When you spend a lot of money on quality watercolor brushes, it is very important that you follow proper cleaning procedures to ensure their longevity over time.
Why clean your watercolor brushes?
Despite enduring less chemicals and constituents that can be found in oil paints and acrylic paints, watercolor brushes possess more delicate bristles that require the same amount of care after use (especially if they’re made from natural sable hair).
The good thing is…
Water-soluble quality of watercolor pigments already make it very easy to maintain proper treatment of your precious brushes.
However, fine pigment particles that accumulates within brush hairs and near the ferrule over long periods of time begin to wear down the structural integrity of your brush by forcing the hairs further apart.
This typically involves frayed bristles, misshapen shape and thus, compromised practicality of the brush’s belly that prevents controlled brushstrokes within your paintings.
By taking good care of your brushes, you can prevent this very issue and extend their lifetime for several years to come which is essential for SAVING MONEY in the long run.
The BEST way to properly clean your watercolor brushes is by using mild soap.
Step-by-step guide
- Dip used brushes in a mason jar filled with clean water and swirl
- Brush the soaked brush against the side of the mason jar by slightly bending the bristles to drain excess water (lightly squeeze the belly of the brush if need be but make sure not to pull)
- Repeat steps 1 and 2 until pigment has been removed from the bristles and brush is thoroughly soaked (you can use a separate piece of white paper until no colored brushstrokes are made and water is completely transparent)
- Brush the bristles horizontally against a mild soap bar and ensure all hairs are generously lathered by rotating your brush in circles
- Swirl the brush on a separate ceramic plate to ensure soap particles have integrated within each bristle/hair (you can alternatively massage the bristles with your fingers)
- Rinse the brush using the same process outlined in steps 1 and 2 using a separate jar of clean lukewarm water
- Leave brushes horizontally on a paper towel to dry
My best tip is to avoid commercial cleaning soaps or detergents as this would risk damaging the quality of your brushes which contain delicate bristles not made for harsh chemical cleaners.
General watercolor brush care
There are a couple habits that you should integrate within your ‘post’ watercolor painting process to keep your brushes healthy and sound.
#1 Tip
The #1 tip is to NEVER leave your brushes submerged down in a jar of water.
Leaving your brushes in water for prolonged periods of time will lead to bristles deforming very quickly, making it difficult to return them to previous shape and even result in peeling handles (trust me, you don’t want to find out).
Being gentle
Another tip is when picking up pigment from watercolor pans. Make sure to not drive the head of the brush too hard into the paint well to prevent splaying the hairs and forcing pigment particles toward the ferrule.
Storage
Ensure you are storing your brushes in a dry, accessible place to avoid mould and mildew from forming. Avoid areas with direct sunlight or heat to prevent bristles from becoming stiff.
Your best bet is to store them in a container with the bristles facing upward for both easy access and prevention of damage.
Maintaining brush shape
Unfortunately, your brushes will inevitably fray over time and it may be necessary to lightly trim their bristles with a pair of small scissors. Ensure you only cut protruding hairs at a 45-degree angle to reshape the bristles back to it previous form.
Note that a little more trimming may be needed to fully reshape your brush if it has undergone severe damage (make sure you try sealing your brush with soap first! Leaving your brush overnight after rinsing with say may lead to shape being reformed)
Rinse your brushes as you work
A good piece of advice is to rinse your brushes during you watercolor painting project. This is to reduce the amount of hassle required to wash at the end of your painting session and overall, it’s really just better to have your brushes drying with water instead of with pigment particles.
Lay flat to dry
I’ve personally learned this lesson the hard way. Leaving brushes upright to dry has always been a habit of mine and has led to damage to the ferrel which has caused bristles to fray a lot faster than normal. I really suggest you keep paper towels with you at all times while painting to lay them horizontally to ensure proper drying.
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