BRUSH CARE TIPS

• Your brushes are your tools and to do your best work, you must keep those tools in the best
    possible condition.
• Never allow any paint to dry in your brush, always rinse it with clean water every time you stop painting.
• Never leave your brushes soaking in water. Soaking may result in loosened handles, loosened bristles, and splitting of handle finish.
• Acrylics tend to wear our brushes faster than any other medium.
• Using a cheap brush will probably hamper the new artist’s progress.
• Poor quality, low priced brushes have no spring in them and more often than not, the bristles fall out.
• When buying a watercolor brush, make sure it has a good point on it.
• Brushes should be kept clean and stored either flat or upright on the handle. Never allow a brush to rest upright on its bristles.
• If possible, do not load paint over the ferrule; this paint might go into the ferrule and start to ruin the brush shape.

CLEANING BRUSHES

We recommend "The Masters" brush cleaner, but you are very free to use the cleaner and preserver of your choice. "The Masters" comes in a hard cake form that works with just water; it is not liquid so it is spill free. It contains no harsh thinners, is non-flammable (important for air travels) and environmentally safe. It removes oils, acrylics, watercolors, stains and varnishes. It also helps to prevent paint build-up in the ferrule and the hardening with acrylic paints and conditions the brush to hold more color and help lay down a smoother more even flow.  

* Proper Cleaning requires the following steps.

1. If necessary, use proper solvent for the paint you are using to remove as much color as possible.

2. Use a brush cleaner or mild soap for final cleaning.

- Wet the brush in lukewarm water and work up a lather by gently rubbing your brush on the soap container or on the palm of your hand.

- Rinse in clean water.

- Repeat until lather shows no trace of color.

- Make sure color is out of your brush.

3. Rinse thoroughly, shape your brush and put away to dry.

These simple rules have to be done with sable, bristle and synthetic brushes.

* For Preserving.

1. Clean brush as indicated.

2. Leave clear lather on bristle-filaments, shape and allow to dry.

3. Shake powder off bristles/filaments when ready to use again.

* For Restoring.

1. Clean brush as indicated but use hot water.

2. Allow lather to remain on bristles/filaments a few minutes.

3. If necessary, tap bristles on hard surface to work paint out.

4. To clean paint from ferrule, allow lather to remain on bristles/filaments for several hours and repeat cleaning process.

5. Leave lather on bristles/filaments, shape and allow to dry.