Having to clean up after painting can take the fun out of art supplies but learning how to protect your brushes is essential.
Unfortunately, the days of having a teacher or parent wash your brush as soon as you completed your creation are over so as an accomplished artist it is vital to understand how to effectively care for your art supplies.
If you are serious about taking care of your art supplies then you must properly understand what type of paint brush you use as different mediums require different types of brush.
People who are more likely to create a detailed and intricate work such as watercolour paintings will need a paint brush as this will enable them as an artist to spread the paints more easily.
Painters that want to mimic Van Gogh’s technique of creating brush marks in the paint will need to use brushes with hard bristles as this will allow them to manipulate thick paint in a convenient fashion.
In my opinion brushes with natural hair from animals such as sables, squirrels and ponies are better to those that contain synthetic fibre because the organic materials are stronger and more flexible.
Some artists that I know are uncomfortable using animal hairs as they can feel squeamish or they object to the idea of using hair from living beings in their art work so they prefer synthetic brushes.
Now you know what type of brush you are using, you will be able to clean it properly and you must always remember to use gloves to protect your skin as some art materials can be toxic.
I normally use some tissue and turpentine to clean my brushes and mild soap also works but first you will require tepid water and an area to dry your brushes before you commence cleaning.
Lukewarm water is best for cleaning brushes as hot water can result in the loss of brush hairs and always remember to use turpentine if you are using water-based paint products.
After painting, rinse your brush in clean water and repeat this process until the brush is paint-free and the water runs clear before shaking off any extra water that has attached to the body and bristles.
Once the brushes are clean, you will need to dry them while they are still wet so use tissues or toilet paper to wrap the bristles as this will help them maintain their correct shape.
