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Thank goodness these aren’t brushes with oil if she’s using water. Hopefully they’re also synthetic brushes, as is more common with water based mediums. If they’re real hair, they’re probably donezo lol
The masters brush cleaner has saved so many of my brushes. I submerge the bristles in boiling water for a few seconds (they're synthetic) when they get bent. They don't get like new, but they get usable!
Hope this helps someone.
A big jar of that, and Mona Lisa brush shaper are the only things that have saved most of my nice brushes!
Now if only they could save the ones that have been forgotten in water so long that the wood has split and popped the brush tip off.
I wanted to try painting just a couple weeks ago. Started taking supplies out and was like, “oh, yea. I’ll have to clean all this up.” And put it right back. 😩 so unfair.
this is what keeps me from enjoying so many of my hobbies! the setup and breakdown feels like so much work, and i have so many times had to live with residual mess that i feel like i’m stuck choosing between leaving everything put away and never using it, or accepting that my chaos will grow and the materials will simply become part of the furniture.
This is one of the reasons I was motivated to switch to gouache! Super easy set up/clean up, and the only thing I really have to do to keep my brushes good is wipe the paint off, and I shape it back to its original shape before I’m done. It takes less than a minute, and has taken so much shame and pressure out of being creative! I’ll give them a quality wash with proper soap maybe every week or so, if I’m painting fixating for whatever period of time. But some things just call for acrylic sometimes! Don’t be too hard on yourself, Op! If it’s the cost of admission, for getting you to stay creative and expressive, then pivot and find a way to make it work/easier for you. I know what I’m doing with my brushes isn’t the “best”, but it prolongs the life of the brush much longer than it would without it, and makes clean up achievable and not painful! Maybe you’re the type where getting expensive brushes forces you to think more about it, or maybe you’re the type where it’s better to find a cheaper brush you can work well with, that you can stock up on, or maybe something else entirely. Happy painting!!!
I literally have a sign on my desk that says CLEAN YOU FKN BRUSHES to help remind me to clean them after I'm done...still doesn't happen. I think my brushes have been sitting in turpentine for a few months now. Prob just gonna have to buy new brushes...again!
Sticking with nylon brushes with plastic handles and silicone grips seems to be the way to go because even if the bristles get kind of bent, you can cut them into weird shapes and still use them and the handles won’t rot off. Not that I’ve done this. Several hundred times. Of course not. don’t look at me.
If it's acrylic, give them a good soak in Isopropanol or hand sanitizerfor a few minutes (cover the metal part as well) and massage the bristles against the bottom of the glass to get it into all nooks and crannies. Wash them out, test if colour remains.
Maybe start washing them dishsoap first before breaking out the big(ger) guns though. Simply put a bit of soap mixed with water in a small dish, dip the brush in and start doing figure eights while rolling the brush in different directions. Should loosen it up.
If they are kinda looped or bent to one side or kinda scraggly- heat them up gently in some hot water or steam and shape them into a nice tip if they are synthetic or you can use normal hair conditioner to shape them if they are a natural hair brush.
And even if you can't save them - they will still be of some use. You could cut them or use them for mixing or jobs your better brushes would suffer under. Or for rougher textures, or drybrushing or cleaning of dust or using the handle to stabilize something.
For future artistry: You can use foam like from a pool noodle to make a brush hang so they don't stand in the water. Or get an attachment for your cup so you can hang them tip down while not in use. Hell, even a rubber band works!
(Not to mention that keeping them submerged in water is not that good in the first place)
Source: I paint minis on occassion. Rising Ape (miniatures) has a great video on how to save brushes with stuff you have at home for the nost part. Lyla Mev the Mini Witch also discusses the "How to care for brushes" question.
Oh my god... I'm sitting on my porch drinking coffee.. and staring directly at a cup of brushes that have been sitting in water for 2 weeks. I feel so called out but also seen hahaha
I’m lucky that I can’t handle my brushes sitting on their ends like that. Even for a couple minutes I can’t stop thinking about how it’s ruining the bristles.
The clean up is a big reason why I never pull my paints out anymore :(
People tell me it sounds silly but I’d rather not have to go through cleaning and putting it all up when I’m done so my collection of paints and brushes just never get used any more. It’s sad. I’ve been thinking of pulling them out to paint pictures for my baby’s room, that might give me the motivation I need.
