Keeping Brushes From Fraying

[themortalgod]

I've been recently getting back into painting after a long break (almost a decade) and I've been having a problem I never remember having in the past. My brushes keep fraying like crazy super fast. Its making painting incredibly frustrating and I'm at a loss on how to fix it. 

I've tried GW brushes along with a variety of other high quality brushes from hobby stores around town, some are better than others but all are really bad compared to what I remember.

My brand new layer brush this weekend was already fraying by the third stroke of its first use. 

 

There must be something I'm doing wrong though, I just can't figure out what. my painting process is generally:

 

dampen the clean brush with clean water then gently transfer some paint from the pot to a pallet which i then water down using clean water. I then clean the brush again to get any paint globs off it and then dip into the paint being careful not to get paint near the point where the bristles enter the stem to avoid dried paint getting into there. I then gently start painting being careful to always "pull" paint rather then any back and fourth motion.

Using this process I've been repeatedly having brushes quickly lose shape or even start shedding bristles when they are effectively brand new. I assume it isn't a problem with GW paint, could it be something wrong with my tap water? I really don't know at this point and it is driving me nuts and killing my motivation to paint.

[Irbis]

Do you use hot water? It can weaken and dissolve glue holding the brush together. Other than that, if you suspect your water, buy small bottle of "spring" water with as little minerals as possible, and try using it as control measure.

[themortalgod]

I don't particularly suspect the water, I just have no idea what else it could be? Any ideas? Brushes aren't meant to start shedding and fraying like crazy 5min after first using them. The water I use is room temp. 

[angrom]

When mixing paint with water in your palette did you get paint up to the base of your brush? (ie junction between hairs and holder?)

It is sometime barely noticeable but paint is accumulating in thin layers at the base of your brush and can make your brush fraying.

I recommend to use an old brush for transferring paint and mixing and only then take what you need for painting with the tip of your favorite brush.

Also when you clean your brush in water never touch or crush the hairs in the bottom of your pot,

Finally always dry your brush against absorbing paper by gently moving backward.

My personal tip as well (some people may not like it) is to put the brush (once cleaned) between your upper lip and your tongue and move it out while making a spiral twist

This will bring the hairs back together and the little amount of saliva will coat and protect them from fraying.

[themortalgod]

When mixing paint with water in your palette did you get paint up to the base of your brush? (ie junction between hairs and holder?)

It is sometime barely noticeable but paint is accumulating in thin layers at the base of your brush and can make your brush fraying.

I recommend to use an old brush for transferring paint and mixing and only then take what you need for painting with the tip of your favorite brush.

Also when you clean your brush in water never touch or crush the hairs in the bottom of your pot,

Finally always dry your brush against absorbing paper by gently moving backward.

My personal tip as well (some people may not like it) is to put the brush (once cleaned) between your upper lip and your tongue and move it out while making a spiral twist

This will bring the hairs back together and the little amount of saliva will coat and protect them from fraying.

 

I've very careful not to do that actually, I aim to not let paint get more than halfway up the brush. 

 

And yup, do most of that when cleaning, I figured it isn't a problem with cleaning though as I'm having the problem with brand new brushes that have never been used and thus never been cleaned before. 

 

When cleaning I generally just swirl the brush around in the water without dropping it or letting it touch the bottom of the container, I then use a paper tower to remove excess water by gently stroking the brush along the paper towel

[Tyberos the Red Wake]

You said you are gentle and you take care not to get paint in the ferrule. This tells me the brushes aren't fraying because you're mashing them on the palette or your water cup or model. You also mention shedding. This happened to my cheap Army Painter brushers that were just constantly losing hairs until they become literally just a dozen strands. My guess is these brushes are not as "high quality" as you described.

 

Are they kolinsky sable? Are they from a reputable, even vaunted brand like Raphael 8404 or Winsor & Newton Series 7 or Da Vinci? If they are shedding, you might actually just be using average brushes that appear high quality.

[Nemac Vradon]

I had a similar problem recently using the Army Painter brushes. A very short time using them and they became useless, however I contacted them and they were more then happy to replace the brushes because they were faulty. I doubt that this is the case with yours because you have said that you have tried several different types of brushes. I have also found the GW brushes to be rather poor but am an avid supporter of Army Painters Kolinsky Masterclass brush - I have never had a problem with those and they have lasted me for a very long time. Any chance you can tell us which brands of brushes your are using?

 

Nemac

[themortalgod]

I've thrown away some so can't remember their brand but the ones I have currently are GW brand, Army Painter, and Artist's Loft. I also have a Windsor Newton still in the package I havent tested yet, but its next, it was quite expensive.

[Tyberos the Red Wake]

None of those are truly high quality brushes, except the W&N, which is why it was so expensive. The expensive brushes don't shed nearly as much. My Army Painter brush shed 50%+ or more of its bristles, while my expensive brush only lost 3 strands. Three, because I remember each time one strand became extremely bent and I pulled it out.

[Demonl]

I had the same problem with the Army Painter brushes.

 

Now I just get my brushes from the local art store, preferred brands for me are Da Vinci, Art Basics and Rekab. Natural fibres I find are generally better than artificial fibres, seems to me to be much less likely to fray.

[SW1]

Rosemary and Co hand make their brushes rather than mass produced ones.

 

They cost less than GWS brushes but are similar quality to w&n. They're brush suppliers to many well-known painters (the non-model ones).

[Subtle Discord]

Use the W&N now, and learn what a quality brush is really like; today it's not the only good brand, but it sets the standard in my opinion. Can you still use a very good quality brush poorly and ruin it quite quickly? Yes, but even then it will hold up much longer then an average brush. I still have my very first W&N that's about 15 years old; it's worn and only does rough work now, but it still holds an ok point and is good enough to still be in service. After the abuse it's been through, that's saying something. You will easily buy roughly 5-10 lower quality brushes for every W&N quality brush. they're expensive but they'll pay for themselves over the life of the investment.

