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<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2>Carol</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2>Usually, when my brushes have problems
like that, I wash them first with mild soap, rinse , then put in the hair some
indiluted baby shampoo, let the baby shampoo in the hair and reshape with your
fingers, let them dry like that for 24 hours. It's like an
hairdo.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2>Recently, I bought some Cirrus brushes
and Raphael, I love them. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2>If you have stucked masking fluid into a
nice brush (even a less good one), pour a lilttle lighter fluid in your hand,
wash that brush with it carefully , rinse. Then wash again with mild soap,
rinse, reshape. Voilà.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2>Have a good day.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2>LORRAINE P. DIETRICH, iaf,
news<BR>artiste peintre / artist <BR>--------------<BR>français <A
href="http://www.artsquebec.com/fr/html/oeuvre_artiste.asp?ida=1227">http://www.artsquebec.com/fr/html/oeuvre_artiste.asp?ida=1227</A><BR><A
href="http://www.centrart.qc.ca/artistes/artvisuel/ldietrich/ecran.html">www.centrart.qc.ca/artistes/artvisuel/ldietrich/ecran.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2>english <A
href="http://www.artsquebec.com/en/html/oeuvre_artiste.asp?ida=1227">http://www.artsquebec.com/en/html/oeuvre_artiste.asp?ida=1227</A><BR><A
href="http://www.eeag.org/ldietrich/ldietrich.html">http://www.eeag.org/ldietrich/ldietrich.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2>IAF <A
href="http://institutdesartsfiguratifs.com/pages_public/artistes_fiche.php?id_artiste=5">http://institutdesartsfiguratifs.com/pages_public/artistes_fiche.php?id_artiste=5</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2>Galerie le Bourget, Montréal<BR><A
href="http://www.galerielebourget.com/">www.galerielebourget.com/</A><BR></FONT>-----
Original Message ----- </DIV>
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style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=watercolorist@schaudt.us href="mailto:watercolorist@schaudt.us">Carol
Wickenhiser-Schaudt</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=aquanet@cleverwhiz.com
href="mailto:aquanet@cleverwhiz.com">aquanet-list</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, January 29, 2008 2:29
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Aquanet] Brush Emergency</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=3><BR><BR>Hi all,<BR><BR>I'll post the suggestions
that I've gotten so far and what worked and what didn't. <BR><BR>All of
the brushes were 100% kolinsky sable. This is the first time that I have
gone 6 months without painting. The only thing different going on here
was that the heat came on for a couple of days. The hairs were not just
splayed open (not pointed), but many had kinked up sticking out to the
sides of the brush. They were curly. When I wet them, they would
not go back into form and the brushes were unusable.<BR><BR>Suggestions (in
</FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=3>BLUE</FONT><FONT size=3>) were as
follows:<BR><BR>1.)<BR></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=3>I've been there many
times. Just get back to using them regularly again and they will reshape. It
is not natural for hair to keep a point. The fact that yours were always
pointed means that they were in constant use before.<BR><BR></FONT><FONT
size=3>I think there is something to this as the brushes didn't seem to want
to absorb the water. I kept wetting a couple brushes over and over in
distilled water, then shaping them by blotting on a wet sponge, for a couple
of days, and they did become quite a bit better, but they were still unusable.
<BR> <BR>2.)<BR></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=3>I have no idea why this
happened, but FYI, my brushes will point when wet, even though they don't when
dry. I use WN and Isabey, a few Grumbacher, all kolinsky. I've been told that
you can reshape a wc brush by dipping the wet brush into gum arabic and
shaping it. Let dry, then rinse out the gum arabic. It can't hurt to try,
since gum arabic is in all your watercolors anyway.<BR><BR></FONT><FONT
size=3>I tried this and when they were rinsed & dried, they were the same
as before.<BR><BR>3.)<BR><BR></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=3>My brushes are
sable also, I clean gently, then <BR>apply clear liquid dishsoap and form to a
point and place in <BR>my corningware bacon cooker tray (grooved) and into
then<BR>into our freezer overnight. I then place them in their cloth
made<BR>brush holders, tips up of course. I do not put my brushes into a
<BR>jar except to tip into paint or rinse in clear water jar.
<BR>PS Hope this helps, I haven't had a problem to date except with
<BR>cheaper brushes that I use for liquid mask fluid.<BR><BR></FONT><FONT
size=3>I have tried repointing brushes in the past when a tip has been
bent. I've used a mild natural non detergent shampoo, shaped the brush,
let it dry and it has worked. I tried it this time and had a difficult
time getting the kinky hairs that splayed sideways to stick into shape.