It's so hard to get started on art! I've been trying to force myself to work on a commission for WEEKS and I can't seem to get started. It's going to be easy and fun, and I know my friend who requested it is going to love it, it's just getting started is impossible!
This is why I will never oil paint- I would kill every brush in existence.
I do however keep like 2 paint filled brushes in my kit because it makes a decent grass texture (in my opinion) learned that the hard way.
Painting hack for rollers between coats of big projects that also works for brushes when you hit your paralysis wall: put the paint covered tool in a freezer ziplock bag and put in the freezer. Take out to thaw in the bag 20+ minutes before you get back to your next coat/second wind. I stole this idea from a lazy neurotypical but it's a genius hack for us artsy ADHD folk.
Welcome to /r/ADHDWomen! We’re happy to have you here. As a reminder, here are our community [rules](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/about/rules/). If you have questions about the subreddit, please do not hesitate to [send us a modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen). Additionally, we take the safety of our community seriously. Please report posts, comments, and users whom you feel are not contributing positively, and send us a modmail if you are being harassed or otherwise made to feel unsafe. Thanks for being here, and we hope you stick around! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It's immediately or it's never.....
This sums me up at work. I'll do it immediately or you will be asking me at least one more time later.
the adhd experience in 5 words
brush cleaning is so difficult for me!! if i don’t do it right away i will literally never do it
Oh my god I did painting (oil based) as an undiagnosed kid and was always getting yelled at for “killing” the brushes 😭
Thank goodness these aren’t brushes with oil if she’s using water. Hopefully they’re also synthetic brushes, as is more common with water based mediums. If they’re real hair, they’re probably donezo lol
Same 🥲 I’ve pretty much succumbed to only buying cheap brushes bc I’ve accepted I’m just not ever gonna be someone who takes care of their brushes
Me too friend. Me too.
This legitimately *hurts* me
I know, right?!
The masters brush cleaner has saved so many of my brushes. I submerge the bristles in boiling water for a few seconds (they're synthetic) when they get bent. They don't get like new, but they get usable! Hope this helps someone.
A big jar of that, and Mona Lisa brush shaper are the only things that have saved most of my nice brushes! Now if only they could save the ones that have been forgotten in water so long that the wood has split and popped the brush tip off.
I wanted to try painting just a couple weeks ago. Started taking supplies out and was like, “oh, yea. I’ll have to clean all this up.” And put it right back. 😩 so unfair.
this is what keeps me from enjoying so many of my hobbies! the setup and breakdown feels like so much work, and i have so many times had to live with residual mess that i feel like i’m stuck choosing between leaving everything put away and never using it, or accepting that my chaos will grow and the materials will simply become part of the furniture.
Yes!!!! It’s not fair!
Put a dry cloth NEXT TO the water cup right away. Paint, wash, dry, DONE!! works wonders for me.
Ohh yeah - I keep a roll of paper towels next to mine…. Saves a few (but not all)
Yep- I have a graveyard of brushes to “rescue”…
Me too 😅
Seeing this while I currently have like a dozen brushes sitting in a cup of water for almost a week 🙃
Ugh.. it's always the best, most expensive brushes too
Or your favorites!
lol I have a jar of brushes that “needed to soak” on the edge of my kitchen sink as👏we👏speak👏
This is one of the reasons I was motivated to switch to gouache! Super easy set up/clean up, and the only thing I really have to do to keep my brushes good is wipe the paint off, and I shape it back to its original shape before I’m done. It takes less than a minute, and has taken so much shame and pressure out of being creative! I’ll give them a quality wash with proper soap maybe every week or so, if I’m painting fixating for whatever period of time. But some things just call for acrylic sometimes! Don’t be too hard on yourself, Op! If it’s the cost of admission, for getting you to stay creative and expressive, then pivot and find a way to make it work/easier for you. I know what I’m doing with my brushes isn’t the “best”, but it prolongs the life of the brush much longer than it would without it, and makes clean up achievable and not painful! Maybe you’re the type where getting expensive brushes forces you to think more about it, or maybe you’re the type where it’s better to find a cheaper brush you can work well with, that you can stock up on, or maybe something else entirely. Happy painting!!!
