Fine Line

Great brushes. Thank you!!

The media could not be loaded. This set of ZenART Fine Line Miniature brushes came wonderfully packaged in a canvas roll and individually sealed in their own plastic baggies in addition to the usual plastic tube covers. The only thing I felt was missing from the packaging was perhaps a care instructions card, as I would want to make sure to keep these brushes in tip top shape to the best of my ability, and I would have loved to know any tips from ZenART themselves on how to care for them.Each brush has its own perks to it—I personally have been using the Filbert 0, Filbert 2/0, and Round 2/0 the most as they satisfy a variety of needs in the art that I do. I’ve been using these to paint acrylic on polymer clay pins, and the Filbert 0 covers ground for larger areas, such as backgrounds or color blocking. The Filbert 2/0 I use primarily for the bulk of the drawing, and the Round 2/0, which gives me the thinnest lines, I have handy for more intricate detailing.These brushes are lovely because even with how fine they are, the hairs are springy enough to make controlled strokes, whereas common brushes of this size collapse easily with pressure and result in shakier lines. This springy quality is also great for when I make clay pieces with raised detailing, as I’m able to control how I paint hard-to-reach crevices. Another huge plus, which might be my favorite feature of this set, is the ergonomic grips. I have a bad habit of gripping far away from the front of the brush, and I know other artist friends who choke up on their brushes a lot. Having the grip reminds me where to hold for just the right amount of control when painting, and it’s much easier to keep a steady hand when using them.

The media could not be loaded. Overall, I’ve been pleased with the set. I was hoping to add a set of travel-friendly brushes for more detailed work, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. I have full-length brushes of great quality that were rather pricey and cheaper brushes that are more travel friendly in that they don’t require an extra-long case to protect them. These brushes hit right in the middle for me on top of being Ergonomic, vegan, and eco-friendly. The case is definitely made for more on-the-go artists than myself, but the fact that there is a case for the set is already a bonus for anyone who likes to keep their brush sets together. It’s cute and it has an extra pocket presumably for pencils or watercolors. It’s a canvas case, so if you’re going to travel with them, I would be mindful of how you pack them. As for the brushes themselves and the performance. They are definitely fine liners. They give you enough control to get very thin lines, almost fine liner pen thin lines. I would say you could get a line pretty close to a .005 micron in thickness if you have a steady hand. The only thing I would say to people who work with watercolor is that if you work in wet layers, you’re going to want to slide an extra brush, a cheap large brush to apply the water to the page in large areas. These are fine liners. The wider brushes will cover a decent size area, but they aren’t meant for large, quick coverage. They’re great brushes overall, and as always I can tell they were made with the new-age artist in mind from the way they’re packaged, the case, and the design of the brushes themselves. They’re exactly what they say they are.

I really wanted to try this product with multiple mediums. I tried them out with watercolor and acrylic paints as well as liquid ink. I love the array of sizes that come in this set because it allows you to cover larger areas like backgrounds as well as smaller details all from one kit. I really enjoyed the design of the brush because having the triangular shape on the handle was very comfortable. I was able to hold the brush for long periods without my hand cramping and it actually solved a problem I didn’t even know I had. By having the triangular handle, I did not have brushes rolling away and getting paint all over the place. I’ve resorted in the past to holding paintbrushes in my mouth to avoid putting them down and having them roll away, and this solved all that! They are easy to clean and seem to bounce back to their original shape easily which I am thrilled about. Most of the paintings I do are small enough to fit into my journal, so these smaller brushes are perfect. One small issue I ran into is that a couple of the brushes did have a hair or bristle that was facing the wrong way and wouldn’t go back to the original shape. I solved this by carefully cutting that hair off, but it was only on maybe 1 or 2 brushes. Lastly, regarding ink. They hold ink super well and I am thrilled that I can now use them for the liquid ink I have at home since I am not super great with a quill. Overall, I loved using this product. I love how the packaging does have a small pocket as well so if you want to keep a pencil in there too, you then have everything you need to take it with you.