[jillsy]

Looking for advice on keeping paintbrushes in shape. Seems like all my fine brushes (for painting miniature pieces) are fanning out whenever I dip them in paint, making it difficult to paint small areas.

I rinse them as I go and as I clean them, I pull on the bristles to try and keep them flat and straight. But, once they dry and I try to paint, the bristles don't keep shape and separate. Am I doing something wrong? Should I be doing something I'm not? Or does this just happen?

Any and all tips welcome and appreciated.

Jillsy

[BobD]

Jillsy,
I think the problem is that you've got dried paint in the ferrels of the brushes. Try this...soak your brushes in Windex with Ammonia for a few minutes, swish them around, then swish them in clean water. Ammonia, according to one of our authors, Kenny Vermillion, is the natural solvent for acrylic paints, and Windex has just the right concentration.

If you have paint dried in the ferrels, it will prevent the bristles from staying tightly together.

Bob

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

The problem is that with acrylics or watercolors, the water dries out and removes the natural oils in the brushes, a dip in "lard oil" will keep natural brushes in shape, you have to rinse them to get the lard oil out (lard oil never dries) as for manmade bristles, bob has the answer, its dried paint in the ferrel spreading the bristles.....but if you rinse them well everytime you use them when painting with acrylics they last a long time and at wallyworld they are pretty cheap, so, I save the flared ones for special effects and get new ones when they get sloppy! lol.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

The first thing is to make sure you buy a good quality brush. I use good quality sable brushes which I buy at a art supply store in Tulsa. Like the other replies, make sure you keep them clean. Buy a little tub of brush cleaner and after you rinse them clean in water, clean them again in the cleaner and reshape them while they still have the cleaner in the bristle. This will quickly rinse out the next time you use them but it will help hold the brushes original shape until then.

I use Women's hair spray to clean my brushes when I see them getting thick at the base. I just spray a little puddle out on the table and roll the brush through the liquid while watching in amazement while it disolves all the old paint. Then a quick clean in the soap and a reshape and the brush is as good as new.

Anymore, the only time I buy new brushes is when the tips are actually worn off from use. Not because they have lost their shape.

[BobD]

I'm going to beat Dave to this one...

The only hair spray I have is Men's hairspray...will that work, Lynn <grin>

Bob

[Ashbys]

This is amazing! I never knew the steps to clean a brush ..

1 use brush
2 clean brush
3 dip brush in windex
4 spray brush with hair spray
5 dip in lard

Ok so 2 questions.....

1st ... how do I clean the lard ... and

what was the price of walmart again ?


Wheres the stain .......LOL

Ash

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

lol not lard...lard oil, from an art supply house....actually, I will admit, I just use the lard oil on my oil painting brushes...but anything to keep the oil in natural bristles....but then again the wallyworld specials are not natural bristles....

[jillsy]

Wow, thanks for all the advice. I thought maybe I was being too rough with them when I clean them or something. My brushes aren't cheap, but aren't the highest quality either.

Thanks for all your input!

Jillsy

[Dylan]

I read some where that if you pull on the bristles it'll act like a curling iron. Seems like it was in WCI's painting and finishing guide.

Dylan

[Shimmy]

I also read somewhere when finished cleaning ,dry them and put on a little vasoline & shape them..