Oil Painting: When using Turpentine to clean brushes, how do you use it?

Question

Im new to painting! I have heard somewhere that a metal grill of some description can be used to help scrape the paint off... is this correct? I think a lid is also handy to prevent evaporation... Can you buy containers to hold the Turpentine? If so, where?

Answer 1

All art supply companies try to sell anything. There's no need for the extra 'grill' part except to keep the brush higher than the settled paint at the bottom of the jar. Use only metal or glass jars to keep turps and spirits.
A way to save some money: when used turp sits for a while you'll see the settled paint at the bottom -you can drain the clean turp, wipe the jar, and re-use the turp! Turpenoid is a cleaner, less smelly version.
How it works: spirits strip the paint from the bristles of the brush. A chemical that strong can harm your bristles too! Instead, you can use cheap vegetable cooking oil or baby oil to draw out the paint from the brush. Then, wash with dish soap & water. Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Great to hear someone new to painting... hope it's fun and exciting for you!
Be careful with Turpentine... some people can get sensitive to it really fast!
I am one of them... what I do to clean my brushes after oil painting is to use baby oil!
I heard about it on a radio program (it seems about 100 yrs ago).
Wipe your brush to get rid of excess paint.. use a small container (baby food jar is good)... put a little baby oil in, dab the brush in it to soften the paint on the bristles. Gently rub the oil into the bristles using your hands/fingers (try not to mess up the bristles, go in the direction of the hair)
Next, have some gentle liquid dish detergent and a bit of warm (almost hot water) 'work' that into the brush and rinse with very warm water, pat the brushes dry and let them completely air dry.
This method has been very helpful and useful for me.

Someone else will probably tell you the proper way to use turpentine but pleas keep in mind, if you use it have a glass container with a lid... the paint particles will settle to the bottom in the turpentine leaving it clear towards the top to reuse again... don't dump it please!

Answer 3

Art shops sell little pots for turpentine, I usually wipe excess paint off a brush with a piece to kitchen towel before washing in turps but do not leave your brushes in the turps or the pressure with distort the shape of your brush. After I wash the brushes in warm water with a bit of washing up liquid then rinse in cold water and reshape the brush and leave to dry upright in a jar a
Good luck with your painting.

Answer 4

An old window screen works great. An old mayonaise jar works fine to keep it in. For myself, I just use rags and clean very well with soap and water afterward. All a screen does is get off some of the paint. Just personal preference. The main thing is to get all the paint out so it doesn't harden and ruin your brushes, especially up by the feral (can't remember how it's spelled) where the bristles are attached to the handle....soap cuts the oil.

Answer 5

put the turps into a tin or jar put the brush in and swill it around then let it drain squirt some washing up liquid on the bristles work it in then rinse thoroughly and allow the brush to dry do not let the brush stand on the bristles or the will go out of shape.

P.S. white spirit is cheaper than turps and does the same job

Answer 6

There is a glass jar which you can buy with a coiled spring inside which is used for cleaning brushes. Just add turpentine and rake your brush across the spring.

Answer 7

1. wipe the excess paint off the brushes with a cloth
2. rinse in turps
3. wash using household detergent and rinse in water
4. shape
5. dry standing up in a jar bristles up

Good turps is costly, so you can filter and re-use the stuff you are using for cleaning through a coffee filter or a stocking affter you've used it to rinse your brushes.

Note that the main cleaning is with the detergent/soap

Answer 8

You can use an old coffee can, jar, or order one of those aluminum brush washers out of any art supply catalog or online. Personally, I just use soap and water to wash my brushes, even oil ones. It works about the same and all the oil gets off.

Answer 9

hi,what am doing is i fill ajar with cover so i can use it again with it and then i put the brush in move it and then dry it with unused towel to dry it and etc,u can use glasses bottle.

Answer 10

AFTER CLEANING WITH TURP CAREFULLY WRAP YOUR BEST BRUSHES IN A PAPER TOWEL TO KEEP THEIR SHAPE