KOLINSKY SABLE BRUSHES

File: brushcare.png (169KB, 1271x971px) Image search: [Google]

169KB, 1271x971px

>>2695418
I'm not the most experienced brush inker, but I read through some threads on penciljack when I got started. I've always followed the advice in pic related when it comes to brushcare, and my brush is still as good as new after more than a year.
Most people seem to clean their brushes either with a mild shampoo (baby shampoo or something like that) or brush soap from the art store. Masters Brushcleaner seems especially popular, but that stuff is pretty expensice, so I haven't tried it myself yet.

>>2695647
A little hyperbolic, but still good advice.
It depends on your purposes I guess, but when you don't need lightfastness or water-resistance you could switch to a dye-based ink that will be less harmful to your brushes, since those are mostly just water. Like some Ecoline or fountain pen ink.

>>2695650
>but when you don't need lightfastness or water-resistance you could switch to a dye-based ink

Seconding this suggestion, this can work very well. I've used black ecoline to ink pieces I wanted to color with copics before and it turned out fine. The alcohol in the markers usually doesn't reactivate water-based inks.
That said, Ecoline can be surprisingly tough to clean out of a brush - because it's water-soluable it won't ruin anything and you can get it out even if it dries in the brush, but it can take a long time until the water runs clear when cleaning it, even with brush soap.
Also, water-based inks will usually be a bit on the grayish side and not as pitch-black as a highly pigmented waterproof ink.

>>2695650
Or chinese ink. Not dye based, so lightfast.

I also use use separate brushes for them so I don't need to bother cleaning them.