Can you Use the Same Brushes for oil and Acrylic?

So you would like to know…..can you use the same brushes for oil and acrylic painting? If you are asking if you can use the same single set of brushes you already have on hand to paint with both acrylics and oils, then I would say sure, you “can” do whatever you want. But should you? Now that is the important question.

Being an artist who works in both oils and acrylics, I can tell you it is much easier and safer to invest in two sets of brushes. One for acrylics and one set for oils.

Even if you were to clean your brushes thoroughly with a solvent and soap and water, there is still the chance that some paint or medium can remain within the ferrule. Probably a negligible amount, but why take the risk?

What if you were lazy one night and neglected to thoroughly clean your brushes after painting with oil. Say you cleaned enough to remove the visible paint but you then were distracted and forgot to finish. The next day you pick up the same brush and begin painting with acrylics only to see red oil paint dripping from the ferrule all over your acrylic painting. I have had that happen before. No fun.

These two mediums do not mix. Many say it is ok to paint oils over a dry acrylic ground, but even that concerns me. Is their truth to that or am I being overly cautious? I say keep the two mediums separate. If you are painting with oils, buy a separate set of brushes and use a support specially prepared for oils and do the same with acrylics. It may be more expensive, but at least you can sleep well at night knowing your work isn’t on the verge of ruin.

I hope this has answered your question: Can you Use the Same Brushes for oil and Acrylic? ..

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