Paintbrush cleaner

[Gapow]

Can anyone recomend a good product I can get in the U.K for cleaning my brushes? I\'m finding paint is drying in my bristles whilst I\'m painting, even though I\'m washing the brush out reguarly whilst painting. ideally something cheap

 

[Davyboy74]

Paint is drying in your bristles while painting ??? What type of brushes? Are you thinning your paint enough?

 

[Gapow]

Using some GW ones (probably explains why,lol). I think I\'m thinning my paint down enough, when I say drying in the bristles, I mean that even after I\'ve washed it, there seems to be some pigmentation to the bristles that won\'t come out. I\'ve tried washing with luke warm soapy water, but it doesnt seem to be working as when I got back to the brush it\'s hard until I wet it again.

 

[Davyboy74]

Ah yes, GW brushes. Try get some new brushes then. Obviously i would recommend Windsor & Newton but if you dont have much cash to spare i would say try Javis (cheaper than GW & a fair bit better IMO)

 

[Gapow]

Think I had some W&N when I used to paint, but as that was ten yrs ago I seem to have misplaced them haha. I\'ll have to buy some more, what sizes should I get? Do I not need to clean the burushes with a cleaning solution, should it all wash out with water?

 

[airhead]

get some of this:

wash out your brush. Get it wet again and swirl it across the top of the soap.
Pick up some soap, then swirl it in the palm of your hand.
Rinse.
Pull across a clean paper towel. If you see any flecks of paint or color, repeat.
Lick brush to a fine point.
let dry horizontally. (do not set it in a cup either bristles up or down)

****

How much are you diluting your paint?
How often are you rinsing your brush out?
What do you thin your paint with? Try adding a little retarder to your thinner.

 

[Gapow]

Where do u get that from? do you have a link?

I find flecks on the tissue paper after I\'ve rinsed them with soapy water, so wash again, but just can\'t get it all out.

I have an old large drybrush which I am using to mix my paint, I tend to do 4:1 paint to water, but it dries up really quickly in this weather and goes thick after about 20-30mins, am thinking of making wet pallet to stop this form happening, as I think this is making my brshes worse.

 

[airhead]

use a toothpick to mix your paint. Quit contaminating everything with that old brush.

4:1 paint to water? try 1:1

Quit overfilling your brushes. The tips are for painting, the metal ferrule is for holding hair, not paint.

Brush soap can be found at most art stores. (the kinds of places that have real artists\' paints in tubes).

Another alternative is some decent \"all in one\" shampoo (Pert in the US - not sure in the UK) with shampoo and conditioner. A drop in the hand and a wet brush and you should clean it pretty well.

Stop at a home center and get a cheap white ceramic tile (bathroom wall tile) for less than $1. Try that for your pallet.

 

[iillithidd]

You can get some of the Masters brush cleaner here http://www.barrule.com/Workshop/scratch%20builders%20paradise/brushes%20for%20wargamers.html

As well as some great Winsor & Newton Series 7

 

[Roger Bunting]

I wondered where my brush cleaner had gone, Airhead. Give it back this instance!

Here\'s where you can buy some.

http://www.barrule.com/workshop/scratch%20builders%20paradise/brushes%20for%20wargamers.html

Excellent shop.

EDIT: Darn, too slow this time.

 

[airhead]

Originally posted by Roger Bunting
I wondered where my brush cleaner had gone, Airhead. Give it back this instance!

*burp* *bubble*
excuse me.

 

[Gapow]

what size brushes?

What size windsor and newton brushes would you advise I get?

 

[Gilvan Blight]

Originally posted by airhead
get some of this:

wash out your brush. Get it wet again and swirl it across the top of the soap.
Pick up some soap, then swirl it in the palm of your hand.
Rinse.
Pull across a clean paper towel. If you see any flecks of paint or color, repeat.
Lick brush to a fine point.
let dry horizontally. (do not set it in a cup either bristles up or down)

I use the same stuff, works great. Even good for getting some gunk out of old brushes. Only thing I would add is to rince with hot water, not cold.

 

[Gapow]

I was advised not to wash in hot water as it effects whats holding the bristles in, or is that just BS?

 

[Gilvan Blight]

Maybe on cheap brushes. I\'ve never had a problem with this. Also I only use this brush cleaner once I am done painting for the day, I don\'t emerse the brush in the water, just run the ends under hot tap water, then swish in cleaner, I then work the bristles with my fingers working from teh Ferrul out to the tip, then wick across a paper towel for paint check, repeat as necessary.

 

[Einion]

Previous threads on brush cleaning:
http://www.coolminiornot.com/forums/viewthread.php?tid=20646
http://www.coolminiornot.com/forums/viewthread.php?tid=10694
http://www.coolminiornot.com/forums/viewthread.php?tid=9430

Originally posted by Gapow
Can anyone recomend a good product I can get in the U.K for cleaning my brushes?

Many common hand soaps are just fine for washing brushes; lots of professional artists don\'t use a purpose made produce like The Masters, which personally I think is too harsh for softhair brushes anyway (it was developed for cleaning bristle brushes, used in oil painting).

Originally posted by Gapow
I\'m finding paint is drying in my bristles whilst I\'m painting, even though I\'m washing the brush out reguarly whilst painting.

Rinse your brushes out more often then.

You shouldn\'t need to wash a brush often, for the type we use every now and then should be sufficient if your rinsing routine is up to the task.

Originally posted by Gapow
I was advised not to wash in hot water as it effects whats holding the bristles in, or is that just BS?

Can do, although it\'s more from the old days when the glues were different. There\'s a decent chance that cheapo brushes might still be guilty of this.

Sometimes you can straighten bristles out somewhat by holding them in boiling water for a short time, but then you don\'t dip them deep enough to heat the ferrule and the glue inside, just the tip.

Einion

 

[Dragonsreach]

Originally posted by Gapow
What size windsor and newton brushes would you advise I get?

Standard recommendation:
Size 1, 0 & 00

For really larger figures add in a size 2.

I\'m using W&N Watercolour brushes rather than the series 7\'s at the moment, simple reason half the price almost equal quality. (Ok in some cases of the Series 7\'s I\'ve looked at they are better).

Dick Blick stock them Here If you are in the states.
Ken Bromley In the UK Here Very local to me.

 

[freakinacage]

ken bromley are good. i have bought from them in the past and they had great service

as for brush cleaner, i use \'colourfull rts brush cleaner and preserver\'

goo stuff. cleans even the old dried on crap

 

[Arma]

I use both Holbiens brush cleaner (for oils mainly) and Liquitex \'Brush aid\' - they both work great.

I feel the Hobien stuff is a little better, more like a shampoo hehe

 

[Gapow]

Thanks for all the help, I will see what they have in my local model shop (not GW lol).

I tried thinning my paint down more last night, 1:1 with water and it obviously made a lot of difference, I might actualy get something painted this time haha