The Point of a Round Brush

I thought I would take a few photos to try and clear up a common misconception about brush points. Some people think that their brush is faulty because it doesn’t look like it has a good point after they use it for the first time. But, you can’t tell how well a brush points when it is dry. The hairs only form into a point when they are wet.

When you first receive a brush it usually has a good point on it. This is because the brush has been dipped in a watersoluble gum arabic solution, so it formed a point while wet and stayed stiff. Gum arabic is the same thing that is used as a binder in watercolours. The purpose of this is to show the buyer what the brush will look like when it is wet.

When you first use the brush it is best to wet it well and let the water sit on the brush for a minute or so and then rinse it. This removes the gum arabic gently and lessons any damage to the hairs. (Most people will flick the hairs between their fingers to break the hairs apart and fluff the brush, not the end of the world but you can be even gentler.)

When you rinse it and it is dry it will probably be fluffy and look like it has lost its point. It has not. It will go to a point again as soon as it is wet. Which (back to the beginning) is why it came with gum arabic to show it’s point, because when it is dry it won’t show it.

When you wet the brush and use it to paint with you will find it has a lovely point again!

Brush points - wet and dry

The second most common reason that someone will think a brush is faulty is if they ruin the point by letting it sit in a water pot and go curved. See this post for more info on that.