“Learn the rules like a pro,” Picasso said, “so you can break them like an artist.” That works for the basics of art, but I’d argue there’s one rule you shouldn’t break: Always clean your brushes.
In this article, I’m going to tell you step-by-step how to clean artist oil paint brushes. First, I’ll take you through the process of how to clean oil paint brushes with mineral spirits or paint thinner. Then, we can talk about some natural alternatives, and even how to remove paint that’s already dried.
I’ve been an artist for more than 15 years now, and I haven’t always followed my own advice. I was young when I started painting, and I commonly ended a painting with my self and my supplies covered in paint. I guess you could say I really got into my work. Often, I left them out and found myself with dried up, ruined brushes. In my head, painting was supposed to be low on challenge and high on fun. Well, I was right about one thing: it’s high on fun. However, the challenges I’ve faced over the years while learning my craft have been at least equally as high as the fun.
Thankfully, I’ve matured since then (not having my supplies bought for me seemed to do the trick.) I’ve put in a ton of time honing not only my technique but also the best ways (in my opinion) to clean and care for artist oil paint brushes so that they don’t become covered in dry paint. [Read more…] about How to Clean Oil Paint Brushes
