Ten Tips: Keeping Art Brushes, Sponges, and Stamps Usable • RobinLK Studios

One of the things I learned from our first Creative by Discovery Mixed-Media Art Party was that sharing tips I’ve learned about the process in the past three years is a “how-to” I can gladly contribute. Here are a few things learned along the way….

Ten tips for keeping brushes, sponges, and stamps usable… (because it gets expensive replacing them!):

Do not leave brushes/sponge brushes in water for long periods of time.
Do not let paint, ink, or adhesives dry on brushes, sponges, or stamps. Let them rest in a brush tub, to keep them moist. Use the scrubber in the bottom to gently loosen paint.
Change water often when painting, especially with watercolors.
Use paper towels, a fabric cloth, and/or baby wipes while working on a project – rinse and wipe tools when switching between tools during a project.
Use the correct brush for acrylic vs. watercolor paint. Acrylics are too harsh for natural hair brushes and will damage them.
Avoid pushing, jamming, or squishing brushes, sponges, or stamps into paint, ink, adhesives, or other mediums.
When finished, clean brushes and sponges in warm soapy water and pat dry.
Lay brushes horizontally to dry to avoid water running from bristles to ferrule (thing that looks like a collar).
Store brushes upright once they are completely dry. *Never store brushes with bristles facing down.
When finished with a stamp, use a product like StazOn to clean the excess ink, especially when using permanent ink. Gently pat the stamp with the cleaning product. Follow with a dry cloth or paper towel. Gently pat the stamp and let it air-dry.