{"id":12417,"date":"2023-06-11T16:52:03","date_gmt":"2023-06-11T20:52:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/?p=12417"},"modified":"2023-06-12T14:36:12","modified_gmt":"2023-06-12T18:36:12","slug":"how-to-save-your-brushes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2023\/06\/how-to-save-your-brushes\/","title":{"rendered":"How to save your brushes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many oil painters keep their brushes upside down in turpentine or thinner. This practice is horrible; it’s the worst thing you can do to your brushes. In defense of painters who do this, I used to do the same thing because it’s what I was taught. I was taught that concern for my kit was bad form; an impediment to the pure flow of genius (no, I am not joking).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping brushes upside down can deform them, causing the heads to flair out. Once this happens, the brush’s utility is permanently diminished. That’s a bad thing<\/em> but worse is keeping brushes upside down in solvent. Solvents make bristles brittle and loosen them from the handle. You’ve seen such bristles deposited on the paint surface, right? Yeech. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more<\/span>In the Studio Oct. 14 2012<\/span><\/a><\/div>

You can see why I say that keeping brushes upside down in solvent is the worst thing you can do to your precious brushes. Oil painting is tough on brushes. How can we help our brushes? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the day, I wash my brushes in linseed oil soap and then store them brush-side up until the next morning. On those occasions when I can’t properly clean my brushes, I soak them in linseed oil and lay them on their side in a special tray I keep for these occasions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more<\/span>In the Studio—10\/28\/12<\/span><\/a><\/div>

What do you do when a single session lasts all day? Solvents are fast-acting; even a few hours can cause damage. What I do is dunk brushes in linseed oil whenever I put them aside. When I pick up an oil-soaked brush, I quickly squeeze out the excess oil before loading the paint. I keep a rag in my hand for this reason. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I keep a pot of oil for brush dunking. It’s the rightmost pot in this photo. The other pot contains turpentine. The key takeaway is to keep your brushes well-oiled during sessions. Traditionally Dutch artists suspended their brushes in pots of oil by threading a string through the handles. Some artists cleaned their brushes with oil and kept them fresh by suspending them this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more<\/span>Hurricane Sandy<\/span><\/a><\/div>

Oil is good for your brushes; it keeps them supple and prevents drying.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many oil painters keep their brushes upside down in turpentine or thinner. This practice is horrible; it’s the worst thing you can do to your brushes. In defense of painters who do this, I used to do the same thing because it’s what I was taught. I was taught that concern for my kit was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":12430,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/oil-pot-2.jpg?fit=720%2C701&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8717,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2020\/02\/bristle-brushes\/","url_meta":{"origin":12417,"position":0},"title":"Bristle brushes","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"February 23, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Even though I sometimes disparage bristle brushes, I use them all the time. I use them for medium or broad passages--not for finer areas. Like most students, I was taught that real painters used bristles ('hogs'), and the bigger the better. Of course, this only led to frustration on those\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2020-2-23.jpg?fit=1164%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2020-2-23.jpg?fit=1164%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2020-2-23.jpg?fit=1164%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2020-2-23.jpg?fit=1164%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2020-2-23.jpg?fit=1164%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4452,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2014\/12\/oil-brushes\/","url_meta":{"origin":12417,"position":1},"title":"Oil brushes","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"December 11, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I have a lot of oil brushes, as can be seen in the accompanying photo. I have another much smaller group for watercolor. I NEVER use my watercolor brushes for oil painting. Watercolor brushes are more expensive and should, with proper care, last a long time. Some of my watercolor\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/brushes1.jpg?fit=600%2C526&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/brushes1.jpg?fit=600%2C526&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/brushes1.jpg?fit=600%2C526&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8738,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2020\/03\/not-all-synthetic-brushes-are-awful\/","url_meta":{"origin":12417,"position":2},"title":"Not all synthetic brushes are awful","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"March 16, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I heap abuse on synthetic brushes. But some synthetics are not too bad--for oils. I haven't found any synthetics that can replace sables for watercolor painting. Not even close. These synthetic rounds from Winsor and Newton are OK. Monarch brushes are made from \"synthetic mongoose fibers,\" whatever that might be.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2020-3-16-a.jpg?fit=956%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2020-3-16-a.jpg?fit=956%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2020-3-16-a.jpg?fit=956%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2020-3-16-a.jpg?fit=956%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13928,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2025\/06\/princeton-monarch-brushes\/","url_meta":{"origin":12417,"position":3},"title":"Princeton Monarch brushes","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"June 2, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I routinely disparage synthetic brushes. I've written about this topic several times on this blog. My collection of synthetics quickly resembles the brushes in this photo\u2014mishapen hulks with limited usefulness.\u00a0 My opinion began to change several years ago when I used some synthetics that stood up to the beating from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Grumpy review"","block_context":{"text":"Grumpy review","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/grumpy-review\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250602_092517.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250602_092517.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250602_092517.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250602_092517.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250602_092517.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7965,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2018\/05\/turpentine-diaries-5-19-18\/","url_meta":{"origin":12417,"position":4},"title":"Turpentine diaries 5\/19\/18","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"May 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The morning session with Agamemnon and Orestes was slow and easy.\u00a0 With a large painting like this (44\" x 60\"), I use hog bristle brushes for most of the work.\u00a0 Today I used 5s and 6s.\u00a0 You can see some of them on the easel table.\u00a0 I always dip my\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/studio-2018-5-19.png?fit=800%2C1096&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/studio-2018-5-19.png?fit=800%2C1096&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/studio-2018-5-19.png?fit=800%2C1096&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/studio-2018-5-19.png?fit=800%2C1096&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9690,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2021\/07\/death-of-a-brush\/","url_meta":{"origin":12417,"position":5},"title":"Death of a brush","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"July 25, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Serves me right. After I bragged about how rugged the Old Holland sable oil brushes are, this brush died, as you can see. It lost too many fibers and lost its usefulness. It lasted longer than most comparable oil sables, however, so I'll buy more of them. In defense of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/brush-dead.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/brush-dead.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/brush-dead.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/brush-dead.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Gw6F-3eh","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12417","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12417"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12417\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12440,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12417\/revisions\/12440"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}