A good brush is an investment. Whether you've just bought your first sable round or you've been painting for years, how you look after your brushes will determine how long they last — and how well they perform. The good news is that brush care isn't complicated. It just needs to become habit.
Here's everything you need to know.
If there's one thing to take away from this guide, it's this. Leaving a brush standing upright in a jar of water — bristles down — is the single most common way brushes get ruined. Water seeps into the ferrule (the metal band that holds the hairs), loosens the glue, and causes the hairs to splay permanently. It also softens and swells the wooden handle over time.
Get into the habit of rinsing and setting brushes down flat or hanging them bristle-down in a brush holder when you're mid-session. Never leave them unattended in water.
During a painting session, a simple rinse in clean water (for watercolour) or solvent (for oils) is usually enough between colours. Wipe excess paint gently on a cloth or paper towel — don't scrub, and don't press the hairs against a hard surface in a way that bends them out of shape.
For watercolour, keep two jars of water: one for rinsing, one for mixing. This keeps your colours cleaner and reduces the amount of pigment your brush has to carry between rinses.
This is where most of the damage happens — or is prevented. A thorough clean at the end of every session is non-negotiable.
Acrylic paint dries fast — and once it's dry in a brush, it's very difficult to remove. Clean acrylic brushes immediately after use, before the paint has any chance to set. The process is the same as watercolour: rinse, soap, rinse, reshape, dry flat.
If paint has already dried in the hairs, a specialist acrylic brush restorer can sometimes salvage the brush — but prevention is far easier than the cure.
After cleaning, always reshape your brushes before leaving them to dry. For rounds, this means gently rolling the hairs between your fingers to restore the point. For flats and filberts, press the hairs lightly back into their original shape.
A brush that dries in the wrong shape will stay in the wrong shape. This is especially important for fine sable rounds, where the point is everything.
Some painters use a small amount of brush soap or conditioner left in the hairs during storage to help them hold their shape — just remember to rinse it out before painting.
How you store brushes matters almost as much as how you clean them. The key principles:
Sable, squirrel, and hog bristle brushes deserve a little extra attention. Natural hair can dry out over time, especially if cleaned with harsh solvents. A specialist brush conditioner used occasionally can help keep the hairs supple and extend the life of the brush significantly.
For sable brushes in particular — which represent a real investment — it's worth taking the time to clean them properly every single session. A well-maintained Kolinsky sable round can last many years; a neglected one can be ruined in weeks.
Even with the best care, brushes don't last forever. Signs that a brush has had its day:
A brush in poor condition will hold you back. It's better to retire it and replace it with something that performs well than to struggle on with a tool that's past its best.
Not sure which brushes are worth investing in? Read our beginner's guide to choosing the right artist's brush — covering hair types, brush shapes, and what to look for whether you paint in watercolour, oil, or acrylic.
Have a question about brush care or a brush that needs rescuing? We're always happy to help — drop us a message. With over 20 years of specialist experience, we've seen most things.
