Retrain Tip of your Watercolor Brush?

[Jaxim]

Does anyone know if there is a way to retrain the tip of your
watercolour brush to be as pointy as you first bought it?

I bought one of the top of the line brushes and I am ashamed to say I
haven't always cleaned it after every painting session, so the tip
isn't as pointy as it once had been.

Thanks in advance!

[the_...@yahoo.com]

This may depend on the chemistry of the watercolor you use. There are
some solvents that may dissolve hardened acrylic, like acetone or
lighter fluid or white spirits. I doubt you can save it though. The
company that makes your watercolors may have a website with a contact
e-mail. They may have some info.

sarp

[the_...@yahoo.com]

I doubt it. it depends on the chemistry of the watercolors. some
solvents like acetone, lighter fluid, or white spirits may dissolve
some paints. the company that makes your watercolors may have a contact
e-mail address on their website that you can query them with.

sarp

[NightMist]

>Jaxim wrote:
>> Does anyone know if there is a way to retrain the tip of your
>> watercolour brush to be as pointy as you first bought it?
>>
>> I bought one of the top of the line brushes and I am ashamed to say I
>> haven't always cleaned it after every painting session, so the tip
>> isn't as pointy as it once had been.

May one assume that you have attempted to mend your ways and at least
cleaned all the brushes thoroughly?
May one also assume that you used your watercolor brushes for
watercolors? Many of the varieties are rather popular with painters
in other mediums, especially oils.

If it is simply a matter of the brushes having a "bad hair day", you
might try dipping them into a solution of gum arabic, shaping them as
you want them and leaving them to sit for a few weeks. That often
works near miracles with brushes that have gotten "a wild hair".

*slaps herself*
skip the hair puns, I've been running a fever for days now and I'm
more than a little loopy. Gum arabic is the ticket for this kind of
thing though, same stuff the better manufacturers use, centuries of
tradition, la dee da and all that.

Barbara
--
"To repeat what others have said, requires education; to challenge
it, requires brains." -Mary Pettibone Poole

[the_...@yahoo.com]

NightMist wrote:
you
> might try dipping them into a solution of gum arabic, shaping them as

> you want them and leaving them to sit for a few weeks. > Barbara

Do you have to remove the gum arabic later before reusing the brushes?
Or will it just dissolve in water?

the sarp

[Thur]

<the_...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1108380221.5...@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...

According to my books, the addition of more gum arabic affects the
physical properties of the paint.
e.g drying time, and better ability to lift out colour, making individual
brush strokes stand apart, etc.

I suppose you would want to wash it out first.
Thur

[NightMist]

Yes, you will want to clean the brushes before using them again.
Just as you normally would with a new brush.

[Jaxim]

Thanks, Barbara. I'll try that.

I also contacted Winsor Newton and they suggested I use their "Art Gel"
product to retrain the brush.