In this blog Jane takes a second look at cleaning your brushes – focussing on some of the products available. Read the first article Cleaning Brushes.
How to clean your brushes
Products that are designed to clean your brushes for a longer life are available in many forms.
“The Masters” Brush Cleaner and Preserver
The first one I’m going to look at is ‘the masters’ brush cleaner and preserver. This product cleans oil, watercolour and acrylic brushes, all you need to activate it is water. Cleaning your brushes with the masters brush cleaner will also save you money in the long run as you will not have to buy brushes regularly as the brushes you have will last you much longer.
Cost: £14.95
How to use
- Firstly rinse your brush in warm water.
- Next, swirl your brush in the cleaner and work it in to a lather.
- Then rinse and repeat if you need to.
If you want to condition and preserve your brush you should leave the cleaner lather on the bristles, shape the bristles and allow to dry. Then just shake the dry powder off for the next time you wish to use your brush.
Many of us have forgotten to clean our brushes at sometime in our life’s, so to restore life back into your brush all you need to do is work the cleaner in a lather and work into the bristles of your brush and let set until the bristles begin to soften, repeat as many times as necessary.
Also available is Masters artists soap.
This removes grease, paint, stain, ink, dye, clay and grime.
This is best for your hands as it cleans many different mediums and leaves your hands clean, soft and fresh smelling. We don’t stock this product be can always order it in.
Distilled Turpentine
Cost £5.95
This is a fast evaporating, highly refined solvent for thinning oil colour and very effective for cleaning your brushes—a very popular brand.
Low Odour Thinner
This product evaporates more slowly than turpentine and is also good for thinning your oils. It increases blending and suitable for cleaning up brushes from oil and Alkyd colour. The benefits of this low odour thinner is it hasn’t got the strong odour as turpentine.
Winsor & Newton Sansodor £5.95
Artist White Spirit
Cost £5.95
Artists white spirit is ideal for cleaning your brushes, it can be used as a thinner for your oils. This solvent is slower drying then turpentine and it has a matt finish.
There are many more products for cleaning brushes that are available so I hope it has helped to showcase just a few. Prices correct at time of writing.
Jane is a member of the Gadsby’s team. She has a wide knowledge of the arts & crafts products and materials sold by Gadsby’s both from the perspective of an advisor in the shop and, for many of the products, from personal use too.
Please note that this is not a service that Gadsbys offer to clients – just an example of the private work done by one of the highly skilled and knowledgable Gadsby’s team shown for your interest.
