As artists, we can all appreciate the cost of good, professional art supplies.
Brushes are among the top expense when thinking of what my art $$$ buy.
I have always been an advocate of buying the best one can afford. I have always believed that we are only as good as our tools. I believe that in the kitchen also, when I prepare a small intimate meal to share with my husband, or when preparing a feast for family or friends.
We are only as good as our tools.
We need to take care of our tools.
Paint brushes are the tools of our trade!
We need to take care of our tools.
Paint brushes are the tools of our trade!
Because of that we must take care of those tools. This blog will share with you how I clean my brushes after the paint (in this case oil) has been wiped cleaned of the brush with either paper towels or rags, then cleaned in odorless thinner or mineral spirits. Once this is done - the brushes are ready for their final cleaning step. Now, I will say up front, many artist don't believe in taking this last step. I, on the other hand, am an advocate of more cleaning . . .!
So friends - clean your expensive brushes well!
I have been using this particular clearner for a few years now, and love it. I also use it to clean brushes I've used for watercolors and acrylics. I am now using it to clean my oil paint brushs! YAY! I buy it on line or my local art store. I LOVE this soap cleaner! It foams and bubbles up making me feel like my brushes are getting a deep clean! This is also a Preserver (conditioner) it is very kind and good for your brushes!
You can see from the above two photos, all the soap suds I can get with just a little swish around the container. (Yes, I always wear a mask and gloves when working with my art). I added this magnifyer mirror so that I can see the brush bristles really well and make sure the paint is toally removed. (It's an Ott Lite that can be purchased at a craft store or art store). I clamped it onto one of my shelfs here in my laundry room. It is on a flexible stem so that I can move it around. It also has a light - the extra light really helps. Sometimes I use it on my easel as well.
I am really fortunate that my husband built shelves and put a sink in our laundry room so I do not ever have to be concerned with the mess I may make - staining the sink with paint - or other things that are of concern to artists when cleaning up.
Whether or not you have a designated place to clean your valuable brushes doesn't really matter. What matters, and the purpose of this post is to share with you the importance of cleaning your brushes completely.
Happy Painting!
