Watercolor Brushes - Do's & Don'ts

QUESTION: Do you have any tips on how to take care of my new watercolor brushes. Thanks!

SUSIE'S REPLY: Yes, I do! Here is a quick list of do's and don'ts.

Do wash your hands before handling your brushes to remove any body oil or lotion.
Do wet your brush before picking up pigments.
Do rinse and reshape the brushes you are working with even during a painting session.
Do clean your brushes using soap and water to remove paint residue.
Do use tepid or lukewarm water for cleaning. Never use HOT water.
Do air-dry your brushes laying them on a flat dry surface. (or hanging from the handle hairs pointing downward.)
Do keep brushes in a brush holder (during transport) to protect then tips from becoming crimped.
Do store dry brushes in air tight container when not in use for extended periods of time to protect then from moths and dust.

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Don’t pick up paint with a dry brush. (Wet the brush first by gently stroking it against the bottom of the water container to work out trapped air bubbles.)
Don’t use a watercolor brush for painting with oils or acrylics, inks or dyes.
Don’t use a good watercolor brush to apply maskoid, masking fluids or resists.
Don’t let your watercolor brush dry out with paint in the hairs.
Don’t pull a stuck dried brush from your palette (To remove: moisten it first to soften the dried paint to release the brush from the palette with out fraying the brush ends.)
Don’t leave a brush standing on its head in a jar (wet or dry)
Don’t submerge a brush beyond the ferrule for extended periods. (metal ring)
Don’t try to reshape it using a scissors or a razor blade.
Don’t pinch or pull at the hairs to remove excess moisture…be gentle.
Don’t dry a watercolor brush with a hair dryer. (Air dry lying them flat)
Don’t dry your brushes with the tips pointed up in a jar. (Ok for storing after drying.)
Don’t use a good watercolor brush to scrub with.
Don’t store a damp brush in an airtight container. This encourages mold and mildew.

For more watercolor tips visit my website: www.susieshort.net/watercolor-tips.html

Watercolor Brush Care/Repair

QUESTION: My watercolor brush is loose. The metal ring holding the brush "hairs" wiggles and is no longer tight on the handle. It was expensive. What can I do?

SUSIE'S REPLY: Ouch! Loosing a favorite watercolor brush, expensive or not, is almost like loosing a good friend isn't it?
The most common cause for a loose ferrule (the metal ring that connects the brush hairs to the handle) is leaving the brush submerged in water too long. If the handle is made of wood, the wood swells in the water and when it expands it loosens the ferrule and cracks the protective paint on the handle. Using a pair of pliers you can gently crimp the ferrule close to the handle to stop most of the wiggle.
If that doesn't work, use an awe or nail to puncture the ferrule making a hole in the metal to grip into the wooden handle. I sometime use fingernail polish to fill in the cracks in the paint to keep the handle for absorbing some of the water.
I've also seen some old loose brushes with a wire tightly securing the ferrule to the handle. Not to be confused with the mop brushes that are made this way to begin with. Hey, if it works why not?

If the handle is plastic, you can try to get some "super glue" under the ferrule to reseal and reattach it to the handle. Use a glue that's not water soluble.

As a preventative measure, above all don't leave a brush standing in a water container for an extended period of time.

I hope you can save your brush!
SUSIE