I was using mostly cheap Wally World paint brushes that would fray out and become useless in a relatively short amount of time. I’ve bought some more expensive brushes and would like these to last longer. Any tips on cleaning and preserving brushes would be greatly appreciated![:)]
My oil painting instructor taught me this method:
Swish the brush in a container of solvent for the paint you are using, wipe it, swish it, wipe it, until it’s pretty clean. Then put a little liquid soap in the palm of your hand and add a little water. With your other hand, scrub the brush in a circular motion in the soap/water solution and continue to do this until there is NO evidence of any paint (it’s like you are stirring the soap/water using the brush as a stir-stick). Rinse the brush really well, with water.
Here’s the fun part: Put the brush in your mouth and suck on the bristles, then draw the brush out through your lips so that your lips smooth and shape the brush - repeat until the brush is shaped the way it should be, then let it dry. BTW, that last step also works as a quality check for the cleaning process.
I’ve been known to use this process with brushes up to 2".
Hi Loathar.
I have good luck with the standard old fashioned methods. I use mostly acrylics with some oils thrown in.
Wet before using. Rewet periodically in water of thinner.
Clean immediately or at least rinse often.
After mostly clean, wash with warm water and a bit of pine based cleaner. (I do this with house painting brushes too). Rinse a few times in warm water. Gently shake out the water.
Shape the damp bristles with your fingers and NEVER stand on the bristle end. I keep my high end brushes in their protective cloth roll or flat in a drawer.
You probably knew all of this already except perhaps for the pine cleaner.
Allow me to say that good quality brushes (you don’t need the best - just good art school ones) are a pleasure to work with and do last a lot longer. Experiment with synthetic bristles vs natural (sable, boars hair etc) to see what you like best for your kinds of paint.
Karl
I wouldn’t use the mouth method with non-acrylic paints… [:)]
Keep your brushes seperate (acrylic and non-acrylic)
Only use cool water. Warm and hot water can soften the glue that holds the bristles in place over time.
cheers
Does anyone have a technique for getting this image out of my mind of Shayfan sucking on a two inch paint brush?
I’ve been trying to teach my grandson NOT to put stuff like that in his mouth.
It’s an artist thing! What can I say? I posted it mostly to get a few chuckles, but it is true - Tim Collins, art teacher, Laramie High School, actually demonstrated the process and recommended that we all use it.
Like Mr Collins explained, if you clean it good there is no risk, and spit seems to have a very positive effect on the shape of the bristles.
Master modeler and author Dave Frary’s technique is to treat the cleaned brush with hair conditioner. Remember to wash away the conditioner the next time the brush is to be used.
Mark
I would never put brushes in my mouth.
For thoroughly cleaning oils/enamels from brushes, I start with a good rinse in turps then rinse in running water, then if I’m really serious about getting them clean I give them a thorough rinse in liquid sugar soap. I haven’t found anything better. Then a further rinse in running water, mould the damp bristles to shape with your fingers and lay the brushes flat to dry.
Generally I’m too lazy after painting to clean my brushes of the oils I use so I simply squeeze them to shape and lay them flat in a tray of water. I’ve kept brushes in perfect shape for months on end that way without subjecting them to harsh turps. [eventually the handles will call it quits]
Acrylics are cleaned in running water and moulded to shape before being laid flat to dry.
Mike
Acrylics get hammered in water at the sink and blasted with Windex, the blue window cleaner.
And set with the brush pointing to sky in a small cup until dry. I managed to extend the life span of my brushes this way. I primarly use red sable and think I do well with that little stragety. It’s usually the handle that quits before the brush gets too frayed.
Ive handpainted all my life, only now Im moving towards a airbrush set because it takes medicines now to keep that brush steady =)
What do you do with a 4" brush?[:O]
NOT a good idea to put brushes in your mouth - - - - - especially watercolours, some are made from very deadly chemicals and remain toxic for a very long time. After washing brushes put a small bit of any soap and let them dry, just like the brush manufacturers do, it preserves the shape, but, make sure you wash them before use. Don’t buy cheap brushes, a waste of time and money and skill, they pay off every time you paint, look after them.
Thanks all! The Pine-Sol and hair conditioner sound like a good idea. I think mine are getting too dried out and getting frayed. I thought I had heared you shouldn’t use the same brushes for oil and acrylics. That might have been my biggest problem. Guess it’s time to buy a second set…[:-^]
I have heard that WD-40 is a wonder product good for scores of uses. I would be willing to bet that, once you have done a thorough job of cleaning a brush with mineral spirits/thinner, and have wiped it dry-brush dry, a liberal spray with WD-40, a work through on a piece of cardboard or something, and then a wipe dry should keep the brush in good condition for several years.
I would wonder, though, if the WD-40 would be good for synthetic bristles over the long term. Hard to say.
Selector-Now that you mention that, I seem to remember my Grandpa (who was a master builder and craftsman) spraying his large paint brushes with WD 40. He was using high quality brushes and mostly used oil base stains and paints.
The old rule-of-thumb was to use synthetic bristle brushes for water-based paints and natural bristles for lacquer-based paints, although I’m told that there are synthetics which will work well with lacquer-based paints.
Wayne