Are new brushes supposed to look like this?

[janinco]

I hadn’t thought about moths. Another reason to love living in Colorado – we don’t have wool moths here. I got a sable brush from China that I love, but it had a really strong mothball smell when I got it. That must be why.

Jan

TwoStone Studio

[ErnstG]

@=mountainsage89 This is what they look like now.

Oh, oh, oh, dass sieht nicht gut aus!
Scherz, dieses Aussehen ist ganz normal nach der Trocknung.
Jeden Pinsel, egal welches Material, nach jeder Malsitzung immer
gut mit klarem Wasser auswaschen. Zwischendurch mit Kernseife
(rückfettende Seife) oder Spülmittel reinigen. Zum Trocknen das
Haar immer nach unten hängen lassen, dann haben Sie an Ihren
Pinseln Jahrzehnte lang Freude.
Ist der Pinsel vollkommen trocken, kann man für die Optik das
Haar mit Speichel auf Spitze trimmen, muss aber nicht sein.
Ernst

Meine Seiten - My website
Malen ist nicht alles im Leben - aber ohne Malen ist alles nichts!
Painting is not everything in life - but without painting everything is nothing!

[brusher]

Hi Mountainsage89: I don’t think there’s any reason to worry; as stated above, the only thing that matters is if it holds it point when wet and you are painting. I have a Winsor Newton Series 7 brush that us all splayed when dry. It really bothers me to see it do that. But after I wet it thoroughly and start painting, it does hold its point. But I will use a conditioner on it as recommended in this thread.
Cathy

[Carole Pivarnik (aka Brindle)]

My sables are all sorta bushy when dry, especially the bigger ones. As long as they point right back up when I wet them, it doesn’t bother me at all.

One thing I’ve noticed about my sable brushes is it’s worth getting them wet and then letting them sit for a minute or two so that the hairs have time to really get saturated with water. I seem to get much better results from the first brushstroke when I do this. Otherwise they feel kinda wet on the outside and dry on the inside if that makes any sense.

[Laura D]

@ Pumkin I hope there’s a difference between hair and fur.
Seriously though, the size and number of scales (affects stiffness and springiness) and the oil content does vary from human to human, animal to animal and human to animal.

As to the difference in conditioners, well there are componants in some conditioners that actually damage hair… I guess they want you to keep buying their product. One even has wax in it. I’d rather trust the stuff that’s made specifially for brushes. I guess if I were using cheaper brushes I wouldn’t be so particular. :rolleyes:

[FONT=Arial]I'll check in again as soon as I can. [/COLOR]
[FONT=Arial]____________________________________________
[FONT=Arial]Laura
[FONT=Arial]***"Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. And dance like no one is watching." – Anonymous!*** [FONT=Arial]http://www.lauradicus.com

[mountainsage89]

I had company for a few days and haven’t gotten back to WC. I’m amazed at all the great info that keeps coming!:clap:

Claude and Reggie- I agree with you. I believe that paper makes a big difference especially for a beginner. I have a block of Arches 7×10 hot press I’ve played with, and some Fabriano Artistico is coming tomorrow.

Laura-Gum Arabic will be my my new moth preventer. We have lots of them here to protect brushes from.:(

Pumkin54-Our hair and our boyfriends sound similar, hehe! But there is are differences in hair and fur- my boyfriends have never had a spring molt like my horse (g).

Ernst- you are funny. I want to learn how to hang my brushes to dry as you and Laura both suggested. I’m going to make a holder that holds them point-down while I’m painting.

Brindle- Thanks for the hint. I’ll try it tomorrow when I get back to playing with paint.

Laura-I think no matter how much you pay for brushes, they will probably work better and last longer if you take proper care of them- like anything else. When I get to the point I can afford good brushes I hope to have made good habits by then to extend their lives.

[pumkin54]

my boyfriends have never had a spring molt like my horse ([I]g[/I]).

Well, if he did, I’m sure there’s medicines he could take for that Or maybe try some Master’s brush cleaner. Or Mane & Tail?[/URL] :rolleyes:

[FONT=Century Gothic] pumk[/B][/COLOR][FONT=Century Gothic]i[/B][/COLOR][FONT=Century Gothic]n [FONT=Century Gothic]
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[k39noodles]

This 30″ x 42″ painting was accomplished using only one brush. It is a #12 ArtSign kolinski sable, and, when it is dry, it looks like Albert Einstein’s head. But when it is wet there is not a brush that will compare. ArtSigns were handmade in the Dominican Republic, but have sadly been out of business for decades. These were the brushes used by the artists at Walt Disney Studios, and I treasure the three (two #12s and one #10) that I have. I don’t clean or condition them, but I take good care of my brushes when using them. Another painter mentioned moths and, for that reason, I do keep mine in a canvas brush holder when not in use. I did begin using smaller, round brushes some years ago but still have an aversion to flats. In my opinion, Escoda brushes are the best of the available brushes on the market. I’ve never owned a W/N No. 7 that did not loosen between wood and metal to become unusably wobbly. Welcome to the madness of pigment puddles. I’d love to see some of your work some time, so share with us.

