I would love to paint everyday but I cannot afford to do that so, I am a part time artist.
I travel for my work and sometimes i can't paint for two weeks at a time.
I usually would use soap and water to clean my brushes after each use. After listening to one of Marks videos
I decided not to wash my brushes and I tried dipping my brushes in Linseed oil as suggested.
When I tried to use the brushes again I found that most were not very pliable and some were hard.
What to do?
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I use Geneva Brush Dip, which is more than just oil. I clean off a brush minimally with a paper towel, then brush dip keeps the brushes wet for a few weeks.
Keep painting!!!
I make my own from Mark’s recipe and it works well.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-431889.html
http://mcgarren.blogspot.com/2009/06/substitute-for-turpentine-rule-for-oil.html
Either linseed or walnut with 2 or 3% clove oil will keep your brushes in good condition. Towel off excess before use. Can be used as separate immersion baths for lights, mids and darks within painting sessions and between sessions. Can also be used to oil out a dried surface. Perfect for cleaning splash and smudge. Older immersion baths can be used to clean brushes. Immersion baths settle out and can be decanted to go around again while the sludge is toweled out to dry in the sun.
If you have a hardened brush: Immerse the brush and part part of the ferrule in a small container of an undiluted cleaning product containing around 3% hydrogen peroxide. My fav for this task is Glitz carpet stain remover, a local product, but I am sure there will be something similar where you live. Please avoid long soaking in any water/detergent based or hydrocarbon solvent product as this will ruin the brush.
Patience is required at least six hours with an occasional agitation. If more drastic measures are called for then about an hour in isopropyl alcohol should do the trick.
If if neither of these work then try some citrus oil paint stripper.
Denis
Known as Saran Wrap in the US. Much prefer to use zip lock bags, rolled up in a capped PVC tube.
Denis
If l’m outside or at friends studios the PVC is brush storage, containment, protection. I have several largish pochade boxes, the PVC keeps them free of oil and pigment stains. Useful also for containment of graphite, pastels and charcoal. Attaches to easel with rubber bands or zip ties.
Denis
Dry with Kleenex.
Solvents, soap and water will destroy brushes.
Denis
I avoid premium priced ‘organic’ or any additives or treatments, usually the lower priced product.
2% clove oil added is a useful brush dip, brush cleaner, brush immersion bath, paint diluent and hand cleaner.
Denis
This ss immersion bath is too easy to tip over. Allows all the clove to evaporate and the oil to oxidise.
Greendl kindly posted this nifty idea. I have used it ever since with a ss scouring ball or a nylon scouring ball in the oil to agitate the brush.
This design uses rubber grommets on the brush handles to adjust immersion height.
Denis
If paint dries in the brush just soak it in murphys oil soap wrapped in saran wrap overnight and all the paint will come out.
Also try to avoid getting any safflower or sunflower oil in your paint because that stuff never permanently dries - it either stays tacky or can seem dry but then become tacky or wet years later. Linseed and walnut are really the only oils that don't cause serious problems with oil paint.