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Anyone know of good ways to get paint off the ferrule of a brush. I want my brushes to stop looking like this.

The easiest way is to simply pay attention and don't dip your brush so far into the paint that it reaches the ferrule. Paint at a maximum of half the brush length and no more.

Otherwise I'd cold water (hot will melt the glue binding the bristles to the brush) and gently push the paint away from the ferrule with your fingernail.

The bigger problem is that paint may have dried under the ferrule, if that's the case it's time to buy a new brush.

A scouring brush works well, but I would suggest that you just take care, unless it's a brush like that your talking about.

You know what they say about bad painters

You'll want something like the Winsor & Newton brush cleaner. That should help with the dried paint in the ferrule. After using it, you'll likely want some Master's soap to condition the hairs after the cleaning.

If it's ingrained enough, the only way to fix it is to throw your brushes away and buy new ones.

I've had some success with washing the brushes in soapy water, and gently using the end of a fingernail to help dislodge stubborn bits.

Never got around to trying a proper brush cleaner... It's not a common problem, other than when I'm teaching other people to paint

Cellulose thinners will get it out. It'll also attack the bristle so condition well afterwards.

Masters Brush Cleaner. This is a must-own product.

+1 for Master's. We use tiny brushes, for the most part, so a <$10 puck will last you for years and years, unless you paint around the clock and clean frequently.

I tend to use a fingernail to remove buildup on the ferrule, once the soap has softened its hold a bit, but the soap alone (with no more agitation than gentle swirling on the palm) is enough to take care of everything in the bristles after a few rounds.

Master's also conditions as you clean, unlike more caustic thinners/stripping agents, and works well as a tip shaper if you let your final lather dry on the brush. Hell, the stuff even smells nice. You just can't beat that, as far as I'm concerned.

On a slight tangent, I take issue with the assumption that gunk at the ferrule automatically means over-dipping your brush. While that's one obvious cause, capillary action is another potential culprit. I always paint using a (wet) palette and my paints are usually rather dilute. Even if I only dip the tip in, water wicks its way up, carrying pigment with it. If I don't rinse constantly and thoroughly, there's buildup at the base of the bristles, after a while. So yes, the issue is entirely avoidable, but it's not just an obvious ", once you think about what you're doing" rookie mistake.

oadie wrote:+1 for Master's. We use tiny brushes, for the most part, so a <$10 puck will last you for years and years, unless you paint around the clock and clean frequently.

I tend to use a fingernail to remove buildup on the ferrule, once the soap has softened its hold a bit, but the soap alone (with no more agitation than gentle swirling on the palm) is enough to take care of everything in the bristles after a few rounds.

Master's also conditions as you clean, unlike more caustic thinners/stripping agents, and works well as a tip shaper if you let your final lather dry on the brush. Hell, the stuff even smells nice. You just can't beat that, as far as I'm concerned.

On a slight tangent, I take issue with the assumption that gunk at the ferrule automatically means over-dipping your brush. While that's one obvious cause, capillary action is another potential culprit. I always paint using a (wet) palette and my paints are usually rather dilute. Even if I only dip the tip in, water wicks its way up, carrying pigment with it. If I don't rinse constantly and thoroughly, there's buildup at the base of the bristles, after a while. So yes, the issue is entirely avoidable, but it's not just an obvious ", once you think about what you're doing" rookie mistake.

I've had that problem with inks/washes.

When I go to switch between washes I give my brush a quick rinse, dip it into the pot, and "slurp!" (or someother discriptive noise), right up to the top of the brush hair and beyond.