Dirty Paint Brushes
Paint brushes can be an slippery, colorful mess after oil painting. Here's a way to clean them up and keep them in good shape for future art works.
Instructions
1. First, wipe off any excess paint with dry rags. Oil paint is flammable, so the rags should either be immediately disposed of in an outside garbage can, or stored safely in an tightly sealed container.
2. Oil paint is not water soluble, and brushes and tools must be cleaned with something that cuts oil—like turpentine. Turpentine can be reused over and over, and one way to make the best use of it is to build a simple brush wash. You'll need a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and a clean, short tin can, such as a tuna can or cat food cat, that fits inside the jar. Poke holes in the bottom of the can using a hammer and nail (pressing through the outside of the bottom, so that the rough edges are inside the can), then place the can inside the jar, with the open end pointing down, so as to create a false bottom.
3. Fill the jar with turpentine to at least an inch or two above the top of the can. Now take your oily brushes and swirl them around in the turpentine, pressing the bristles lightly into the bottom of the can. The paint with sink to the bottom of the jar, leaving the turpentine above the can clear and ready for brush cleaning. Keep the jar tightly lidded when not in use.
4. Now you need to clean the turpentine off your brushes. This can be done with castile soap and water, or you can use specially designed paintbrush cleaner, available at art supply stores. Fill a cup or jar with warm water, then soap up your brushes, rinsing and resoaping as often as needed, until your brushes are no longer oily and are free of pigment. (Although some pigments may stain your brushes, especially if you are using natural hair bristles. Don't worry too much about this, so long as your brushes otherwise feel and smell clean.) Make sure to rinse the soap out completely.
5. Commercially available brush cleaner can also be used to condition and shape your brushes. Using clean suds, saturate the bristles and sculpt them into shape, allowing the suds to dry on the bristles.
6. Don't forget to wash your hands well, too. You might want to use a special "painting only" towel to dry off, just in case there's a little bit pigment left under your fingernails or behind your knuckles.
7. Dump out your rinse water, and allow your brushes to dry bristle end up. If you conditioned your brushes with brush cleaner, remember to brush out the dried suds before using the paintbrushes.
