 Care & cleaning of brushes
Care & cleaning of brushes It is important for all artists to take care of their tools.
Brushes in particular can last a lifetime if they are of the right quality and are cared for properly. Brushes must always be kept very clean. At the end of a painting session wash them out in a strong soapy water.
A natural/artificial hair brush utilized in one medium (oil paint, acrylic, watercolor, etc.) should not be used again in a different medium, unless the nature of each medium and accompanying solvent affects the hairs of the brushes differently. Using brushes across media can cause them to age prematurely. This information does not apply to synthetic hair brushes.
Paint and solvent residue should be cleaned from brushes after use. After removing most of the paint from the bristles manually with an appropriate solvent, detergent and water should be used to clean the brush further. After a thorough cleaning, natural hair brushes benefit from using a brush conditioner on the hairs to restore oils. A conditioner can be worked into the bristles which can then be shaped to a point and left to dry. Before the next painting session, the conditioner should be removed with water.
Brushes should not be left bristle-end down in solvent for a prolonged period. Doing so will cause distress to the brush shape and may cause the bristles to splay out and lose their shape. Methods of suspending brushes in solvent include a metal spring, a mesh or a clamp. These grip brush handles and do not allow the bristles of the brush to touch the bottom of the solvent container. Also, leaving brushes in solvent for a prolonged period can cause damage to the bristles themselves by stripping oils and swelling, to the ferrule, to the adhesive used to hold bristles in place, and to the wooden handle.
An environmentally friendly way of removing oil paint from brushes while paint is wet is to immerse the brush in a container containing vegetable oil. The oil will naturally cleanse away the oil paint.
Care of Acrylic Brushes
1. Always clean your brush immediately after use.
2. If colour has been allowed to dry on the brush, household brush restorer can be used but it is unlikely that the brush will return to its original shape.
3. If you are storing brushes for any length of time, make sure they are clean and perfectly dry before putting them in an air tight box.
4. Never leave brushes standing on their bristles.
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Cleaning of Acrylic Brushes
1. Brushes should be wiped clean on a lint-free rag and then rinsed under running water.
2. Clean brushes gently with cool water and mild soap, gently swirl the soapy brush in the palm of your hand.
3. Repeat washing and rinsing the brush until the soap and water run clear. You’ll be amazed how much colour comes from the brush head. Take particular care to ensure that the base of the brush head is clean.
4. Some pigments may stain the brush slightly, but this will not affect the performance or the life of the hair.
5. Gently reshape the head and remove excess water from the brush head.
6. Dry the handle and ferrule and stand head up to allow the hair to dry. |
Care of Oil Brushes
To ensure the best possible performance and longest life for your hog brushes follow these simple rules:
1. Always clean brushes immediately after use.
2. Never leave brushes resting on their bristles.
3. Shape up bristles with your fingers after cleaning.
4. If you are storing hog brushes for any length of time, make sure they are clean and perfectly dry and keep them in a box with a tight fitting lid to avoid moth damage. If the brushes are not absolutely dry they may develop mildew.
5. Paint should never be allowed to dry on any brush. Should this happen household paint stripper could be used to soften it, however the brush is unlikely to return to its original shape afterwards. |
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Cleaning of Oil Brushes
1. Wipe excess colour from the brush using a rag.
2. Rinse remaining colour form brush using Artists’ White Spirit or Sansodor for oils and alkyds, water for Artisan.
3. Next, clean the bristle with Winsor & Newton Artgel or household soap (not detergent), working up a lather and rinsing the brush under warm (not hot) water. Repeat this until there is no trace of colour. Ensure all traces of soap are removed.
4. Finally, shape up the brush, dry the handle and rest the brush bristles uppermost in a pot or jar to dry.
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Care of Watercolours Brushes
1. Wash your brush as per cleaning instructions below. The most common cause of a brush no longer pointing is the build up of pigment particles in the base of the brush. If they are allowed to build up they simply push the hairs apart and prevent the point from forming.
2. Avoid storage in direct sunlight.
3. If you are storing brushes for any length of time, make sure they are clean and perfectly dry before putting them away in an airtight box.
4. Moth repellents are recommended when storing the brush, but cannot be relied upon as a sure preventative against moth damage.
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Cleaning of Watercolours Brushes
1. Brushes should be wiped clean on a lint-free rag and then rinsed under running water.
2. Clean brushes gently with cool water and mild soap, gently swirl the soapy brush in the palm of your hand.
3. Repeat washing and rinsing the brush until the soap and water run clear. You’ll be amazed how much colour comes from the brush head. Take particular care to ensure that the base of the brush head is clean.
4. Some pigments may stain the brush slightly, but this will not affect the performance or the life of the hair.
5. Gently reshape the head and remove excess water from the brush head.
6. Dry the handle and ferrule and stand head up to allow the hair to dry |
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