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Hey all,

I've been using W&N Series 7 brushes for a number of years now, wanting to both paint with the best quality tools I could get as well as insure against constant replacements.
Unfortunately, I'm running into a recurring issue that seems to repeat regardless of how much care I think I'm putting into looking after them, and so was wondering if I could get some help and advice on the matter.

For most 'general' paintwork I use a size 0 brush, which I clean with a brush cleaner (pictured in the link below) after every session is complete (alongside any other brushes I've used).
https://media.jacksonsart.com/catalog/product/cache/1/image/1000x1000/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/A/C/ACBC30.JPG

What's odd, though, is that the bristles on my size 0 seem, over time, to get stiff and unresponsive towards the base, while the tip remains pliable - creating a frustrating and inconvenient brush that isn't able to properly use the entirety of it's own bristles. Strangest of all, none of my other brushes have had this happen to them. I've enclosed a photo of my current size 0 to illustrate this, as it is hard to explain (and I've not had any luck finding information online):
http://i65.tinypic.com/28a4094.jpg

Below the red line is where the bristles have gone strangely stiff, with everything above the red line remaining normal. It's not an entirely new phenomenon, since this is now the second size 0 brush I've had this start to happen to, yet I remain unsure what exactly has caused it and if it can be reversed.
As mentioned, I have always tried to treat my brushes with care and almost reverence, but am I perhaps doing something wrong? The brush cleaner I showed above has always been very vague as to its exact application - is it possible I'm using it wrong? Is it perhaps paint causing this, or something else entirely?

As a side note, another of my brushes has an entirely different issue (pictured below) - the bristles on my size 2 have started to fan out quite a lot, which is not an uncommon problem but for the fact I do not often use it (mostly for washes rather than paint), making its behaviour distinctly odd. Again, I clean it after every paint session with the same brush cleaner and I don't believe I have ever got paint anywhere near the ferrule on this one - is there anything that can be done to 'tighten up' its bristles again?
http://i67.tinypic.com/242vslt.jpg

I hope someone is able to help, as the state of these (not inexpensive!) brushes is a source of great anxiety for me and it makes it difficult for me to get any painting done - when I already struggle to do so. If it's a matter of replacing them again, that's certainly doable, but I want to ensure I avoid this happening again.

Thank you!

I've redeemed a fair few of my brushes with Master's Brush Soap:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006FHLG7I/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_-0EMCbAQBJ50J

So my first tip would be to try some of that as it's way cheaper than replacement W&N brushes and will last you for years. It should definitely bring back your Size 2, the Size 0 may be a different story.

The description of your Size 0 does sound like there's some dried paint in the "belly" of the brush.

I was curious that you mentioned using the Size 0 for most of your work, for most people they'd look to use a size 1-3 for the bulk of their work and if you maintain a decent point to these then with practice they should serve you well for most work down to real details. It's the tip of the brush that matters not the amount of bristles coming out of the ferrule.

Hope this helps.

Rik

I've not used W&N brushes before, but both your problems are a symptom of not cleaning out the ferrule. Regardless of whether or not you actually get paint into the ferrule directly, the properties of water mean that paint will wick into the ferrule - especially for thin paints like washes. There picture isn't all that clear, but in the second shot there seems to be darkening at the base of the bristles, which is another clear sign that paint is collected at the ferrule.

The base of the bristles is by far the most important place to clean, the rest of the bristles are much easier to clean and to restore once damaged, just make sure to get properly into the base of them.

First, make sure you aren’t overloading your brush with paint. Don’t dip it past half way to 2/3. Second, it’s acrylic paint thus it dries quickly, so clean your brush often while painting. Basically any time I want to load more paint on the brush I rinse it first. Third, use a separate, cheaper brush for washes. For some reason they seem to wick into the ferrule and dry on me no matter what I do over time.

I had the same issues, and since I started cleaning the brushes more frequently while painting my brushes have been doing must better.