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Brush Information and Brush Care

Jump to: Brush Shapes | Brush Sizes | Brush Fibers | Brush Cleaning | Other Brush Care

Brush Shapes

You’ve been visualizing your next art project for a while and now you know what you want to paint. Before starting, learn how each brush translates to your project. Different brush shapes can serve different techniques and painting surfaces you want to use.

Brush Sizes

Depending on what you want to create, you will need brushes of different sizes. When shopping for brushes, always consider the size of the brush to ensure you have the right array of sizes for your projects.

Thick Paint Brush

Thicker Brushes

  • Hold more color
  • Help you paint large areas

Thin Paint Brush

Thinner Brushes

  • Better control
  • Perfect for details

Short Handle Brush

Short-Handled Brushes

  • Great for watercolor painting
  • Great for ink painting

Long Handle Brush

Long-Handled Brushes

  • Great for oil painting
  • Great for acrylic painting

Thick Paint Brush

Thicker Brushes

  • Hold more color
  • Help you paint large areas

Short Handle Brush

Short-Handled Brushes

  • Great for watercolor painting
  • Great for ink painting

Thin Paint Brush

Thinner Brushes

  • Better control
  • Perfect for details

Long Handle Brush

Long-Handled Brushes

  • Great for oil painting
  • Great for acrylic painting

3/0 Brush

Smaller than Size 0

  • These brushes are less common and denoted by a slash.
  • The larger the number before the slash, the smaller the brush.
  • Examples include 4/0, 6/0, or even 20/0.

Size 4 Brush

Size 0 - 20

  • The length of the tuft increases as the numbers get higher.
  • The size of the ferrule increases as the numbers get higher.

Big Brushes

Larger than Size 20

  • These brushes are less common and tend to be more expensive.
  • Sizes can range up to size 30!

Brush Fibers

Different brush fibers are used with watercolor, oil, or acrylic paints. They help you to obtain different painting effects or textures, but they also vary in terms of durability and cleaning ease.

Brush Cleaning Guide & Tips

Proper brush care will extend the life of your artist’s brushes. High-quality brushes last for years because of the exceptional materials used to produce the brush’s fibers, ferrule, and handle. However, you will be able to enjoy your favorite brushes for years only if you take good care of them.

How to Clean Your Brushes

Clean your brushes immediately after use. Never let the paint to dry on them!

    1. Scrape off excess paint.
    2. Rinse the brushes well in lukewarm or cool water (or the proper solvent).
    3. Dry the brushes with a paper towel to remove paint and solvent.
    4. Use a light cleanser, such as soap and lukewarm or cool water or a manufactured brush cleaner, to remove the rest of the paint. (Want a high-quality brush soap or cleaning product? We’ve got those too!)
    5. Rinse the brushes again.
    6. Reshape the bristles with your fingers to neaten them. (Need more reshaping help? You can use a reshaping product to tease misshapen bristles into shape, even if you can’t do it with your fingers.)
    7. Dry the brushes laying down flat or hanging upside-down.

General Brush Cleaning Tips

Do’s
  • Only use light cleansers, such as soap and water, dishwashing liquid or shampoo, or special brush cleaning products
  • From time to time, use a hair conditioner to keep the brushes supple and prevent paint from sticking to the bristles. Then rinse again.
  • Always use lint-free paper towels to dry the brushes.
  • Always remove excess water and completely dry ferrules and handles.
  • To reshape brush tufts, wrap some newspaper around the tuft. Use a rubber band to hold the newspaper in the shape you want the brush to hold. If the brush is stubborn, you may need to use a professional brush reshaper.
  • Only reshape the brush once you have thoroughly cleaned it.
Don’ts
  • Do not use hot water to clean your brush as it can expand the ferrule, causing the hairs to fall out.
  • Never rest a brush on its tip (usually when drying) for any length of time.
  • Don’t use lacquer thinner, shellac remover, or acetone to clean your brushes. These solvents dissolve the glues that hold the brush hairs in place.

Watercolor Brush Cleaning Tips

Do’s
  • Always wipe your watercolor brushes with a lint-free rag, then use a light cleanser.
  • Carefully remove all the pigment particles that tend to build-up at the base of the brush. This pushes hairs apart and stops the point from forming.
  • Clean the watercolor with mild soap and cool water, swirl the soapy brush in the palm of your hand, then rinse.
  • Be patient! Repeat the washing and rinsing until the water runs clear. Your brushes will thank you!

