Light in Dark Artwork

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

How to Protect Your Very Expensive Delicate Artist Brush Tips

Fig.1 Soap dispenser cap

By Gary Boutin

Tools and Supplies:
Artist brushes various sizes
Black rubber tubing
Clear plastic tubing
Coffee stirs
Milk shake straws
Plastic bendable straws
Pink plastic brush tubing

This post cover the inexpensive alternative choices to protecting art brush tips. Some brushes can be very expensive. I am proposing is that simple plastic cover that is added over the brush tip to protect the tip from bending, fraying and damages.

This post shows the seven steps of inexpensive alternative that accomplish to protect artist brush tips.

Step 1: Fig.1 and fig.2 shows a soap container cap and tube. Fig.2 shows the clear tubing has been removed from the soap cap. Keep the clear plastic tube and discard the rest of the soap cap. The clear tube is rigid white plastic and can protect brush tips from bending.

Fig.2 Take it apart

Step 2: Fig.3 shows is a white opaque plastic refrigerator water line. The tubing can be straiten out to accommodate a brush tip and finial.

Fig.3 Clear water line

Step 3: Fig.4 shows black rubber water lines. Rubber tubing if kept short can work well to protect brush tips

Fig.4 Rubber water lines

Step 4: Fig.5 shows bendable plastic straws in its container. Do not use the bendable part of the straw. Fig.6 shows wrapped in white paper is milk shake straws obtained at fast food outlets. Notice the bendable straws at the bottom of the picture.

Fig.5 Straw container

Fig.6 Milk shake straws

Step 5: Fig.7 shows one large brush with no plastic tip. The two fine tipped artist brush both have two plastic straws. For large brush obtain large plastic tubing at any local warehouse store or hardware store. Clear tubing can be purchased by bulk or by the foot to meet your standards.

Fig.7 Close up of the brush tip covers

Step 6: Fig.8 shows a many different artist brush with their covers. The only real artist cover purchased at an art store are in the middle of this picture and they have long plastic clear covers. In the middle of the page there are blue plastic straws that comes from our local fast food restaurant. The rest of the brushes are drinking straws of various sizes.

Fig.8 Each brush with each brush protector

Step 7: Fig.9 below shows that all the brushes are safe from damage.

Fig.9 Job done
All brushes safe

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Friday, December 2, 2016

How to Make a Red Brush Holder from a Protein Container

Fig.1
Protein container

By Gary Boutin

Tools and Supplies:
Protein container empty
Razor knife
Spray paint
Soldering gun
Wood chisel sharp

This is a continuing of my other post on how to hold your painting brushes. Heck this would work for anything resembling pencils, but it was designed for art brushes.

This post shows the six steps to creating two art brushes holder one standing up and the other lying on its side from the same protein containers.

Step 1: Fig.1 through fig.3 shows the tools for this project. Fig.1 shows the empty protein container. Fig.2 shows the red spray paint used on this container (also seen on other post). Fig.3 shows the UTC-100 electric soldering gun.

Fig.2 Red
spray paint


Fig.3 Iron

Step 2: Fig.4 through fig.6 shows the top and the sides of the container are the melted holes that will be used for by the brush handles. The brush will be placed upside down when placed in this container.

Fig.4

Fig.5

Fig.6

Step 3: Fig.7 and fig.8 shows the holes from made from the soldering iron and fig.8 shows a very sharp chisel was used to remove the plastic rings that was made from the soldering iron.

Fig.7 Sharp chisel

Fig.8 Rings
removed

Step 4: Fig.9 shows to repaint the container for use. Melting the holes in the container showed the yellow plastic so the top had to be repainted.

Fig.9 Repaint

Step 5: Fig.10 shows the protein container is full of brushes and ready to use. Fig.11 shows the side view of the brush tree holder.

Fig.10 Side view

Fig.11 Top view

Step 6: Fig.12 shows the pieces of the container cut in half to create the side brush holder. Fig.13 shows the container on its side. Fig.14 shows the finished container with the art brushes.

