Caring For Your Paintbrushes
Caring For Your Paintbrushes
You’ve invested a good deal of money into your paintbrushes, it only makes sense to take proper care of them in order to make them last and get the most out of your investment. Follow these tips to extend the life of your paintbrushes.
Invest in a brush holder. A brush holder will suspend the brush in either water or solvent while you’re painting (or between uses) without crushing the hair.
Keep the handles dry. When soaking the brushes in solvent or water, soak only to the top of the brush head so that the handle doesn’t get wet. Handles can become loose or cracked with repeated exposure to liquids.
Never allow paint to dry in a brush. Clean the brushes immediately after painting. Use a formulated brush cleaner, soap and warm water. Rinse completely and reshape the hairs.
Let the brushes air dry in an upright position to maintain the shape. You may also lay them flat or suspend them so that no water drains into the ferrule. Once thoroughly dried, store the brushes in a closed container. Make sure that nothing disrupts the bristles.
When painting a rough surface, avoid the use of expensive natural hair paintbrushes. The rough surface will damage the brush and cause it to wear out before its time. Instead, choose a less expensive synthetic brush for these tasks.
Occasionally condition your natural hair paintbrushes using lard oil which is found at most hardware stores or art supply shops. Place a drop of oil on each brush head and work in to the bristles. Wrap in a towel or rag for a few days (up to two weeks) allowing the oil to absorb. Gently wash the brushes and dry as described above.
Enjoy your brushes and take the necessary steps to keep them in pristine condition.
www.MadisonArtShop.com
Paintbrushes are a big investment for any artist. This article offers steps to take care of paintbrushes.
You’ve invested a good deal of money into your paintbrushes, it only makes sense to take proper care of them in order to make them last and get the most out of your investment. Follow these tips to extend the life of your paintbrushes.
Invest in a brush holder. A brush holder will suspend the brush in either water or solvent while you’re painting (or between uses) without crushing the hair.
Keep the handles dry. When soaking the brushes in solvent or water, soak only to the top of the brush head so that the handle doesn’t get wet. Handles can become loose or cracked with repeated exposure to liquids.
Never allow paint to dry in a brush. Clean the brushes immediately after painting. Use a formulated brush cleaner, soap and warm water. Rinse completely and reshape the hairs.
Let the brushes air dry in an upright position to maintain the shape. You may also lay them flat or suspend them so that no water drains into the ferrule. Once thoroughly dried, store the brushes in a closed container. Make sure that nothing disrupts the bristles.
When painting a rough surface, avoid the use of expensive natural hair paintbrushes. The rough surface will damage the brush and cause it to wear out before its time. Instead, choose a less expensive synthetic brush for these tasks.
Occasionally condition your natural hair paintbrushes using lard oil which is found at most hardware stores or art supply shops. Place a drop of oil on each brush head and work in to the bristles. Wrap in a towel or rag for a few days (up to two weeks) allowing the oil to absorb. Gently wash the brushes and dry as described above.
Enjoy your brushes and take the necessary steps to keep them in pristine condition.
www.MadisonArtShop.com
Paintbrushes are a big investment for any artist. This article offers steps to take care of paintbrushes.
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