Acrylic Brush Cleaning Tips

Do’s
  • Use mild soap and cool water to clean your acrylic brushes.
  • Use brush cleaning products from time to time to remove built-up or dried acrylic paint.
  • Keep your brushes moist until you’re ready to clean them, especially if you have to delay cleaning. This ensures the acrylic doesn’t dry and remains water-soluble.
  • Even during the painting sessions, keep your acrylic brushes wet.
Don’ts
  • Don’t let your whole brush soak in water; this will ruin your brushes. Just keep the bristles moist!

Oil Brush Cleaning Tips

Do’s
  • Always use a rag as your first step to wipe away as much color as possible from the brushes.
  • Oil paints aren’t water soluble, so use a thinning solvent to clean your oil brushes, such as turpentine or mineral spirits.
  • If you are against solvents, remove the oil pigment with vegetable oil or a non-solvent professional cleaning product.
  • After removing the bulk of the paint with a solvent, you can switch to soap and water. Make sure you dry the brush to remove the solvent before moving on to the soap and water step.
  • Use brush conditioner 2-3 times per year after you’re done cleaning your brushes. Roll your brush in the conditioner, rinse it well, and reshape and dry your brush.

Synthetic Brush Cleaning Tips

Do’s
  • You can clean acrylic or watercolor paints off synthetic brushes with liquid soap and water. No solvents needed! (This includes Taklon, Risslon, and Interlon brushes.)
  • You can also use some solvents for cleanup, such as pure gum spirits of turpentine or an odorless turpentine substitute.
  • Make sure your solvent is compatible with synthetic brushes and is high quality before purchasing.
Don’ts
  • Avoid hardware store solvents (including turpentine!) when cleaning synthetic brushes. These strong solvents can damage the synthetic fibers and leave gummy residues. There are great solvent and non-solvent cleaners formulated specifically for artist brushes.
  • If you paint with linseed oil or Dammar varnish, never clean your synthetic fiber brushes with water! Use only solvents that are compatible with your panting medium.

Brush Storage & Other Brush Care Tips

Besides cleaning techniques, there are other methods that help increase the longevity of your brushes. Where and how you store your brushes makes a difference in the quality and strength of your brushes. Using different brushes for specified roles will yield some great results as well.

Brush Storage Tips

Do’s
  • Keep handles and ferrules dry to prevent cracking or loosening of the ferrule.
  • Make sure your brushes are completely dry before storing.
  • Always store brushes upright in a well-ventilated room, but not under direct sunlight. The brush hairs need to breathe, get enough air so that they do not let mold grow.
  • Store soft natural brushes with a moth deterrent, such as a moth ball.
  • If you use a brush case, this should be breathable and allow air to flow over the brush heads. Canvas and wood are two of the best storage casings. (Need a brush case? We’ve got plenty to choose from for any size collection.)
Don’ts
  • Never store brushes when they are wet.
  • Never store brushes on their tips. This will permanently alter the shape of the hairs or bristles, but also will cause the wooden handle to swell, crack and loosen the ferrule. Lay brushes flat or upside down.
  • Never store brushes in an airtight container, or any container where moisture can’t escape. Plastic is a poor brush storage choice. Fabric storage containers provide protection and breathability.
  • Never store brushes in direct sunlight. Too much sunlight can cause the bristles to weaken or fade, and thus destroy the brush fibers.

Other Brush Care Tips

Do’s
  • Assign different brushes for different colors. Use one or more brushes for white colors, other brushes for yellows, others for reds, and still others for blues, etc. This will keep any pigments you may not have cleaned off from contaminating the purity of your color.
  • While painting, lay your brushes horizontally on a paper towel to keep them moist, clean, and avoid damaging the brush.
Don’ts
  • Never let your brushes rest in water, solvent, or thinner while painting.
  • Avoid dipping a dry natural-hair brush directly into oil paint. First, dip the brush into the painting medium, to protect the hairs, but also to distribute the natural oil of the brush hairs and allow each hair to load properly with color.

Now that you’re a brush expert, your brushes will stay in great condition for years!

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