Bill McAllister

[mountainsage89]

Pumkin-

I think gum arabic would be the best thing in that event- forget the mane and tail- let’s just smoooth it ALL down!!:eek:

k39noodles-

Amazing painting!! What a great talent you have worked to blossom. Sounds like a great brush, too!

I took up ink journaling last year. I really enjoy it but I feel a need to express myself in a more open way. I love the great fairy tale illustrators and I want to learn how to watercolor the incredible backgrounds so many of them do. I also want to just paint to get whatever is in me OUT. The opposite of the inking I’ve done for the last year.

I loved what you said about your brush resembling Einstein’s hair. I often say about myself that if Einstein and Lucy had a child, it would be me. Wild red hair, smart, a little ditzy, and always in trouble! :rolleyes:

I’ll post when I have something to show. It may be a little while.

[k39noodles]

Hi Pumkin,

Never met Einstein, but funny you should mention Lucy. I worked in the motion picture industry for nearly four decades, and Lucy gave me my first job – back in 1964. I remember doing cartoon, animal paintings for her kids rooms. She became a friend, and I did “Love Lucy”. She was a very loyal person.

I’m grateful to this site for the postings about conditioners. I think I’ll try them on some older brushes.

Keep working and never forget – we are all students.

Bill

[Laura D]

I do apologize for not know your names, many of you have joined since I was last here a few years ago so I’m stuck with calling some of you by your user names…

Mountainsage89, Yes, taking good care of anything will extend its life and I always take care of things. My husband would get so irked with me for treating the old flannel sheets so well until I cut them up to use on projects that need soft clean cloths. Obviously polishing the silver and brass is the most obvious task but now he knows to reach for them when he needs to clean up the mess he’s made of the glass-top on the new stove!

THE CHEAPEST BRUSH HANGER:
* link 7 paperclips into a chain.
* find a horizontal bar type thing at least 15/20″ above any surface
(I use my swing arm lamp)
* fasten the chain into a circle
* slip a sturdy rubber band partway through one of the paperclip ends
* pull the rest of the rubber band through the little loop you’ve just created.
* pull it down snug
* wash and rinse your brushes and shake them downwards to get a good point.
* wrap the rubber band around your bunch of brushes (handle end) and let them dry. 4-5 smaller brushes can be used per holder but you may want to limit it to 3 if you’re drying large brushes.

IMPORTANT NOTE: replace the rubber band as it gets brittle. You don’t want the band to break and have all your brushes crash bristle down.

[FONT=Arial]I'll check in again as soon as I can. [/COLOR]
[FONT=Arial]____________________________________________
[FONT=Arial]Laura
[FONT=Arial]***"Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. And dance like no one is watching." – Anonymous!*** [FONT=Arial]http://www.lauradicus.com

[Tred]

I have always been particular when the hair of my brushes are wet and have tried many methods from elastic bands to clothes pegs to hang them hair down to dry.
The method I have been using over the past 10 years uses the spiral spring from a cheap brush cleaner. I even use the method for holding brushes for plein air – best described by photographs:-

The legs and spring are removed from the container.

In the studio – legs are placed under something heavy – in this case a pile of palettes. The shrink wrap around the ferule of the brush, third from the left, is the best remedy for loose ferules. Incidently that brush and the liner next to it are 25 years old!

Plein air situation – holes drilled into plywood platform – left hand side as I am a lefty!
The legs on the studio holder are left long but the legs on the plein air model are cut short – both are in continual use in the studio.
Cheers
Tred

"When I see a jumble; I paint just that" - John Yardley

[mountainsage89]

Lucy gave me my first job.

Keep working and never forget – we are all students.

Bill

Bill- My entire life, someone who is exasperated with me has called me Lucy. I’m proud of it- she played a woman who wasn’t afraid to follow her heart and do something different even if it didn’t work out the way she planned. She was a great woman.

I totally agree that we are all students. I love to learn.

I’m actually mountainsage89, not pumkin54 here. My name is Annie. Nice to meet you.

Annie

[mountainsage89]

My husband would get so irked with me for treating the old flannel sheets so well until I cut them up to use on projects…

Too funny!

THE CHEAPEST BRUSH HANGER:
IMPORTANT NOTE: replace the rubber band as it gets brittle. You don’t want the band to break and have all your brushes crash bristle down.

I saw your clever contraption somewhere on the site. What a great idea!

Annie

[mountainsage89]

The method I have been using over the past 10 years uses the spiral spring from a cheap brush cleaner.

Incidently that brush and the liner next to it are 25 years old!

I’ll be looking for one of these!

Your 25 year old brushes look amazing!

Annie

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