Natural Mediterranean Honeycomb Sea Wool Pro Sponge
ITEM#:
TSPG-04_14
PRICE:
The best sponge for decorative painting! Harvested in the Mediterranean Sea, these sponges are softer and more open t.....
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The best sponge for decorative painting! Harvested in the Mediterranean Sea, these sponges are softer and more open than the sponges from the Caribbean. This is sea wool for the professional!
A DELICATE, NATURAL TOUCH Our sea sponges are 100% natural, and are ideal for use on delicate surfaces.In sectors ranging from painting and fine arts to footwear manufacturing, pottery, painting and decorating and leatherware, skilled artisans have always sourced and used natural sea sponges to finish off their top-quality artisan creations. Sponges are resistant to chemical products and do not disintegrate when used.
With their soft, smooth texture sea sponges never leave scratch marks and, as such, are particularly valued in the following fields:
• Crafting ceramics
• Delicate cleaning operations and conservative restoration of frescoes and paintings
• Decorative effects in painting and decoupage
• Application of oils, waxes and special color-fixing treatments in the footwear and upholstery/furnishings sectors
UNTREATED HONEYCOMB SPONGES FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA Having formed and matured in exceptionally favorable climate conditions which give them their dense, supple, resilient fibres, untreated Honeycomb sponges from the Mediterranean Sea are among the best sponges in the world. With their wide pores and numerous self-cleaning channels, they are exceptionally easy to rinse. Available in a variety of sizes from small to extra-large, they boast an outstanding versatility of application, particularly in works which require frequent rinsing during use.
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR SPONGE After use, wash the sponge with a pH-neutral soap, rinse well and leave to dry in a cool, well-ventilated place. This is the only way to keep your sponge clean and beautiful over time. Replace every 3 months.
DIMENSIONS All natural sponges are different. Dimensions must always be considered approximate and are measured when the sponge is wet.
ALGAE AND IMPERFECTIONS Small remnants of algae and imperfections guarantee the authenticity of the natural sponge
70 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE With over 70 years of experience in the harvesting and processing of natural sponges, we can depend on an immense heritage of skills. We have honed our techniques over the course of the years and have always provided a product of the highest quality. Our retailers are selected partners, who offer their clients exclusively top-quality products.
SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMME The sea and its well-handed ecosystem have always been our source of inspiration and a resource that we want to protect. We follow a code of ethics which supports the natural balance that nature alone is able to maintain. That’s why we go beyond mere regulations: we know that every harvest season is different from the last and adapt to the needs of the seabed, stopping our harvest as soon as we see the need to respect the pace of natural regeneration.
How-To Brush Care Guide
Prepare your brushes for their first use - read below.
Most of our large and fine hair brushes are hand-set and made with different hairs that are tapped in a small copper cylinder before being glued into the ferrule. This is why some of the hairs are not properly affixed to the ferrule, so the brush will shed some hair the first few times you will use it.
Thick hair: examples are; badger, hog (china bristle), horse hair
Fine hair: examples are sable; squirrel, goat, skunk (fine, thin short hair)
Synthetic Fiber: examples are; taklon, samina, bordeaux, synthetic bristle
To minimize brush shedding, you should:
- Wash the brush thoroughly with a mild dish soap in warm water and massage the hair to comb out the loose bristles. Rinse until there is no soap residue left in the brush.
- Ring the brush out by rolling it between your hands as if you were trying to make a fire with a stick to fluff out the brush.
- Let dry by hanging the brushes or lay it down at the edge of a table (a hog bristle will have a strong odor due to the bone glue used to attach the bristles. This will go away after a few washings.)
Repeat this process a few more times.
All acrylic glazes contain some sort of ammonia which attacks the structure of the natural hair. Therefore, brush maintenance and thorough repetitive cleaning as described in step 1, 2, & 3 is imperative to protect and extend the life of your brush.
Applying a few drops of ‘leave in’ conditioner is also a good idea if you’re not going to be using your brush for some time.
Dried Paint: If some acrylic glaze becomes hardened on the brush, start by removing the heaviest part with denatured alcohol then rinse with water and coat the hairs with Murphy’s Oil Soap and leave for several hours. Apply the steps again from 1, 2, & 3 so the paint will brush out easily and leave your brush as good as new. Be careful as soap left too long in the natural hair will deteriorate the flexibility of the hair.
Proper cleaning procedure
for oil/water and large or small brushes:
Oil Medium | Water Medium | |
---|---|---|
Large Brushes | Prep brushes by thinning in two or more baths of spirits or until a rag runs free of paint. Wash brush with warm water and a lathering soap. Shake out excess water, quickly form brush shape, and then allow to dry upside down. | Rinse thoroughly with warm water. Clean with a tiny bit of lathering soap and rinse until completely clean. Shake out excess water, quickly form brush shape, and then allow to dry. |
Small Brushes | Prep brushes by thinning in two or more baths of spirits or until a rag runs free of paint. Apply a generous portion of Lard to the tip of the brush and store. To reuse brush, completely thin with spirits. | Clean each small brush very carefully and gently with a tiny bit of lathering soap. Shake out excess water, quickly form brush shape, and then allow to dry . To reshape a brush, dip it in Gum Arabic. |
The five decorative painting brush holds you'll need for Pierre's full line of brushes and tools.
Pencil Hold:
At the ferrule, like a pencil
Conductor's Hold:
At the tip of the handle, like a conductor's baton
Drummer's Hold:
Grasping the entire handle, like a drummer's stick
Baseball Hold:
With an open grip, as if holding a baseball
Quack Hold:
Between the thumb and the fingers (positioned to mimic a quacking duck) either on the ferrule or the hairs.