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The Best Way To Take Care of Your Nylon Art Brushes
You might wonder how to take care of your nylon art brushes. Will they last forever? Will various solvents or other chemicals damage them? It’s true that nylon brushes are quite durable, but there are a few things you can do to prolong their lifespan and keep them in shape.
Brushes are essential art materials for paintings and drawings. But even the best quality art brushes are easy to be damaged if not cleaned and taken care of properly. Here we will provide you with useful information about how to take care of your nylon art brushes.
Some artists are more particular about their brushes than others, but if you want to get the most from your art brushes, it’s important to take care of them.
Here’s how:
Wash your brushes in warm (not hot) water and mild soap or art brush cleaner. If you’re using acrylics, use a mild soap or dishwashing liquid and rinse thoroughly in clean water because acrylic paint is water-soluble. If you’re using oils, use a solvent like turpentine to remove the paint and wash with soap and clean water to remove the solvent.
Reshape the bristles while they are still wet by gently squeezing them back into shape with your fingers. Reshaping while they are wet will help keep your brushes in good condition for a longer time.
Never leave your brushes sitting in water or solvent when not in use. This can loosen the bristles and ruin the brush hair.
Never leave your brushes standing on their tips. The bristles may become damaged by this practice.
If you must store your brushes for an extended period, it is best to lay them flat either on a shelf or some other flat surface that will protect the bristles from getting bent out of shape.
Note:
- Rinse your brush out with warm soapy water after each use.
- Never use a dirty brush for watercolors or other wet media.
- Do not leave wet brushes lying in the water.
- Clean your brushes as soon as they did your painting.
- Use paint thinner to clean oil-based paints from nylon brushes.
- Allow brushes to air-dry after cleaning them, then store in a box or cup.
- Never leave paintbrushes soaking in the sink for days on end.
Lastly…
What is The Best Way to Clean The Nylon Art Brushes?
There are two types of artist brushes: natural bristle and synthetic. They make natural bristles from animal hair and synthetic from nylon. Both types of brushes have their own advantages and disadvantages. Learning how to take care of each type will help you make the most out of your investment.
Step 1
Rinse the paint off your nylon brush in warm water as soon as you finished it. Some paints, such as oil-based, can ruin the bristles if we left them on too long. Use a toothbrush or similar tool to scrub any remaining paint out of the bristles if necessary.
Step 2
Pour a small amount of dish soap into a cup or bowl filled with warm water and stir it around to create a soapy solution. Dip your brush into this solution to thoroughly clean it. Rinse the brush again to remove all soap residue.
Step 3
Gently reshape the bristles on your brush by hand after every wash to keep them in good shape for longer. If you notice that a particular area of your brush is becoming damaged, don’t use that part of the brush anymore until you can replace it with a new one.
Finally
We’ve covered the basics of how to care for your nylon art brushes, and we hope these tips will help you avoid the kinds of issues that can be caused when brushes are not properly taken care of. In case you’re unsure of your own brush cleaning methods, check out our article on how to clean a natural hair art brush as well.
