Home Forums The Learning Center Studio Tips and Framing Improving air circulation.

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  • #1546110
    notthomascole
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        Hi.

        Sorry if this has been covered before but I searched and couldn’t find anything – maybe I messed up on the search function.  Stranger things have happened…

        I paint in oils and use Liquin as my primary medium, and OMS to clean my brushes and occasionally as a medium.  I paint in a pretty small room with very poor air circulation but it’s all I really have available.  Today I noticed I was getting dizzy while painting and it got me wondering about cost-effective ways to improve the airflow in my so-called studio.  I live in Canada so for much of the year, just opening a window isn’t really practical.  I really don’t want to have to switch over to water soluble oil paints or acrylics.

        Thanks!

        #1548995
        DebWDC
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            I just noticed your post. Breathing in solvent is a real health hazard. I also paint using liquin (usually) and so need OMs to clean my brushes. I also have a small studio in Arizona where the weather suggests having the windows closed most of the year.

            Here is what I do:

            Have the windows open as much as possible. For you, that means having an open or at least cracked open window while painting, and perhaps for a few hours afterwards. All year round.

            Reduce the amount of solvents in the air while you paint. The solvents are in the liquin and the OMS. Here is how I reduce solvents:

            I put out a very tiny blob of liquin, perhaps 1/4 teaspoon, and mix this into my paint blobs before I apply the oil paint. I never dip the brush into the liquin, and then the paint blob, as this is more liquin than is necessary, and is harder to control proportions.

            Keep the OMS in a closed container except when I am actually rinsing out brushes. The paper towel with which I dry off the brushes, after they are rinsed, is immediately put into a plastic zip lock bag with some water in it.

            I don’t rinse off just a single brush, but use several brushes which I put aside, then rinse all at the same time to avoid having the container open more than is necessary.

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