Brush Week: Cleaning & Care

Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures. 

-Henry Ward Beecher

Yesterday was the dreaded brush cleaning day.  Keep reading to learn the easiest way to make them last for last years. 

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how-to: clean your brushes.

Routine brush cleaning keeps your tools performing top notch and decreases the chance for bacteria-caused breakouts. You don't need to go out and buy expensive brush cleaner, you have everything you need at home. Here's an easy how to!

1. Lay out a paper towel where you'll be drying your brushes (next to a sink.) Create a small elevation with the towel by folding about 3 inches together. You'll set your brushes on a downward slope after cleaning to keep water from entering the brush handle. Too much water inside the base can ruin your brushes. See picture for an idea of how to fold. 
2. Grab a basic hand soap and push a half pump (about pea sized) onto your palm. Slightly dampen your first dirty brush with warm/hot water and swirl the bristles into the soap to create a small lather. 
3. Once lathered, continue the swirling motion on your hand under the facet. Keep swirling until the water runs clear. For really dirty brushes, I apply soap twice. 
4. After your brush is clean, squeeze any excess water from the bristles and lay on the towel. Make sure the bristles are on the low end of the towel so any excess water drains downwards.
5. Leave to dry over night, turning over once if your are a little OCD like me. :)