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Acrylic brushes care

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Syd Edward

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Everyone knows that acrylics can dry fairly fast on the brush if you just lay it down to choose another brush when lost in the painting process and forget about it for a period.Rather than stand my paint brush in a jar of water I lay it down in a shallow tray with a little water in it to cover only the painty bit .When using my staywet palette i use the trough in it for the same purpose. What do others do to stop the dreaded hard paint brush. ? .....Syd
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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Much the same as you - unless of course I want to apply dry-brush techniques, in which case I don't want a damp brush. In such circumstances, I stop and assiduously rinse all the paint out, patting it dry on a cloth (which is easier to do with synthetic than with natural hair bristles). There is a product available - well it was available, from Chromacolour UK; their website is taking a long time to be updated and I didn't see it there when last I looked - which claims to be able to rescue a dry-clogged acrylic brush. I've never tried it, because I've been a very good boy so far, and have never let one of mine get in that state. I think I'd rather carry on being good than take refuge in a paint softening agent, because I can't imagine it will do the bristles much good: but I wonder if anyone else has tried it?

Derek Snowdon

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Rinse them clean each time. I use the trough on the staywet for my collections of cards. Got used to the slight delays. Don't like standing them in water, especially the large flats.

Amanda Bates

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Of course we paint in acrylics! I just dunk my brushes in a jam jar full of water and leave 'em there until I want them or finish the session. Ditto the knives.

Ruth Dolan

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i rinse mine every time I change my colour, then if I am also changing brush size I lay it flat on a piece of cloth or folded paper towel. I never stand my damp brushes bristles up in a jar either, as the water can seep down and damage the metal ferrule....a tip I received long ago.

Phil Kendall

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Swarfega is the answer...
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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I knew he'd say that! Phil Kendall, the Swarfega king..... He's right though - I don't often use it, because I haven't really needed to, but in extremis or even short of in extremis, it's very good for brush cleaning.

Pat Harrison

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Further to my earlier reply I rinse the brush I have just been using and dab it on a paper tissue. Then I lay it flat on a tissue or towel. At the end of the session I clean my brushes using soap and water. When it comes to painting in oils my friend simply wipes his brushes on a cloth to change colours. He also used soap and water to clean them.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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The day'll come when you regret it, Michael, you'm mark moi words! And when it does, you remember - we tried to save you from yourself.... I think in fact the only problem arises when you leave the brush for an extended period either point down in the water, or sopping wet and point up in a jar, when apart from anything else the water will drip down the handle - and I hate that: hate it even more when it then drips up my sleeve. But just discarding your brush and leaving it in the water for a few minutes while you take up another one probably isn't going to wreck your brushes, even though I probably wouldn't do it. In the heat of the moment, of course, it takes a very self-possessed painter to treat his/her equipment with such extravagant care.

Kay Devlin

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I'm doing quite a large painting at the moment with lots of fiddly work. I have three near-identical brushes on the go. I'll use the first one for around an hour, then give it a rinse in a bucket and blot it on paper towel, and use one of the others. By the time I've used all three the first one will be dry enough to use again. For smaller paintings I probably wash my brushes more often than I need to, again just rinsing them in the sink and giving them a good dab on paper towel. Oh and I only really use inexpensive brushes for acrylics. Kay

Ant Holder

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I clean them every time I use them..... but I have suffered with the dreaded stiff one now and again!

Adele Elgood

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I use Open Acrylics so they don't dry on the brush while I am working. However I still rinse them and dab them on kitchen paper and lay them flat. At the end of each painting session, I wash them in shampoo and conditioner and bind them gently in cotton thread. Okay, so I'm anally- retentive. But I have lovely clean, dandruff-free brushes!
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