Watercolour Paint Brushes

Want to clean your watercolour brushes? This is how you can do it!

Due to the nature of watercolour paint, it is generally quite a bit easier to clean watercolour brushes compared to other types of paint.

Step 1 - Clean the watercolour brush as you go

All you need to do it swish your brush in a jar of water between washes as you are painting. You can even use a holder to keep the brush bristles out of the water when not you are not using it.

Step 2 - Dry bristles with a cloth

Using a cloth or some paper towels, dry off the watercolour brush to get rid of any extra water.

Step 3 - Reshape the watercolor brush bristles as you like

Before you store them away, make sure you are forming your ideal point with your fingers. 

The short answer is, yes, you can safely use watercolour brushes with acrylic paint. However, it's important to keep in mind that acrylic paint is harsher on paintbrushes compared to watercolours. This means the paint brush being used should be synthetic rather than natural to avoid any possible damage to the brush.

The best paintbrushes for watercolour painting are natural haired brushes. But, to be even more specific, sable hair brushes are regarded the best for this field of painting. These brush hairs are generally sourced from sables (a species from north Asia) or weasels. Sable brushes can maintain their shape and texture for years when well cared for.