Fabulous Franken-brush! Art Supply Under-consumption: Refresh Your Favorite Waterbrush

I loved these Derwent push button water brushes so much that I used them almost exclusively for in my hiking plein air kit and wore them out! Before I tossed them I decided to see if the easy-to-squeeze ample bodies would fit some cheaper, hard-to-squeeze waterbrushes that I had and they did! So I swapped out the heads and I am ready to go! The Derwent push-button waterbrushes are my favorite but they are more expensive than other brands and I had many cheap pack-ins from paint sets kicking around. This is a win-win because I get more use from the high-quality product without the other cheap ones totally going to waste!
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Before you toss a well-made & expensive water brush see if the heads from some freebie water brushes will fit if you have them. If not you can safely rebuy your favorites but save the bodies and caps in case you lose or break one in the future. There is often a lot of life left in our supplies!

#underconsumption

Credits:
Video production and Craft ideas: Lindsay Weirich
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

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#thefrugalcrafter #watercolor #art

[louisapdjones]

Brilliant! Mass production does sometimes work in our favor 😅

[melissaaldosari]

Oh yeah! The Frugal Crafter does it again!

[beckymartin]

This is a great tip for those of us who have limited hand strength. Thank you!

[nalissa]

You had me going for a minute.. Frugal Friday.. on a Wed. lol Thanks for the tip!

[hannahcrumley]

This was just in time, I was about to throw away my old Derwent water brushes, yay, it’s like having new brushes again!

[triciab]

Now that's cool. Thanks for sharing. I have fav water brushes that have worn down that I can't seem to find again and I have numerous others that I don't care for. I will definitely try this. 🙂

[GraceAnnaShack]

Great thank you for these helpful tips your amazing Lindsay have a great day

[PaintergirlCreations]

Great information to know! I appreciate your curiosity and ingenuity!

[berolinastrassmann]

Brilliant frugal tip! I have both but never thought about this option. De-influencing the art supply consumption, one item at a time 👍🏻

[GingahSnapsArt]

I love my Arteza water brushes with similar push buttons.... after several years, I was getting a friend sorted with a new set recently and - no joke - the push button on a new one was like touching someone's bicep. 😂 it made me stop short like oh! Oh that's really nice! Wow!


Please know that the buttons eventually do wear down too. 😂 hopefully this gives you great mileage though! It's a great idea.

(My old Artezas are still going but I think your trick is in order for a better experience! Woop)

[tabethafrick]

This is awesome! I love my derwint!!!! The inly thing that drives me crazy is the top doesn’t snap on the back.

[traveldreamer]

The derwent barrel is great. I also have the green generic brushes. I will definitely do the exchange. Thank you.

[marytesta]

Genius Lindsay! I wonder if most are the same.

[bluewren]

You would think that Derwent would make replacement tips, especially as it is so easy to just screw them off. I checked their website and indeed, they do not. 😤. Why, Derwent, why? Good on you Lindsay for bringing this. I really hate those cheap water brushes, they always leak for me somehow, so good to know that maybe, when I get some Derwent ones, I can at least swap out the tips.

[OrganizeCreateDecorate]

Great idea! I'll have to try that with mine. I have the older version of Derwent. I hope it works with them too.

[anette]

Love my Derwent brushes. Wish we had a store closer.

[kstutz]

Good to know. The tips on my carandache seem to break down fast.

[Linda-qqmg]

Good for you Lindsay!! Thanks for sharing your ideas.

[lynnephelps]

Now to see if it will work on my Caran d’Ache water brushes!

[ashleyhawkeswatercolor]

I literally just did this same thing with my Tombow water brushes yesterday! Great minds…😊