5 Tips to Keep your Brushes in Good Condition

5 tips to keep your brushes in good condition

Your paint brushes are you most important tool in your kit besides your paints.Your brushes are the magic behind beautiful lines, impressive designs and how we create living masterpieces. In order to get the most out of your brushes and save them from a bent tip and frayed hairs here are a few tips to help you keep your brushes like new so that you can never blame your brushes for a bad paint day.

  1. Do not let your brushes sit or soak in water. Most of the brushes we use for face painting are made with synthetic bristles so they aren’t as delicate as sable and natural hair brushes, but nonetheless if you leave them soaking in water while you paint you will bend the tips and cause fraying.Try using a brush tub to hold your water and your brushes. I also love the brush tub because you can use the different wells to keep your brushes clean longer. I always keep one well for clean water so I can use it when I want to apply paint to the lips. I did my q tip in the clean water for a clean load every time.
  2. Do not stack or pack your brushes at the bottom of your kit. When you go to the grocery store you don’t put your bread at the bottom of the cart, so why would you throw your brushes in the bottom of your kit? I see many painters finish their gig, pack up and toss their brushes into their case. Then they seem surprised when they open their kit the next time they need it and their brushes are flattened or damaged.
    I LOVE my Brush Box because even if Im in a rush and I throw my brush box in the my kit I know they are protected because the case keeps a protective barrier over them.
  3. Alcohol isn’t helping… I am not sure who started the myth that adding alcohol to your face painting water will help keep the germs away and the brushes sterilized. If you add a teaspoon of alcohol to 2 cups of water you have totally wasted your time because you have diluted the alcohol and now its pointless. Likewise you don’t want to drench your brushes in alcohol because if any traces are left it can be uncomfortable for the skin of a child and it will also dry out your bristles, causing them to fray.
  4. Lay your brushes flat while drying them and after cleaning them. After a long weekend of painting I like to give my brushes a good bath. I rinse them out with a product I created called Brush Bath. Brush bath (ill talk about it in #5) is a brush cleaner and conditioner. When you clean your brushes and if you put them right away, if there is any soap or residue left in them and it dries then the brush will dry in that shape.
    Photo courtesy of Bubbles and Beauty blog

    Photo courtesy of Bubbles and Beauty blogWhen you lay then flat while drying the excess water and possible paint or cleaner will seep out and help keep the brushes in their original shape. I used to clean my brushes and then store them in my brush easel. But what I found was that the extra water would run down the handles causing them to crack. So I suggest cleaning your brushes and then laying them on a towel for an hours before you re store them to their case.

  5. Last but not least. To keep your brushes and your face painting water in good condition you should be using Brush Bath. I created Brush Bath a long time ago because I was working at an

    One of the best products to keep your brushes clean and conditioned

    event where they wanted me to use a new brush with every kid. I explained I couldn’t do that and then they asked me to use qtips instead. So I set out to design a product that would help keep my water fresh and condition my brushes. Brush Bath can be used while you are face painting, by adding a few drops in your water it helps keep the water cleaner and remove the pigments  and oils from the skin faster. Brush Bath is also organic and safe for the skin if a little happens to stay in the hairs of the brush and transfers to the skin it wont harm or hurt. Brush Bath can also be used after you finish your event to clean and condition your brushes. You can add a few drops of BB to your spritzer water bottle and spray your brushes after every 6-8 kids to help keep your brushes clean and fresh. BB also acts a conditioner, when you clean your brushes with BB it leaves the bristles soft and smooth without fraying and drying them out.

 

Your paint brushes are just as important as glitter, paint, and a mirror. So you want to keep them clean, cared for and looking good. I hope my 5 tips will help you extend the life of your brushes and create good habits when it comes to these important tools.

Happy Painting friends <3

One thought

  1. I really relate, and love this blog. Your brushes are one of your biggest assets while being a face Painter. And if your anything like me, you will have your favorite brush that you’ll want to use on every kid! I have been face painting in Cincinnati for many years, and as my time being a facepainter i have lots of concerned parents about cleanliness. Especially since they see me using the same assortment of brushes on every child. Having something like Brush Bath keeps my customers, and even myself confident that im providing not only high quality, and professional Facepainting, but clean and safe products as well.

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