Illumination Brushes: for Halkari and Tahrir

In tezhip, the finest detail comes down to brush choice. Halkari technique requires gold to be shaded evenly out toward the tips of a leaf; double tahrir requires a motif outline pulled in a single unbroken line without a tremor. Both depend on one thing: the brush coming to a perfect point.

So the two properties to look for in an illumination brush are tip retention and durability. A brush whose tip splays, or that sheds, makes clean outlining and even shading impossible.

The brushes in this collection were selected against those two criteria:

• Kolinsky and sable brushes: the spring and absorbency of natural hair bring the tip to a single point, carry paint or gold evenly, and hold their shape through long use.
• Tahrir brushes: very fine and sharply pointed, thinned specifically for single-line, unbroken outlining.
• Ground and shading brushes: in a range of thicknesses and sizes, for filling larger areas and for shading.

Sizes run from 10/0 and finer up through heavier bodies, so there is an option for each stage of the work. Whether you are studying or working professionally as a müzehhip, these are brushes chosen to last and to hold up to precise work. Da Vinci and other established makers are represented.