Subscribe to our newsletters below

ARTnews is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2022 Art Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.