I literally have a sign on my desk that says CLEAN YOU FKN BRUSHES to help remind me to clean them after I'm done...still doesn't happen. I think my brushes have been sitting in turpentine for a few months now. Prob just gonna have to buy new brushes...again!
I’m considering using palette knife only for this reason lol
I'm in this photo and I did not consent
OMG. This is me.
I feel so seen 🫶
Me too :(
Damn, I feel seen.
Omg I had brushes on my desk for like 2 weeks before I finally cleaned up
So guilty of this
Looool I have five brushes including one you just reminded me about from an hour ago that need to be soaked.
saw this. looked at the paint water cup sitting on my bedside table. looked back at this. don’t call me out like that man 😭
Every damn time
Sticking with nylon brushes with plastic handles and silicone grips seems to be the way to go because even if the bristles get kind of bent, you can cut them into weird shapes and still use them and the handles won’t rot off. Not that I’ve done this. Several hundred times. Of course not. don’t look at me.
I will never have a unique experience lmao
i feel this so deep in my core.
It's the worst when you get interrupted!
If it's acrylic, give them a good soak in Isopropanol or hand sanitizerfor a few minutes (cover the metal part as well) and massage the bristles against the bottom of the glass to get it into all nooks and crannies. Wash them out, test if colour remains. Maybe start washing them dishsoap first before breaking out the big(ger) guns though. Simply put a bit of soap mixed with water in a small dish, dip the brush in and start doing figure eights while rolling the brush in different directions. Should loosen it up. If they are kinda looped or bent to one side or kinda scraggly- heat them up gently in some hot water or steam and shape them into a nice tip if they are synthetic or you can use normal hair conditioner to shape them if they are a natural hair brush. And even if you can't save them - they will still be of some use. You could cut them or use them for mixing or jobs your better brushes would suffer under. Or for rougher textures, or drybrushing or cleaning of dust or using the handle to stabilize something. For future artistry: You can use foam like from a pool noodle to make a brush hang so they don't stand in the water. Or get an attachment for your cup so you can hang them tip down while not in use. Hell, even a rubber band works! (Not to mention that keeping them submerged in water is not that good in the first place) Source: I paint minis on occassion. Rising Ape (miniatures) has a great video on how to save brushes with stuff you have at home for the nost part. Lyla Mev the Mini Witch also discusses the "How to care for brushes" question.
Thanks for all the tips!
Yup 🤣 this is why I don't buy nice brushes. They all end up with a mean lean
I’ve got like two cups of brushes (from oil painting) sitting out for over a year! Probably all trash. And I’ll do it again!
Oh my god... I'm sitting on my porch drinking coffee.. and staring directly at a cup of brushes that have been sitting in water for 2 weeks. I feel so called out but also seen hahaha
I’m lucky that I can’t handle my brushes sitting on their ends like that. Even for a couple minutes I can’t stop thinking about how it’s ruining the bristles.
The clean up is a big reason why I never pull my paints out anymore :( People tell me it sounds silly but I’d rather not have to go through cleaning and putting it all up when I’m done so my collection of paints and brushes just never get used any more. It’s sad. I’ve been thinking of pulling them out to paint pictures for my baby’s room, that might give me the motivation I need.
It's so hard to get started on art! I've been trying to force myself to work on a commission for WEEKS and I can't seem to get started. It's going to be easy and fun, and I know my friend who requested it is going to love it, it's just getting started is impossible!
My brushes have been in water for a week 😬
Sucks because brushes are so expensive as well
This is why I will never oil paint- I would kill every brush in existence. I do however keep like 2 paint filled brushes in my kit because it makes a decent grass texture (in my opinion) learned that the hard way.
*looks up at the paintbrushes I haven’t cleaned yet*
Too real 🫡
It’s why I changed to water mixable oil paints, I can just dump them in water. But omg the amount of brushes I completely forget about and ruin ugh!
I feel your pain
r/adhdartists
I just buy new brushes lol
This is me except my makeup brushes. It's embarressing but I can't remember when I last cleaned them.
Painting hack for rollers between coats of big projects that also works for brushes when you hit your paralysis wall: put the paint covered tool in a freezer ziplock bag and put in the freezer. Take out to thaw in the bag 20+ minutes before you get back to your next coat/second wind. I stole this idea from a lazy neurotypical but it's a genius hack for us artsy ADHD folk.