Artit 12 Piece Paint Brush Set Review

Have I ever said how much I love reviewing art supplies? Well I do!

I just got a 12 Piece Paint Brush Set: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01K4NQNTO to review.

About:

• The long handled brushes are easy to clean because they are made out of nylon.

• The art brushes can be used for acrylics, watercolors, oils, face painting, collage & more.

• The set includes a portable case & an array of paint brushes, and a palette. You can take the set just about anywhere.

• The set works for pros & kids. Kids will need a lesson on taking care of the brushes.

• The set has slots for the brushes, so they stay contained. 

Caring for Your Brushes (Water Based Paints): 

Use a pallet knife or popsicle stick to mix the paint. This will make your brush last longer.

Wet your brush(es) with luke warm water before use.

Only get paint in the bristle part of the brush. If paint gets into the metal also known as ferrule then it can make it difficult to get the paint out of the bristles. That in turn breaks up the glue that holds the bristles in, and makes the bristles so they are no longer soft.

If you are taking a break, wipe the brush on a paper towel and rinse it! Lay the brush sideways across your water container.

Once you are done painting wipe your brush on a paper towel to remove as much paint as possible and rinse it. Clean the brush with soap, or a bought brush cleaner. Remove all the pigment out of the brush. This may take a few steps of loading it with soap, painting the inside palm of your hand, and rinsing it with luke warm water. Read the brush cleaner (if that's what you are using). Some act as a leave in conditioner. In that case you'd leave it in the last step. Reshape the brush with your fingers. Lay the brush flat to avoid distorting the bristles.

Caring for Your Brushes (Oil Based Paints): 


Caring for your brush when using oil based paints is similar as water based paints like acrylics, tempera, watercolor, gouache, or even watered down glue used for collage.

You wipe as much paint away on a rag or paper towel.

Pour a small amount of thinner on a rag or paper towel. I use Gamisol because it's safer for those with allergies and asthma. Wipe your brush some more. Do this until most of the paint is out.

Wash your brush with soap and water, or brush conditioner. Read the brush conditioner to see if it's a leave in kind. Reshape the bristles, and leave it flat to dry.

Important: Don't mix oil based paint with water based paint. You will have a mess. My students that have done this think that something is wrong with their paint.

Rule: You can use acrylics and oils in the same piece.

The rule is acrylics first (dry), and oils can be used on top. The other way around will cause your paint to crack. Plus oils without additives take a long time to dry!

There are exceptions to that rule, but you need to know the technique to break the rule.

Exception: Oil paint mixed with a turpentine (again I use Gamisol) makes a oil wash. Let it dry! Then acrylics can be put on top.

You can do an oil wash, spray it with Crystal Clear (a clear acrylic spray), and add another oil wash. Building up layers like this is super fun!

Cost: 

Price: $35.90, but it's on sale for: $16.77.

Palette: 

With acrylics you can build up layers on a palette. Once you're annoyed with the build up, peel it up. Some of the really cool paint peelings I keep. I cut them, and glue them or paint them into pieces. You can also throw the dry acrylic away.

Oils dry SLOW. That can be good. Artists love mixing time. Oil colors are truer from wet to dry than any water based paint. Water based paint dries darker. Leave the oil paint on the palette for longer, and keep using it. It will be usable for days. When you're done wipe it up with a paper towel. If you let it dry it will be hard to remove. I like to use a sheet of glass for an oil based palette because if the paint dries I can use a razor blade to scrape it up. With plastic I can't do that.

Downfalls of the Set: 

There is no palette knife. I use one to mix my paint. I find my brushes last longer if I use a palette knife. I'd rather have a palette knife then a palette. I tend to be that crazy artist person that grabs the nearest thrown away box to use as a palette.

I really don't use a fan brush. Maybe some people do or did *Cough Bob Ross - But I've never seen anyone migrate towards using a fan brush. I could see the perk of using one for spiky hair, or fur. I like more control than what I get with a fan brush.

When was the last time you've painted? Painting walls counts. Ha!

Disclaimer: I received this Artit Paintbrush Set to assist with this review. I wrote this post, and was not influenced at all with an opinion. I only review things that I find interesting, or that would benefit my readers or my family.