It's Still Summer

The Art of the Brush: How to Preserve Your W.A. Portman Brushes

There’s something wonderfully luxurious about a beautiful set of brushes. A great brush feels like an extension of your hand! And a quality brush like W.A. Portman deserves a little care to keep it performing beautifully for years to come.

Whether you’re painting every day or saving your finest brushes for special projects, proper cleaning and drying make all the difference. The good news? Brush care doesn’t have to be complicated. A few simple habits will keep those precious bristles soft, springy, and ready for your next masterpiece.

When it’s time to wash your brushes, lukewarm water is your best friend.

Avoid water that is too hot or too cold. Extreme temperatures can be unnecessarily hard on the bristles and the materials that hold your brush together. Lukewarm water provides a gentle, comfortable clean without putting your brushes through a temperature shock.

And remember: your brush is a tool, not a scrub brush! Be gentle as you work the paint out of the bristles.

A good brush wash is one of the best investments you can make in the life of your brushes. We love a few tried-and-true studio favorites: Mona Lisa Pink Soap, Jack Richeson Linseed Studio Soap, and the COBRA bar of black soap:

Mona Lisa Pink Soap is a classic choice for gently cleaning and conditioning brushes. BONUS: It smells like an Italian Almond Cookie! 

Jack Richeson Linseed Studio Soap is a hardworking studio staple for cleaning brushes while helping keep those bristles in beautiful condition.

And COBRA Black Soap is a customer favorite, and for good reason. This bar produces a wonderfully rich, white foam as you work it through the bristles. It’s almost as satisfying as the painting itself!

Whatever brush soap or cleanser you choose, work it gently through the bristles, rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water, and repeat as needed until the water runs clear and your brush is beautifully clean.

Here’s one of the most important rules of brush care: never dry your brushes standing upright with the bristles pointing up! (Seriously, don't do it!) 

When water works its way down toward the ferrule, it can create unnecessary stress on the brush over time. And gravity is not doing those beautiful bristles any favors.

Instead, let your brushes dry upside down or flat.

If you have a way to hang them upside down so the water drains away from the ferrule, fabulous. If not, simply lay them flat on a clean towel or other suitable surface.

Once dry, your brushes will be ready to go again the very next day.

Your brushes work hard for you. They hold color, create texture, make delicate marks, and help turn an idea in your head into something tangible on paper or canvas. Treating them well means better performance, and a much longer life for your favorite tools.

So if you’re indulging in a gorgeous new set of W.A. Portman brushes, don’t forget the other essential studio supplies: a good brush wash, a little lukewarm water, and a proper place for your brushes to dry.

Beautiful materials deserve beautiful care!

And if you’re a member of The Studio Rewards Program, this is a particularly good week to stock up on W.A. Portman brush sets. You get an extra 10% OFF our already amazing prices. In store customers will see the price reduction at register. Online shoppers: Use code "AUGUST" at checkout! 

Now that’s what we call treating your studio well!

Happy painting! And remember... take care of those brushes!

XOXOX,

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