{"id":4172,"date":"2017-10-21T13:53:01","date_gmt":"2017-10-21T17:53:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/blog\/?p=4172"},"modified":"2019-06-27T20:56:54","modified_gmt":"2019-06-28T00:56:54","slug":"how-to-clean-and-care-for-art-brushes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/blog\/how-to-clean-and-care-for-art-brushes","title":{"rendered":"How To Clean And Care For Art Brushes"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"How<\/div>\n
Short handle. Long handle. Natural. Synthetic. Cheap. Expensive. The brushes we use to make art are as variable as the artists that use them. Brush techniques differ as well. One thing that remains constant is the disappointing feeling of losing a favorite brush. I\u2019ve used brushes until there was nothing left to use. It\u2019s like dying from old age – sad but expected. More disappointing, however, is losing a brush before its time due to carelessness.<\/p>\n

To keep your brushes performing at their best, you need to clean them. This may seems fairly obvious, but many overlook its importance. But how do you clean your brushes properly?<\/p>\n

Below we will explore the best practices of brush care so that you get the most out of every brush, how to clean and store them. First, let’s take a look at the parts of a brush.<\/p>\n

Parts of a Brush<\/h2>\n

Properly caring for a brush starts with brush anatomy. There are three parts to a paint brush – the bristles, the ferrule and the handle. Each of these parts require a measure of care to maximize the life of any brush.<\/p>\n

\"Parts<\/p>\n

Bristles<\/em> are either natural or synthetic. Natural bristle brushes are made from the hair and fur of animals including sable, hog, goat, camel and others. Synthetic bristles are typically nylon. They are cheaper and easier to care for because of their durability but many artists still prefer the feel of painting with natural bristle brushes.<\/p>\n

The ferrule<\/em> is the metal part of a brush found between the handle and bristles. Using glue and crimped ends, the bristles and handle are fixed inside of the ferrule. Thicker gauge metal indicates a higher quality brush.<\/p>\n

Handles<\/em> are probably the easiest part of the brush to care for. They are usually made from painted wood. Sometimes they are plastic. Wipe away wet paint and solvents from your handles as<\/em> you paint to keep them in good shape.<\/p>\n

Nothing Lasts Forever<\/h4>\n

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No matter how well you care for a paint brush it will expire with regular use. Brushes are damaged primarily due to our painting technique and secondarily by our washing and storage habits. By learning to better preserve our brushes we can avoid extra trips to the supply store, saving both money and time.<\/p>\n

Don’t Wait to Clean Your Brushes<\/h2>\n

For some of us, shifting from producing art to “cleaning up” can be a difficult mental transition. After you’ve poured yourself into a work, it can be tempting to just get up and admire your work for a while and leave the clean up for “some other time”. But waiting to clean up your brushes can wreak havoc on them. It’s best to clean them up immediately after you’ve finished using them. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to clean your brushes and it may even ruin them. <\/p>\n

Using Water and Soap to Clean Your Brushes (Water-Based Paints)<\/h2>\n

If you paint with watercolor<\/a> or acrylics<\/a>, then your solvent is water and it will not damage your bristles. Cleaning your brushes after painting with a water-based medium is as simple as using a bit of soap and water. <\/p>\n

Dishwashing liquid is preferred by some artists, while others prefer a specialized soap. When choosing a soap for cleaning brushes, manufacturers of art materials are your best bet, since they produce specialized soaps that won’t harm the bristles of the brush.<\/p>\n

\"Soaps<\/p>\n

(Some of the following links are affiliate links which means we earn a small commission if you purchase at no additional cost to you.)<\/p>\n

One option is to use “Pink Soap” by Mona Lisa<\/a>. Pink Soap not only cleans the wet and dry paint from your brush, but it also conditions it bringing it back to its original condition.<\/p>\n

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Buy Pink Soap<\/buttonblue><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Another option is to use Masters Brush Cleaner and Preserver<\/a>. This hand soap and preserver combination is a popular choice for many artists that want a hand soap as well – after all our hands get dirty too!<\/p>\n

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Buy Masters Brush Cleaner<\/buttonblue><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Using Solvents to Clean Your Brushes (Oil-Based Paints)<\/h2>\n

\"Solvents
\nIf you are an oil painter<\/a> then you have some flexibility. Historically, artists have used turpentine or mineral spirits to clean oil brushes. These solvents are harsh and could, over time, contribute to brittleness and breakage of natural bristles. So after using solvents for your initial cleaning, take an extra moment and wash the solvent from your brushes using soap and and water. The brand, Dove, is a good choice as it has a built-in moisturizer.<\/p>\n

Beside the traditional solvents, some art supply companies such as Mona Lisa offer top tier cleaning solutions that both clean and condition natural bristles (see soap options above).\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Washing Technique For Cleaning Brushes<\/h4>\n

The proper technique for washing brushes is to make strokes<\/span> through a container of cleaner. For water-based paints, water will suffice. For oil-based paints, use the solvent of your choice.<\/div>\n

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The Acrylic Painting Academy<\/span>
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VIEW COURSE<\/div>\n

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Too often I see student artists take a fist-full of dirty brushes and attempt to clean them all at once by pounding them into the bottom of a cleaning jar. Haste makes waste and this type of action forces the bristle to splay out in every direction and may even push paint up into the ferrule – big mistake. Doing this to a round brush may cause the bristles never to go to a point again.<\/p>\n

For cleaning water based paints, I like to swirl the bristles into the cup of my hand while water gently runs over them.<\/p>\n