Earlier this month, I read a review of brush soap on The Miniatures Page, for details go to this link. Later I browsed e-bay and found a UK based supplier of The Masters Brush Cleaner and ordered a pot.
I thought I would test out some of the claims for this product on three of my brushed. From left-to-right they are; Rosemary & Co Series 401 No.2 (my current go-to figure painting and working brush), Rosemary & Co Series 401 No.1 (a well used and rather forlorn brush that I have been using for drybrushing) and a Daler B12 No.8 Bristlewhite (another old brush that I use when painting terrain. This brush was originally part of my Fathers collection).
I used warm water and brush soap on all three, then repeated the exercise to see what effect the brush cleaner had. From top-to-bottom; The Rosemary & Co Series 401 No.1 has cleaned up well and I would suggest that the bristles are even a little more pointed. The Rosemary & Co Series 401 No.2 was the real beneficiary, with caked-in paint being removed and the point restored to a nearly new condition. The Daler B12 No.8 was in a well worn state and after two washes, I was surprised just how much caked-in paint came out. I can also confirm that the white bristled are much cleaner.
In the past I have used standard washing-up liquid, shampoo (and conditioner) as well as Imperial Leather lanolin soap to clean my brushes. I'm not saying that The Masters Brush Cleaner and Preservative is that much better than the 'standard' soaps, but on first look I have been impressed and I would recommend the brush cleaner to other figure painters.
I hope that this practical post is of interest and helps.
Tony
8 comments:
Thank you for that Tony. I use those little bottles of conditioner that you steal from hotels, but I have always been tempted by the real thing. I think I will give it a try.
I am also a great fan of Rosemary's brushes. Perhaps not quite as perfect as series 7 but not much in it and the price!
John
I've used it for many years; although my brushes still tend to get curled tips after what seems not too long use.
Hi Dean,
I once read an article that said;
"Hot water is your friend when it comes to curled tips!"
Try some hot water and see what happens.
Tony
A tip that I ran across from a commission painter here in the States: When you're done cleaning your brushes load them with soap again, then shape them to a good point. Let the soap dry that way and store them the way you normally would. When it's time to paint next just rinse them out and go. He mentioned that he's been able to keep them in better shape much longer doing this.
To Varangian,
Thank for that.
I'l try it on my precious W&N No.7 Sable.
Tony
I've been using Master Brush Cleaner for many years and I'm convinced it has massively extended the life of my very expensive Series 7 Brushes. I also reload my brush with the soap after cleaning. I have found it really conditions the bristles and keeps them in top condition.
Hi Lee,
Thanks for the confirmation. I will certainly try this technique on my own W&S Series 7 brushes.
Tony
Hi! I've also had very positive experiences with the Master Brush Cleaner - it's a bit pricey (at least at my local artist's supply) but really increased the life of my brushes.
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