I believe it was yesterday, when I was painting with one of my new Da Vinci Nova synthetic brushes, that this question arose.
Do synthetic brushes actually need a conditioner?
For example, do they need to have some of the Masters Brush Cleaner en conditioners in their bristles when storing the brushes away?
I know from previous posts that natural hair brushes need it.
But what about the synthetics?
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No doubt there are several opinions, all I can say is I’ve been painting with synthetic (mainly nylon) brushed for over 50 years, on canvas and on models. All I need to do is (a) thoroughly wash out the brush with the appropriate medium – that means massaging/squeezing it up at the ferule end for 30 seconds or more, it’s amazing how much paint keeps seeping out (b) wash it again with a mild detergent (I use washing-up liquid) and again rinse it thoroughly, or even soak it for an hour (c) let it dry overnight, and then depending on if its got out of shape I sometimes wrap it in thick tissue and secure it with an old “weak” clothes peg or rubber band. A day later take that off and the shape should be as-new again. I still use a couple of such brushes that are at least 30 years old.
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