Cleaning brushes

[greywolf-art]

If you can’t get any more colour out in a final wash with soap, it really doesn’t matter if the bristles are stained – it won’t contaminate colours in subsequent use of the brush.
Dave

The staining of the brushes doesn’t concern me – like you say they won’t affect the next lot of paint you use, I was merely pointing out that because some of the pigment gets lodged in the bristles it can seem like your brush isn’t getting clean very quickly, but if the water from the brush is clear then the brush is as clean as its going to get

My Website : http://www.greywolf-art.co.uk/
My Blog: http://greywolf-art.blogspot.com/index.html

[dcorc]

Indeed – its just that if people are inexperienced, they may spend inordinate time and effort pointlessly trying to get bristle brushes back to a virginal state.

If the soap’s no longer coloured, you’ve got them as clean as you’re going to.

Dave

davecorcoran.co.uk

[sparkling]

Thank you Janet, this article was very informative!

See, one of the reasons I decided for WM is that I did not want to have so much trouble with proper disposal of the paints and cleaning supplies. That’s why I also tend to stay away from specific pigments and rather use hues where available. Well, I will check back with my local recycling facility, maybe I will feel more confident then using all kinds of pigments :).

Silvia ---- C&C always welcome ^-^

[catchafairy]

Wow, you really opened my eyes with that article. I like to act in an environmentally responsible manner, and realize now that I have not been doing so with my paint disposal.

Let’s say I wanted to have a palette that consisted of no heavy metals. That would mean no cadmiums or lead whites.

Are there any other paint pigments I should be concerned about disposal-wise?

I can’t imagine painting without cadmiums, but it is important to me to be non-toxic to the environment.

[couturej]

I felt the same way when I read the article. I would recommend contacting your local hazerdous waste management department as they would probably be the best people to give you exactly what would be considered hazerdous waste. I looked it up but just became confused will different regulations in different areas. One easy way to tell if a pigment is toxic is the ACMI seals on the tube AP=non-toxic and would probably as a result would mean not considered hazerdous waste. CL=toxic.

Janet Bionda
http://janet-coloredpencil.blogspot.com/

[DebSpinks]

I use Atisan paints and mediums. I used to use the same two-jar system as Brenda, but I’ve recently changed my system.

After wiping the brush on newsprint or paper towel, I use Artisan WM thinner in a little container and wipe again, which removes most of the paint, then wash with soap and running water. Significantly easier than water/soap only.

I use only a small amount of the thinner in one side of a dual palette medium container. I dip in the “clean side” and swish in the other. It lasts a while, but once the “swish” side gets too goopy, I wipe it out with a paper towel and throw it away.

Since I’m no longer using water to thin paint or rinse brushes during painting, I have had no problems using natural bristle brushes. No more floppy brushes!

The thinner may not work with other than WN Artisan WMOs. I know it doesn’t work well with Holbein Duos. Has anyone tried it yet with Grumbacher or other brands?

Debra

Debra
Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.
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[mawdwyn]

Debra – I’ve used the Artisan thinner with VG H2oils, Lukas Berlin, Duo Aquas, and of course, Artisans. I have one tube of Max (sap green) in the mix too. I don’t notice any difference between brands used with the thinner.

In the main oils forum, someone mentioned pouring their sludgy mineral spirits into a container with cat litter in it. Soaks up all the liquid. I don’t know if that’s all right to go out with the trash, but it’s got to be better than dumping it down the drain.

Callie

[dutch_hedgehog]

Mark Christopher Weber describes a way of cleaning brushes when using WMO that works for me in his book ‘Brushwork essentials’.
It is a great book that teached me a lot about how to use brushes, that is rarely told.

The way of cleaning he describes is basically like this:
1. wipe the brush in a towel or on a newspaper
2. just dip the brush in water
3. make a zig-zag line with the brush on your palet, as if you are painting. This will work the little water on the brush through te paint and losts of paint will stay behind on the palet.
4. repeat step 2 and 3 as often as needed (most of the times two or three times will be enough).
5. wipe your palet clean with a paper towel

This is a great method to clean your brushes any time you want to change color or as preliminary step before using a final water and soap cleaning when you stop painting.
And most important: it will prevent most of the paint from getting in the waste water were it can contaminate sources for drinking water.
Any disposal is better than down the drain!

C&C is very welcome, it is the reason why I show my work at WC

[jeffreywp]

Regarding the cleaning of brushes, I’ve found a little bit of rubbing alcohol will take care of any residual paint when I can’t remove it using my usual soap and water. I haven’t had to do that when painting on my own. It mostly happens when my high school students allow the paint to get gummy (wso) or dried (acrylics).

So, the “formula”? Soap + warm water in the palm, then repeat. Still having tinted soap bubbles after the second round? Then use a little rubbing alcohol. I finish up with warm water rinse to clear any residual alcohol.

I use synthetic brushes exclusively.

BTW, I have had friends who use The Master’s Brush Cleaner and Preserver with great success.

[FONT=Trebuchet MS]
Jeffrey W Phillips
www.jeffreywphillips.com

[greywolf-art]

I use the Masters brush cleaner and preserver too – its very good, I only use it on natural fibre brushes though to help keep the hairs in good condition, for synthetics I use ordinary soap since you can’t really condition nylon and soap will still clean synthetic brushes fine.

My Website : http://www.greywolf-art.co.uk/
My Blog: http://greywolf-art.blogspot.com/index.html

[judyfilarecki]

Hi catchafairy! I just use a little hand soap in the palm of my hand and water and rub the brush in the palm of my hand then rinse the brush. I keep repeating this procedure until when I rinse it the water runs clear.

I always used the same procedure, but the more I read about the toxicity of cobalt and cadmium, the more hesitant I am to expose my palm in the cleaning process. I also just bought “Glove in a Bottle” to protect my hands while painting and cleaning. I use a screen found in the bottom of some brush-water holders to help in removing excess paint and make the clean up with the soap and water easier and it works very well.
Judy

http://judy-filarecki.artistwebsites.com/index.html
http://www.filarecki.com

[querin]

Hi
On a DVD from Arleta Pech and Jane Jones they recomend Murphy’s oil soap for cleaning brushes with oils i wonder if it would work as well with wso .I have also used baby wipes first to get most of the paint off it works a treat for the brushes as well as hands. I can’t get Murphy’s oil soap in my part of the world it’s a household cleaner.For oils I just use lindseed oil then Masters brush cleaner.
querin

Visit my webpage : www.marylkaart.com
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000516056786

[judyfilarecki]

I always use the Master Cleaner after wiping off the excess on paper towels with very good results. I like the ides of the baby wipes. I’ll have to give that a try. Judy

http://judy-filarecki.artistwebsites.com/index.html
http://www.filarecki.com

[kbaxterpackwood]

[I]Please[/I] don’t flush all your paint waste down the drains. You are then putting large amounts of cadmiums, cobalts etc into the drainage system.

Rinse as much paint out of your brushes as possible in jam-jars, and let the pigment settle out – decant off the water (which you can then flush down the drain), and collect the pigment slurry to dispose of as solid waste.

Please minimise the amount of paint-pigment disposed of in liquid waste.

Dave

That works wonderfully IF you have a place to dispose of your liquid waste. I take it in here and they flush it down the drain it’s just paint stuff to them.

Kimberly

http://www.kbaxterpackwood.com

[dcorc]

I’ll say it again:

Rinse as much paint out of your brushes as possible in jam-jars,

and let the pigment settle out

– decant off the water (which you can then flush down the drain),

and collect the pigment slurry to dispose of as solid waste.

davecorcoran.co.uk

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