Fig.12 Pieces

Fig.13 Finished

Fig.14

Other post that are brush containers:

How to Make a Brush Holder from a Yoghurt Container
How to Make a Red Brush Holder from a Protein Container

Home Made brush Holder with all Plastic Parts:

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Monday, November 14, 2016

How to Repair a Damaged Easel - Part 3 of 3 - Sealing the Easel with Clear Polyurethane

Fig.1 Danish
Oil Rub

By Gary Boutin

Tools and Supplies:
Nitrile Gloves
Glass bowl
Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane Clear
Paint can opener
Polyester and bristle brush 3-inch
Tarp

This Light-Duty H-Frame Beechwood Art Easel was assemble, sanded and have two coats of WATCO® Danish Oil applied to this easel. Two final coat of Minwax Fast-Drying Clear Polyurethane was used to coat the easel. Now it truly look new.

This post shows the four steps to sealing this easel.

Step 1: Fig.1 through fig.6 shows the first choice is not always the right choice. Fig.1 shows the easel with two coats of WATCO® Natural Danish Oil Finish. Fig.2 shows the lead warning on top of the polyurethane can. Fig.3 shows this was the first choice for this project. Minwax Polycrylic protective finish. Its a water soluble polyurethane that has easy clean up and just a sponge brush to finish the job. Fig.4 shows a milky substance and fig.5 shows the stir stick the can. Fig.6 shows the can is unusable and the water soluble mass has gelled together.

Fig.2 Warning

Fig.3 Water soluble

Fig.4 Milky substance

Fig.5 Use stir stick to mix

Fig.6 Unusable

Step 2: Fig.7 through fig.9 shows Minwax Fast-Drying Clear Polyurethane has dried up pint size can. Fig.7 shows the can has been opened but a layer of polymer is all over the top of the can. Fig.8 shows it must have leaked in the paint cabinet. Fig.9 shows the clear polymer is solid and can not be used. This was my second choice also not usable.

Fig.7 Opening the can

Fig.8 Dried top layer

Fig.9 Solid core unusable

Step 3: Fig.10 through fig.13 show the sealer and tools needed for this job. Fig.10 shows a small new container of Minwax Fast-Drying Clear Polyurethane. Fig.11 shows a 3-inch Polyester brush that will be used to apply the polyurethane. Fig.12 shows on top of the brush is the paint can opener. It is a lot easier to use than a screwdriver. Fig.13 shows the same gloves to apply the Danish oil will be used again to apply the polyurethane.

Fig.10 New can

Fig.11 New brush

Fig.12 Paint can opener

Fig.13 Protect your hands

Step 4: Fig.14 through fig.17 shows the base and the legs are sealed. Fig.14 shows the base is being covered with clear polyurethane. Fig.15 and fig.16 shows the base is being covered, notice the light sheen on the wood. Fig.17 shows the easel legs are being coated too.

Fig.14 Brush used

Fig.15 Base sides

Fig.16 Front of Base

Fig.17 Mast legs

Step 5: Fig.18 through fig.20 shows the H-frame vertical bars are being brushed on all sides.

Fig.18 H-Frame right

Fig.19 H-Frame left

Fig.20 H-Frame right

Step 6: Fig.21 through fig.24 shows the mast is being brushed and the sides too. The side hold the canvas holder in place. It slide up and down the mast.

Fig.21 Mast Back

Fig.22 Mast Front

Fig.23 Second coat
Mast front

Fig.24 Mast Edges

Step 7: Fig.25 and fig.26 shows the top edges of the H-frame are being sealed.

Fig.25 Front H-frame box

Fig.26 Back of H-frame

Step 8: Fig.9 through fig.29 shows the dried rich gold color from polyurethane.

Fig.27 Mast Finish coat

Fig.28 Left vertical
and middle of H-frame
Finish coat

Fig.29 Finish coat

Step 9: Fig.30 shows the brush is being cleaned from the Polyurethane.

Fig.30 Cleaning brush

Step 10: Fig.31 and fig.32 the front of thee finished easel. The canvas box was raised to bet the lower areas of the easel.

Fig.31 Front view
with canvas
box raised

Fig.32 Front view
with box in
normal position

How to Repair a Damaged Easel:

Part 1 of 3 - Sand the Mast and Base
Part 2 of 3 - Sealing the Easel
Part 3 of 3 - Sealing the Easel with Clear Polyurethane

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