How To Clean Dried Oil Paint Brushes

Help, dried oil paint on palette and brushes!

This topic has 13 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 11 months ago by amorozova.

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December 8, 2009 at 5:11 am #988277

Hello all,
Do you have any advice on cleaning a glass palette of dried paint, also some frozen stiff brushes,
I have been away from my oils for a while and look what happened.
I love oil painting but have to obviously discipline myself to clean immediately!
Cheers,
Jean:confused:

Jean Cowan
redbubble.com:wave:

December 8, 2009 at 6:39 am #1127479

Hi Jean, hows it going, good by the look of your painting, very nice!:thumbsup: ..is that somewhere here in aussie land looks lovely…well as far as cleaning you glass pallete i would use turps and i also use a glass scraper i first soak it alittle then scrape the paint away wiping it on paper toweling…Use Linseed oil to clean your brushes then give them a good soap up, your brushes should stay nice and soft then….if their really stiff you mite need to soak them for abit hope this helps:D …happy painting to you and merry xmas…

Sandra

December 8, 2009 at 7:17 am #1127471

Do you have any advice on cleaning a glass palette of dried paint, also some frozen stiff brushes,

For a glass palette, with dried-on oil-paint, the quickest, easiest way (if you are OK about handling the chemical) is a chemical paint-stripper – such as one containing methylene chloride. You should be able to pick up paint-stripper at and DIY or hardware store. Naptha-based "brush restorer" will also soften and lift oil-paint – put some on a pad of tissue-paper put that on the palette, put a sheet of cling-film or similar over the top, and leave it for 15 mins or so – you should find the paint has softened and can be readily scraped off, or scrubbed at with a cheap brush. You need good ventilation with both of these.

For brushes – "brush restorer" will work, but another approach which is much kinder to the brushes is to make up a thick paste from a bar of hand-soap, and coat the brushes in that – left for several hours, common soap will soften even really dried-on oil-paint. After leaving for a few hours, try massaging the brush, you should find it will start to "give" and paint will soften and start to come off into the soap. If you persist with this, doing 2 or three such cycles will get your brushes as good as new. (You could also try this on the palette, coating it in soap-paste under cling-film).

Dave

December 8, 2009 at 2:57 pm #1127473

I always used a flat razor blade on glass, then wipe further with turpentine or mineral spirits.

I've used solvents and Ugly Dog brush soap for dried paint on brushes.

December 8, 2009 at 5:00 pm #1127472

Thankyou, I will give these tips a go, the painting Sandra is of Olivers Hill in Frankston where I live!
Cheers,
Jean

Jean Cowan
redbubble.com:wave:

December 8, 2009 at 5:08 pm #1127478

Flat razor blade and denatured alcohol for the glass palette.
As for the brushes, a coverage in the paste of artist soap will do the trick.

Kal

December 8, 2009 at 5:34 pm #1127475

Jean,

Regarding your brushes, if any of the above suggestions don't work, I highly recommend Winsor & Newton's Brush Cleaner and Restorer. I had some expensive brushes that I failed to completely clean about 4 years ago after an oil painting class, didn't use them for about 2 weeks, and after numerous attempts with different soaks and soaps, was sure I needed to throw them out. My local art store recommended this and it worked like a gem. Still use them to this day.

December 8, 2009 at 6:25 pm #1127469

Ok Everybody, Laugh If You Like, But I Use W D 30 Weight Motor Oil To Clean My Oil Painting Brushes And In The Past 6 Years That I Have Been Using It I Have Not Lost A Brush.
Here Is How I Discovered It. I Read In David Leffels Book…if You Have To Leave Your Painting For A Little While (answer Phone Etc.) Leave Oil Paint In It And Never Turp As It Is Your Brush's Enemy. I Asked My Husband If He Had Any Oil Around…he Said Just Motor Oil, So That Is What I Used And I Love It… I Clean Out What I Can With Turp, Then Work The Oil Through The Bristles And You Will See Paint Just Float Out Of It That You Thought You Had Cleaned Out ….then I Shape My Brush With It, Leave It In Until Next Time! I Have Had Students Claim That It Will Also Remove Dried Oil If You Keep Soaking It And Working It.
Good Luck With Saving Those Brushes.:) Marcy

If we had some ham, we could have ham and eggs.
if we had some eggs!!!

December 8, 2009 at 10:13 pm #1127474

Oil of spike lavender is a powerful solvent that will probably get the paint out of the brushes. It's expensive, but a little goes a long way. Follow up with washing the solvent away with brush soap.

I do not agree with "washing" brushes in oil. Oil is what washing is supposed to remove. The brushes may look clean while still having oil in the base of the hairs that will dry. I try never to get paint or oil in the base of the hairs.

^^^^^^^
Jive Dadson
^^^^^^^

December 8, 2009 at 11:00 pm #1127468

Cover the glass with paper towels then pour enough warm tap water on it to soak but not so it drips all over the place,,, so just enough will do, then cover with saran wrap. Leave it over night and in the morning or at least eight hours the paint will come right off without the vigorous scraping.

Acetone will clean a dried brush in no time but finish with a good brush soap like masters.

~

An art which isn't based on feeling isn't an art at all. Paul Cézanne

December 8, 2009 at 11:03 pm #1127470

I always used a flat razor blade on glass, then wipe further with turpentine or mineral spirits.

This is all I do, also. (the blade does most of the work for you.. it just needs to be sharp)

and.. to keep your brushes from drying out between paintings (and not having to wash them right away) I pore walnut oil in a shallow dish and rest my brushes in them. The shallow pan keeps the bristles from getting messed up, and, the slow drying oil keeps your brushes fresh. (just wipe off and use)

And yes, Winsor & Newton's Brush Cleaner and Restorer does really work when all else fails. But, I've even had some luck soaking in this oil and it softening paint on brushes. That's something I never expected.

Hope that helps some

Felica

http://keech-smithgallery.com/[/url]

December 8, 2009 at 11:46 pm #1127477

Ok Everybody, Laugh If You Like, But I Use W D 30 Weight Motor Oil To Clean My Oil Painting Brushes And In The Past 6 Years That I Have Been Using It I Have Not Lost A Brush.
Here Is How I Discovered It. I Read In David Leffels Book…if You Have To Leave Your Painting For A Little While (answer Phone Etc.) Leave Oil Paint In It And Never Turp As It Is Your Brush's Enemy. I Asked My Husband If He Had Any Oil Around…he Said Just Motor Oil, So That Is What I Used And I Love It… I Clean Out What I Can With Turp, Then Work The Oil Through The Bristles And You Will See Paint Just Float Out Of It That You Thought You Had Cleaned Out ….then I Shape My Brush With It, Leave It In Until Next Time! I Have Had Students Claim That It Will Also Remove Dried Oil If You Keep Soaking It And Working It.
Good Luck With Saving Those Brushes.:) Marcy

I have head of this before, actually I think it was mentioned here in the forums a long time ago.

Its not uncommon for paint to dry in my mixing area, I tend to use fast drying mediums. Usually a razor is all that it takes.
Brush soap as already mentioned will fix the brushes.

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December 9, 2009 at 3:40 am #1127476

soap, and water. rub soap into the brush, wait 4 or 5 minutes, rinse, repeat until clean. Always works. Just use regular bath soap.

RG

December 9, 2009 at 4:08 am #1127480

soap, and water. rub soap into the brush, wait 4 or 5 minutes, rinse, repeat until clean. Always works. Just use regular bath soap.

RG

Sunlight Soap works for me…..:)
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