Watercolor Painting for Dummies by Colette Pitcher Read Free Book Online Page B

be respected, not fondled.

Prepping a new brush
    New brushes are protected for shipping by being dipped in
gum arabic,
the binder in watercolor pigments, and/or covered with a tight, clear tube. When you get a new brush, discard the plastic tube. Don’t be tempted to replace it on the brush for protection. It’s too small, and you’ll end up bending back hairs and damaging the brush.
    If the brush is stiff with gum arabic, dip the hairs in water and gently roll the brush on a table surface (not your good cherry dining furniture, but something you can wipe up liquid from like a kitchen countertop) until all of the gum arabic stiffener is removed. You may have to dip and roll several times until all the hardener is soft.

Washing, drying, and storing
    Watercolor is pretty gentle, so you don’t need to wash brushes using soap very often, if at all. Rinsing with water is usually sufficient. Simply swirl the brush in water to rinse it, and then lay it flat to dry. Do this in between using colors. At the end of your painting session, do this really well. You want the brush to air dry, so don’t cover it with anything.

    Never leave a brush standing in water. When brushes are wet, they are at their most vulnerable to damage. Prolonged exposure to water may damage the handle and loosen the ferrule. And, if you leave a brush in water for a long time, the hairs adapt to the shape of the bottom of the container. Result? Bent brush.
    When dry, your brushes should be stored where they will be safe. You can buy storage containers like brush quivers, canisters, and rolled pouches.
Quivers
are like an arrow quiver; they’re usually a box with a carrying strap and a hinged lid.
Canisters
secure the end of the brush so the hair end doesn’t touch anything.
Rolled pouches
can be bamboo mats (or other fabric) that hold brushes in a pocket; they can be rolled up to take less storage room. These are great for travel because they allow the brush to breathe if wet and still protect the hairs from mashing. I store my brushes in the studio in a nifty jar filled with sand. The hairs point up, and the handle end is in the sand.

Repairing a worn brush
    Gum arabic is handy if you need to retrain your brush back into shape or repair a damaged brush:
    1. Dip the hairs into gum arabic and let it dry to a gummy state.
    2. After making sure your hands are clean, use your fingers to sculpt the hairs back to a point or edge, and leave the brush to dry.
    The gum arabic becomes stiff when it’s dry, which usually takes just a few minutes. Leave the brush with the gum arabic in it for a few weeks. Store the brush on its side or upright standing on its handle.
    3. Remove the gum arabic by dipping the brush hairs in water and rolling it out like you do with a new brush (see the “Prepping a new brush” section).
    If the reshaping worked, hooray! If it didn’t work and the brush is still out-of-shape, you can try using gum arabic again or go shopping for a replacement.

Finding the Time to Paint
    Do you have a time of the day when you feel more fresh and creative? That’s your best time to paint. Ideally, what you’re looking for is regular, uninterrupted time you can devote to your art.
    Even if it’s only for ten minutes, paint every day. You’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish with ten-minute sets of time. Ten minutes is good for quick exercises and planning. Increase your painting time as you can.

    To encourage yourself to paint every day, set up your paints and leave them out. Packing and unpacking supplies sometimes is enough to make you avoid painting. Find a spot that you can devote exclusively to painting. Using the kitchen table isn’t good because you eventually have to pick up your paints so you can eat dinner. But if you have a place where the paints are always ready, it’s easier to take ten minutes to paint.

    If you’re having trouble finding painting time, look for a local art association that conducts classes, and sign