Paint tips. Choosing the right brush.

Paint, paint, paint. I love paint!! I just can’t get enough when it comes to painting furniture. I have been experimenting lately with a ton of different painting techniques and new application methods. I was painting all my furniture with a spray gun, but lately I’ve been breaking out the brush. In my research and through the process of trial and error I have learned a lot of great paint tips. I’m learning to really appreciate the different finishes I can create with a brush and have learned a lot about brushes, from how to select a good one to how to properly care for them.

I use only water based paints, so therefore I use a synthetic bristle brush. (Natural bristle brushes are only for use with oil based paints). There are a couple of things to look for when purchasing a synthetic bristle brush. The best brushes have fuzzy tips and are tapered. If you hit the metal base that holds the bristles in place and bristles fall out that is a no no!

Picking a good quality brush is just as important as picking a good quality paint. If you don’t want to see brush strokes in your final finish your brush and paint are the two most important things.

Did you know that you can wrap a paint brush that is soaked in paint in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge? Why would you want to do this you say? If you are painting furniture and need to take a break, but plan to come back to the project in an hour or more, you can avoid washing it by preserving it in the fridge. Just a simple way to save some time. (This trick is for water based paint. If your using oil pop it in the freezer instead).

Do you have an old paint brush that is all crusty? Use a mixture of one cup Trisodium Phosphate (aka TSP) with one quart of hot water and soak the brush overnight. It will be good as new!

That’s all the tips I have for now. Check back regularly though, cause I’ve got lots more where that came from. Last, but not least, I’ll share a few photos of some of the furniture I’ve painted with a brush.