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Question: How to repair the art flat brush when the hair split!?
I am a artist!. Many of my paint brushes are not able to hold the hair together!. Are they broken!? I am so many of them!.!.!.!.is any other way to save them!? The round ones are not pointy, and the flat ones are not able to hold the hair together!. They are size 2,3,4!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
There are many reasons why this things happen to brushes!. The first I can think of is that the brushes are simply of inferior quality and after a fair use they simply wear down!. But perhaps the most common reason is that you are not cleaning your brushes properly!. When you clean your brushes with the turpentine/thinner/mineral spirits etc!.!. some of the liquid which still has some paint is getting to the metal part that's holding the hairs!. It then dries and the base hardens which causes the hairs to split, this also happens when you dip the entire brush in you mediums/oils and are absorbed by the hairs which harden at the base where the metal part is!. Check your brushes and make sure that the hairs are fully flexible, there shouldn't be hard at any part!. In order to avoid this do not dip the entire brush in oils, make sure that the thinner/turpentine is clean, and after cleaning them with the thinner/turpentine wash them with water and soap preferably dishsoap because they are made to get rid of oil!. Lastly all brushes will eventually wear down one way to keep them in shape is by using milk!. Once a brush is fully clean, take one like a round one for example and dip about half way the hairs in milk and shape it!. When the milk dries it will harden the hairs and leave it like so for a couple to a few days!. When you want to use it simply bend the hairs and you can also add a little water, and it will be soft again!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It sounds like you are leaving them standing in the container of turpentine or water with the hair end down for too long!. They make a gadget that clips to the side of a container for water or turpentine that has several pressure fit slots for brushes to hold the tips suspended so the hairs don't get all messed up!.

You can try to save the ones you have by cleaning them in artist's brush cleaner and laying flat to dry!. After they're really clean, I have dipped mine in a weak sugar water solution and they dry back to a nice point!. Sometimes, you have to cut the really bad stray hairs down close to the ferrule on the flat brushes!.

Good luck!! : /Www@QuestionHome@Com

Hello , It's a difficult condition to really solve after it's happened !. In the future , before you use a dry brush , soak it for a few seconds in the fluid that will dilute the paint you plan to use !. This will ensure that the hairs up in the furrow have absorbed the moisture before the paint can do the same and climb up into that area !. What's happened to your brush is that over time , paint just hasn't come out of this base area , it builds up there and then begins to spread out the hairs !. One way to bring them back but leaves a bulge up higher , is to soap the hair and let it dry after forming it !.
I use acrylic and after I rinse the brush , I squirt a bit of dish detergent in the palm of my hand and scrub the hairs carefully , even when you think you've cleaned the brush another way , try this and you will see a bit of colour ( Canadian spelling ) still come out !.
pre dampening the bristles with the solvent is always best , just be careful the first few strokes with the colour aren't runny from too much solvent left in the hairs !.!.!.!.Hope this helps !. PaulWww@QuestionHome@Com

Some brushes respond to a soak in hot soapy water and stroking back into shape!.Work up to boiling point in stages as some artificial bristles can frazzle a bit!. A large "bulldog" clip may help to hold the shape while it dries!. If this does not work you may need to resort to a haircut but I have always used that as a very last resort!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Brushes wear out!. I know of artist who have to practically start each painting with new brushes! Aside from perhaps a little careless soaking, when we paint we expect a lot from our tools !. !. !. but like everything else, they do wear out!Www@QuestionHome@Com

That is a sign that you did not clean them good enough!.
Replace and clean better when you are done!.

Or they are just worn out!. No matter how well you take care they do have a limited lifespan!.Www@QuestionHome@Com