The Artists Paint Brush…Tools of Your Trade, Treat them Well
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Proper care begins with knowing the parts of the paint brush. It consists of three parts, the handle which is usually made of wood, the ferrule which is usually a type of metal that holds your bristles or hairs onto the handle. These can consist of a large variety of materials depending on the quality of the brush but fall into two categories, synthetic or natural.
The very tip of your brush is known as the toe. It is also helpful to know where to find the size of your brush, this will not help in any way in the care of your brush just a fact I will throw in here, so the size is printed on the handle as a number. Sizes start at 00 which is the smallest and run 0, 1, 2, and up. The higher the number the larger the brush.
Leaving Your Brushes to Soak
This is the number one thing you DO NOT want to get in the habit of doing. My art teacher always told me to never drown your brushes! If left long enough to soak, the brush will fall out of shape, nothing worse than trying to paint with a permanently crooked brush. Next would be the fact that the glue that holds the bristles or hairs to the ferrule will soak out and you will lose the bristles or hairs from the brush. If you are using the more expensive brushes this will end up to be very costly.
Use it as a Scrub Brush
Sometimes when you are painting and caught up in the moment it will seem easier to use the fine soft brush already in your hand to scrub some paint rather than getting a heavier course brush to do the job. Especially when it is a small area, don't do it. This is a perfect way to ruin a fine bristle/haired brush, take the time to pick up that hard bristled scrub brush and let it do the job it was designed for.
Store Your Brushes
NEVER, NEVER store your brushes on their bristles/hairs! This practice is something that should always be discouraged. By doing this you permanently destroy the shape of your brushes. It causes at the least the bristles/hairs to become distorted and stick out to the sides. Get in the good habit of always storing your brushes with the bristles/hairs upwards to keep the natural shape. This also helps you when you are painting to determine which brush size you need and easily pick it up.
Reshape Your Brush After You Wash it
Always take your fingers and shape the brush while it is wet to form the natural contours of each brush. If it has some stubborn bristles/hairs that refuse to cooperate try using a tissue or a piece of toilet paper to encourage it. Years ago my art teacher instructed us to shape the brush with our mouths before storing it upside down, just a small habit I picked up and works best with a liner or similar type brush that has a fine point or toe.
Knowing the proper care of your expensive brushes is a very important habit to get into. If followed religiously the amount of money you pay for the best brushes will be wisely spent plus your brushes will last you for many, many years.
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