Brushes, Continued
Shaping
brushes
After cleaning, you should shape the bristles of the brush into their original
shape. If you do not, the bristles will dry curled and the brush will no longer
work well. With your fingers, gently shape the brush so that each bristle
holds together and forms a tip. Place brushes in a drying or storing rack.
Storage
Store brushes in a clean condition and never allow a brush to dry or rest on
its bristles. Place brushes bristles up in a glass or in a mug. Use a brush
holder to store brushes when they are not in use or after cleaning. Do not
allow pressure on brush bristles to curl the bristle. Store brushes in an
enclosed area to minimize airborne contaminants and dust.
Figure 1-17 shows correctly stored brushes.
Figure 1-17.—Correctly stored brushes.
Storing oil
brushes
If you use both water- and oil-based pigments, dedicate a set of brushes for
oil-based pigment only. Once you use a set of brushes in oil pigment, they
may retain residue oils that could ruin watercolor. Brushes used in
watercolor, then used for oil-based pigment, may release water droplets that
sit on the oil paint surface and retard drying. After cleaning oil-dedicated
brushes and before storing them, add a drop of oil to the bristles. This keeps
the bristles pliable and lessens the effects of harsh cleaning solvents.
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