 

In addition, a small cake of 'The Masters' brush soap for about $2 is almost a must-have investment to clean, condition, and help keep all your brushes in top form. Also excellent for recovering a brush that may get paint dried in the bristles for any number of reasons.

 

That said, the largest factor in how a brush will hold up over time, after how it's cleaned (read: naturally mashing the brush on the bottom of the water container is a sure way to kill a brush; always 'roll' it on the side to work out stubborn paint), is how it's used. Two big factors come to mind. First, keep your best brushes for delicate work that is less abusive; have a selection of brushes for rougher work like base coats and painting bases so they can take that abuse exclusively. Second, it's not 'wrong' but some people have a more aggressive painting technique and are more willing to poke and stab with the tip of a brush to get into stubborn locations. I can be guilty of this and I've seen it personally that when I'm mindful of my brush technique, forcing myself to pull the brush as much as possible, and only using stabbing motions that deform the bristles as a last resort; a brush used that way will keep a good shape significantly longer, but it requires some discipline.

[JeffTibbetts]

Subtle isn't wrong. That's all excellent advice. I've also switched to W&N Series 7 brushes (I use a No. 2 for most, even though it's bigger). I've since purchased some artist-quality brushes that are supposed to simulate natural bristles and, while they started well, they ended up going to pot just like the rest. I only use natural bristles now. 

[Trevak Dal]

When you are done for the day, clean your brushes with a little bit of liquid dish soap. Regular Dawn works great.

 

Do not use "bleach alternative" or OXY dish soap. Just regular Dawn.

 

Put a little bit in the palm of your hand, about a 9mm drop, dab the brush in it and swirl it around your palm, washing it off in cold tap water, and then going back to lather it up again. Shake it out, and then, repoint your brush and place it so it can dry in a coffee cup or similar vessel.

 

If you want to be fancy about it, make it so the brush is hanging so the bristles are pointing down with gravity, but suspended in the air.

[Semper Fortis]

Also, as folks have pointed out in previous brush threads, metallics and washes will eat a brush up fast. Stay away from those with a good kolinsky brush and use a "better" cheap brush.

[Tyberos the Red Wake]

When you are done for the day, clean your brushes with a little bit of liquid dish soap. Regular Dawn works great.

 

Do not use "bleach alternative" or OXY dish soap. Just regular Dawn.

 

Put a little bit in the palm of your hand, about a 9mm drop, dab the brush in it and swirl it around your palm, washing it off in cold tap water, and then going back to lather it up again. Shake it out, and then, repoint your brush and place it so it can dry in a coffee cup or similar vessel.

 

If you want to be fancy about it, make it so the brush is hanging so the bristles are pointing down with gravity, but suspended in the air.

Dish soap will strip the natural oils from a sable brush like it strips grease from dishes. You should use gentle soaps or purpose made brush cleaner instead or you will decrease the lifespan of your natural bristle brushes. This isn't a problem with synthetic brushes and probably the thicker, more robust types of natural bristles.

[SW1]

Just to confirm the comment about Masters brush soap. It's helped me rescue a huge number of brushes I'd thought were completely dead.

 

I was bought some as a present, then proceeded to go through all my old brushes (those a ones I'd dropped down to mixing paints etc). A good percentage got brought back into the pot for painting with. ;)

[Major_Gilbear]

Between Tyberos and Sublte Discord, I can only add one more important comment: don't use your best brushes with metal paints. Some paints (like Vallejo Model Air) use aluminium powder to make them reflective; but most use mica flakes however, and these really damage the delicate hair of the brush bristles.

 

Which type of Sable is important as well BTW, and Red Sable is the finest - all the best brushes will be Red Sable. Popular high-quality brands are Raphael, Rosemary & Co, and Winsor & Newton.

 

Also, be aware that there are a surprising number of fakes out there; make sure you buy yours from a reputable art store/seller, and not some random on Amazon or Ebay.

 

Finally: for any sort of drybrushing or such, don't use a Sable brush. Instead, get a nice natural hog-bristle brush. Quite tough, and is to drybrushing what Red Sable is to fine painting! ;)

[Subtle Discord]

The mentions about metallic paints brings up a good point; it's good to segregate everything away from metallic paints. I have a separate set of brushes, cleaning water (just plain water), and thinning water (water with flow aid and/or retarder and/or Future Wax), for normal colour paints and a set for metallics. I still use good quality brushes, even if they are more damaging, because I accept that for the benefits of a good brush. I see them as tools to be used and consumed; treated as well as possible along the way, but inevitably used-up sooner-or-later.

 

For me, my main motivation is contamination. Even a small amount of metallic paint on the surface of a water source can add metallic flecks to other colours, and it can be quite noticeable with dark colours. As someone who paints lots of black, silver, and gold... yeah, I'm not a fan of metallic cross contamination.

[Stoic Raptor]

W&N brushes are great, but you might also consider the Raphael 8404 brushes. Similar price point, larger "belly" to hold moist paint longer and comparable in every way.  Prices are about the same, I love both kinds but use my Raphaels a lot more often.

 

If you're in the States, a good source for these brushes is Dick Blick Art Materials.  Their customer service is exceptional, their return policy is unparalleled and they deliver quality products for an affordable price.

 

Another thing to help keep your brushes healthy and pointy is to use brush soap.  I don't recommend dish soap because it can strip the bristles.

 

I did an article a couple years ago on choosing good brushes and caring for them properly:
http://the-sage-brush.blogspot.com/2015/01/having-right-materials-brushes.html