Acrylic paint is water-based while it is wet and turns into plastic once it dries. That is great on a canvas and terrible inside a brush. Paint that dries in the bristles near the ferrule splays them out for good. This tutorial from the Goodness in you channel shows the everyday wash with water and soap, how to rescue a brush with dried paint, and how to strip paint off the handles.
How to clean acrylic paint brushes: the short version
- Never let paint dry on the brush. Rinse it the moment you put it down.
- At the end of the session, wash one brush at a time with mild soap in your palm.
- Rinse until no color comes out, squeeze, reshape and dry flat.
- For dried paint, soak in water, then use rubbing alcohol or a brush cleaner.
Two water jars beat one
Keep a dirty jar for the first swish and a clean jar for the final rinse. The clean jar stays clear longer, so you are not painting the next color with muddy water. Wipe the brush on a rag or paper towel between colors so the water does not drip down the handle.
Which soap to use
Hand wash, mild bar soap, baby shampoo and dish soap all work on wet acrylic. A brush cleaner and preserver bar, like The Masters, also conditions natural hair. Skip harsh detergents and hot water. Hot water swells the wood handle and loosens the glue that holds the bristles in the ferrule.
Drying brushes the right way
Lay brushes flat or hang them bristles down. Never stand a wet brush upright in a cup. Water runs into the ferrule, rots the glue and makes the handle crack. Let them air dry. A hair dryer or full sun dries the bristles out and can bend them.
Rescuing a brush with dried acrylic
Soak it in water for several hours so the paint softens, then peel it off with your fingers. Stubborn paint comes out with rubbing alcohol or a dedicated brush cleaner. The video uses a cap of turpentine, which some painters reach for. Rubbing alcohol is gentler, has less smell and works well on acrylic. Work in a ventilated room, and wash the solvent out with soap afterwards.
Hooked or frayed tips
A bent tip can often be fixed by dipping the bristles in warm, not boiling, water for a few seconds and reshaping them with your fingers. Retire badly splayed brushes to scrubbing, dry brushing or glue work instead of throwing them away.
Keep paint out of the drain
Acrylic rinse water is plastic in suspension. Pour the dirty jar into a bucket and let it sit overnight. The paint settles to the bottom. Pour off the clear water, then scrape the sludge into the trash once it dries.
The palette too
Wet acrylic washes off a plastic palette with water. Dried paint often peels off in sheets. If it will not lift, cover it with water for a few minutes, then peel, or wipe with rubbing alcohol.
Good brush habits make every painting easier. Put them to work as you blend acrylic paint, mix your own colors or thin acrylics for glazes. A clean fan brush makes much crisper trees and grass.
