How To Take Care Of Your Watercolour Brushes
If you’re ever wondered how to clean and take care of your watercolour brushes, this is the guide for you. First, let’s get to know the parts of watercolour brushes.
Anatomy of a watercolour brush:
Bristles - They can be natural, synthetic, or combination of both. The pointy tip of the bristle is what enables you to paint very fine details.
Ferrule - The ferrule connects the brush head to the handle.
Crimp - The upper part of the ferrule that connects it to the handle
Handle - The handle is usually made of wood or acrylic. The brand and size of the brush are usually stamped on the handle.
Best tips for cleaning watercolour brush:
- Swish the brush in clean water to get rid of the paint in between strokes
- Thoroughly swirl in clean water after painting to clean brush and get rid of all residue paint
- Dry it on a paper towel and gently roll the brush on it to reshape the brush
- Lightly use your fingers to reshape the bristle tip
- Always lay it flat to dry
Things you should never do to your watercolour brush:
1. Never leave the brush standing in your water cup.
The water will get into the ferrule of the brush and loosen the glue. When you leave the brush facing down it also damages the shape of the bristles.
2. Never leave the brush drying upside down because then the water will flow into the ferrule and crimp.
That’s it! Taking care of your watercolour brush doesn’t take too much effort and if well taken care of, a good brush can last you a very long time. Check out a list of my favourite brushes and get my ultimate supply guide below!
