Much of the material in this article was provided by Loew-Cornell and is reprinted by permission.
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Much of the material in this article was provided by Loew-Cornell and is reprinted by permission. |
It is frustrating when good brushes are ruined through improper use or care. Here are some brush care techniques that will help you extend the life and preserve the quality of your brushes.
For best results, keep a separate sets of brushes for water-based paints and for oils, even if you elect to use the same type brush for both media. Oil paints and the solvents used to clean them often act as repellents to water and water-based products.
When loading, using, or cleaning a brush, let the hairs move in their natural direction. Excessive twisting, pushing down hard on an edge or point, and other unnatural actions can quickly result in permanent distortion of the brush.
Take care not to let paint work its way up into the ferrule. Paint is hard to remove from this area, and the paint will cause the brush to swell, resulting in a loss of brush shape and spring.
Never leave a brush soaking in water, brush cleaner, or other solvent for an extended time. Natural hair can become waterlogged leaving your brush limp and lifeless until it has dried out. Take care not to let the brush head rest on the bottom of your water container where its shape can easily become distorted.
Keep the level of the liquid in your water container below the ferrule/handle attachment. Excessive moisture can cause the enamel to peel or swell the wood, thereby causing cracking or loosening of the ferrule.
Never allow paint to dry on a brush. Be careful when working with acrylics — they dry quickly! Brushes should be kept moist during a working session until thorough cleaning is possible.
It is essential that brushes be completely cleaned at the end of each working session.
Remove excess paint by wiping the brush across a paper towel, newspaper, or cloth.
Use the proper solvent to remove the rest of the paint from your brush.
Watercolors/Acrylics — Begin with cool water, follow with Loew-Cornell Brush Cleaner for Acrylic Paints or Better Way Brush Cleaning Fluid. Hot water should never be used when cleaning acrylic paint. Heat acts as a setting agent and can cause the paint to harden before it is removed from your brush.
Oils — Use Loew-Cornell Odorless Cleaner & Thinner or Better Way Brush Cleaning Fluid and Oil Paint Solvent, then rinse with lukewarm, soapy water. Never use solvents such as acetone or lacquer thinner as a brush cleaner. These chenicals can dissolve the setting compound in the ferrule that holds the brush hair in place and corrode the hair itself.
Check to be sure all traces of paint are gone by stroking the brush across a paper towel and pressing down by the ferrule.
Note: Some filaments may become stained with color when first used. This is fine provided all wet paint has been removed.
Remove extra moisture and reshape the head with your fingers. For natural hair brushes, work hair conditioner in every 10 painting sessions by stroking the brush across your hand or other hard surface and then allow to dry. This restores oils and helps prevent the hairs from drying out. There are commercial brush conditioners available, but a mild conditioner for human hair should work just as well.
Note: Before beginning your next working session, burshes should be run under lukewarm water to remove cleaner or conditioner.
Dry the handle and ferrule of your brush completely. This small extra step can help prevent the build up of moisture.
Use Common Sense — Brushes, whether made from natural or synthetic hair are fairly delicate and so should the materials that are used to clean them. Use the mildest product that will get the job done. If possible, use a product formulated specifically for brush care and the medium. Other products may do the job of removing paint, but quite often will leave the hair in poor condition, for example, dried out, curled at the ends, etc.
The Loew-Cornell Brush Tub is a useful brush cleaning defvice and container capable of holding all liquids.
The brush tub has three chanbers and can hold all solvents. The largest section has stair-stepped ribs of graduating heights and is best for final cleaning or cleaning a brush between color changes.
Lay the brush head on the ribs at the same angle as the ribs. Push the heel down and pull the brush up along the ribs. If done correctly, you will hear a clicking sound as the ferrule hits the plastic ribs. Repeat this motion several times, turning the brush over until all paint is worked out. (Stroking the brush across a paper towel is a quick, easy way to check if all color has been removed.) The ribs help to vibrate the area near the ferrule, making paint removal easier. Always work in one direction — upward following the angle of the ribs. The additional chambers can be used for keeping brushes moist during use and for an initial rinse before final cleaning.
Brushes should be dried flat or suspended by their handle. Avoid drying brushes upright on their handles as this allows moisture or solvents to flow into the ferrule which may cause loosening of the hairs.
Brushes should be stored either lying flat, suspended, or upright on their handles to eliminate pressure on the hair. Holes around the edge of the Brush Tub can be used for this purpose.
To prevent mildewing, do not store wet brushes in a sealed container.
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Copyright © Jim and Gloria Winer. |
