A 50-Year-Old Paintbrush—and the Secret to Saving Money
Why am I showing you a photo of a 50-year-old, broken-handle paint brush? It's because I want to illustrate an important point that will save you, the artist, lots of money. Often, a new student will arrive to my classes with dirty brushes thrown into their art box that have bristles glued together with dried-out paint from their last painting session. They're brushes you wouldn't use to paint a fence much less a work of art. The paint brush you see in the photo above is my brush. It has been with me since I was a student. We've gone through many battles together and it has never let me down. Yes, it has a tired, worn-out, broken handle, but the old soldier's bristles work as well today as they did when they were new. That's because I faithfully clean my brushes with a solvent and wash them with a detergent after every painting session, making certain all paint has been removed. Then I shape the bristles to their original form and put them on my windowsill to dr...