How to Clean and Store Your Art Brushes
Whether you paint with watercolor, acrylic or oils, you likely have a nice stash of art brushes. I know I have a lot!
Artist brushes come in many shapes and sizes, and they can also cost you a pretty penny, especially if you invest in a good set. That’s why it’s not only important to choose the right brush for you, but to know exactly how to clean and store your art brushes once you’ve finished an art making session.
I want to share with you some things I have learned about art brushes, not only how you should store and clean them, but also different types of cleaners and addressing the difference between natural and synthetic brushes. Spoiler alert, there are different cleaning and storing techniques depending on your brushes bristles.
So let’s start at the beginning, what’s the difference between synthetic and natural art brushes?
Art Brushes: Hairs and Bristles
Art brushes come with two basic types of bristles: natural and synthetic. Natural brushes are made of animal hair, such as hog bristles, camel, sable and mongoose, while synthetic brushes either are used to mimic their animal counterparts or are used due to the fact that they can create different and distinct strokes.
The type of bristles that you will choose largely depends on the type of paint you will be using. Confused? No problem, let’s look at a couple of examples.
Sable brushes work well with acrylic painting however this type of paint can be damaging to natural-bristle brushes. Therefore if you are an acrylic painter, maybe try opting for synthetic over natural bristle brushes.
Then there is oil paint, which has a thicker consistency. In this case, brushes with coarser bristles would work better. Hog bristle and stiff, springy synthetics are better suited for this type of paint.
Finally there is watercolor painting. In these cases, sable brushes are the best choice due to the fact they can absorb liquid. Nevertheless, there are also some soft synthetic brushes that mimic sable and also could be a great choices.
And as I learned from my friend Sandi Keene, you want to take special care with your watercolor brushes and dedicate them to use with watercolor only. I am guilty of not doing that. I grab a brush and just go for it when using different paints.
As you can see by the examples above, in a lot of cases you can use both synthetic or natural bristles. So that leads us to the next question: what is the difference between natural and synthetic bristles?
Is natural hair better than synthetic?
Is one option better than the other? Not necessarily. It really just depends on your needs.
Before investing in any art brushes, it is important to ask yourself a few of questions:
•Are you a beginner and just want to paint for fun?
•What kinds of paint will you be using?
•What is your budget?
•Are you looking for something right now or something that will last?
Picking the right brush depends a lot on your wants and your needs.
Natural brushes, for example, can be used with any type of paint, except for acrylics, which can damage the delicate natural animal hairs. If you are a watercolor enthusiast then natural brushes would work perfectly as they hold a lot of water. But, some cons of natural brushes are that they often are more expensive than synthetic brushes.
On the other hand synthetic brushes, which are made of nylon, polyester or a mixture of both, can be more budget-friendly and work well with all types of paints including acrylics, oils and yes, even watercolors.
For me, I am pretty losey gosey with my brush choices. I suppose there isn’t an art brush I can say I dislike, but there are those I tend to gravitate to more than others.
You know what I mean, right?
The brush feels good in your hand and the tip makes the best marks. As a mixed media artist, I use pretty much any kind of brush.
Whatever brush you end up choosing, remember that cleaning and storing your brush varies depending on the type of brush and also the type of paint you are using.
Cleaning Your Brushes
First things first, make sure to clean your brushes while they are still wet. Do not let them dry. This is especially true if you are using acrylic paint. If you let acrylics dry on your brush then you can kiss that brush goodbye, seriously.
I can get lazy with this and have even left brushes in the water, forgetting to rinse and dry them. Not only does it not smell good, but it ruins the brushes. Say hello to bent bristle brushes!
Before placing your brush into your solvent or water, make sure that you take the time to wipe all excess paint off the brush. Don’t be lazy, get it all out, even if it takes a couple of extra minutes.
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Cleaning Watercolor or Acrylic Paint
If you are using watercolors or acrylic paint then you’ll mostly be cleaning your brush with water and soap. Although people do use dish or hand soap in a pinch, they can be super harsh. So if you don’t have any brush cleaner handy, then I would recommend you switch out the dish soap for a mild natural/organic shampoo.
However, if you are looking to invest in a soap cleaner, there are a lot of them out there on the market. The Mona Lisa Pink Soap for example, not only cleans your brush, but is also great for conditioning and reshaping your brushes. There is also the Masters Brush Cleaner and Preserver, which is a non-toxic cleaner that is suitable for removing wet oil paint, dry oil paint, and watercolor and acrylic stains on your brushes.
I keep it simple and use the Masters Artist’s Hand Soap to not only wash my hands but clean my brushes.
Quick tip: When cleaning acrylic paint, it is super important to remember to never pour it down the drain or into the trash. Instead make sure to place a small bucket, pail or bowl under the faucet as you clean your brushes. If you’re wondering what to do with the buckets/bowls of dirty acrylic paint water, then take a look at this article that outlines a DIY solution to remove the acrylic paint solids from your rinse water. They also offer another article on waste disposal.
Cleaning Oil Paint
If you’re using oil paint, then water won’t do the trick. Instead you’ll probably need to use turpentine or spirits. Remember that these solvents are harsh and could, over time, contribute to brittleness and breakage of natural bristles. So make sure that you take that extra moment to wash the solvent from your brushes as a final step using soap and water.
Storing Your Brushes
Just as there are different ways to clean your brushes, there are also different ways you can store your brushes. Once you do a final rinse in clean water, squeeze out any excess water with a cloth and then reshape the bristle with your fingers. Then, leave them out to dry either lying horizontally or suspended in a vertical position with the tip facing downwards. I like to leave mine on a dishcloth to dry.
Once they are dry, you can store them in a cloth brush bag, zipper pouch or in pots/brush stands. I like using mugs, jars and other vintage containers.
Quick tip: If you will be storing natural bristle brushes such as hog hair, for an extended period, make sure they are completely dry and store them in an airtight container to avoid insects eating on the natural “hair” bristles.
In the end, properly caring for your paint brushes means that they will last longer and perform at their best. I know it isn’t fun to do the clean up but you’ve made an investment in your art supplies.
Cleaning and storing them well will make for happy brushes and a happier you!
Have a blessed day!
Roben-Marie
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