This helped somewhat, but not completely. I did not try freezing
them. I was afraid of the frozen hairs breaking.<BR><BR>I don't use
making fluid.<BR><BR>4.)<BR><BR></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=3>Try a little
glycerin to paste the hairs down, let that dry, then wash it out in a day or
so. I'd be careful about cleaners and oils -- I wouldn't be a bit
surprised to learn that natural oils from the sable's skin are no longer
present by the time you buy the brush. <BR><BR>Have you used these brushes for
acrylics? Don't know why but that medium seems to make frizz very
easily.<BR><BR></FONT><FONT size=3>I have never used the brushes for acrylic
paint. Watercolor only and the brushes are always washed and let to air
dry after each use.<BR><BR>The glycerine did not work on the splayed
hairs. It did work to restore the points.<BR><BR>5.)<BR></FONT><FONT
color=#0000ff size=3>Carol, let us know whether you solve the brush emergency
- my brushes <BR>dry out too and fear the day they will need replacing.
What if you <BR>used a rinse-out hair conditioner on one of your more
expendable ones <BR>just to try something different? That would be the
first thing I'd <BR>think of.... : ) Leave it on for a <B>few
minutes</B> then rinse it out, <BR>snap to a point and see if there's
any improvement?<BR><BR></FONT><FONT size=3>It didn't work and I was afraid to
leave it on overnight or let it dry. The price tags on those brushes
induce a certain fear in me.<BR><BR>6.)<BR></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff
size=3>There is one vendor who sells a product intended for reshaping brushes.
I can't think who it is, and don't know much about the product. Maybe somebody
else does.<BR><BR></FONT><FONT size=3>If anyone runs across this product, I'd
love to know what it is.<BR><BR></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=3>I've also
heard of reshaping brushes by dipping them in one of the following, then
shaping them and letting them dry:<BR><BR>*a light lather of brush
soap<BR><BR></FONT><FONT size=3>The last brush soap I used on these brushes
was a round green cake from Grumbacher. I have now trashed it.
Previously, I've used Master's cleaner and conditioner.<BR></FONT><FONT
color=#0000ff size=3>*milk<BR>*a light liquid starch solution<BR>*a slightly
diluted gum arabic solution<BR><BR></FONT><FONT size=3>7.)<BR></FONT><FONT
color=#0000ff size=3>Might you call Daniel Smith? or any of the brush
manufacturers?<BR><BR></FONT><FONT size=3>They are willing to send out a
brochure on brush-care, which I've already seen. Then I was told
they can not be of help on any product over 90 days old. They too are
getting big. DS. would never have let anyone say that in the old
days.<BR><BR>8.)<BR></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=3>I have been working with
some Princeton Summit 6150 synthetics in <BR>gouache (wouldn't dare use
my WNs on anything but WC) with ok - not <BR>great - results. Nice
spring, iffy tips. I think brush standards have <BR>been in a steady
slide over the past 20 years, with quality falling <BR>even faster than
prices are rising... Would love to know if anyone <BR>(who's still using
brushes, that is! : )) has found<B> an inexpensive <BR>alternative to
WN7s for water-based media?<BR><BR></B></FONT><FONT size=3>Try Kalish
brushes:<BR><BR><A href="http://www.kalishfinestbrushes.biz/%A0%A0%A0"
eudora="autourl">http://www.kalishfinestbrushes.biz/ </A>This is a
truly annoying website. Best to give them a call and request a price
sheet.<BR><BR>Summery:<BR>What I have found to work the best is lathering them
up with Master's brush soap (cake), letting sit an hour or two, rinse and
repeat the process. The hair no longer seems to be repelling
water. I have no earthly idea why this happened, so suddenly, and to ALL
of the kolinskys ( W & N Series 7, DS Autograph Series and Kalish Series
7) brushes. The age of the brush didn't seem to make any
difference. One W & N Series 7 was bought in '83 and is still almost
as good as when it was new. Others were bought in the past year and only
used once. <BR><BR>I am thinking that the Grumbacher brush soap dried
them out and that when the heat came on it was more than they could
take. I've got over 60 more brushes to treat. Wish me luck.
So much for the spontaneity of painting! ; )<BR><BR>Thanks
to all for your help. Keep the suggestions coming.<BR><BR>Since for the
past couple of years, my studio has been shared with an oceanographic and
meteorologic consulting company, I will do like we do with everything else
that goes wrong and blame it on <B><I>El
Nino!<BR><BR></I></B>Carol<BR><BR>Signature Member: Institut des Arts
Figuratifs<BR><A
href="http://www.institutdesartsfiguratifs.com/pages_public/artistes_fiche.php?id_artiste=57"
eudora="autourl">http://www.institutdesartsfiguratifs.com/pages_public/artistes_fiche.php?id_artiste=57<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR></A></FONT><FONT
color=#0000ff size=3> <BR><BR><BR></FONT><FONT size=3> </FONT>
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