I think I’ll try Murphy’s oil soap next; I moved from pretty exclusively painting in acrylics (aside from watercolors) to experimenting with oils over the last few months, & this has definitely been one of the biggest nuisances… Starting acrylic painting, brush care was definitely annoying compared to the effortlessness of watercolor, but it wasn’t hard to adjust to… I just had to accept the need to constantly be cleaning my brushes to avoid letting paint dry on them… But I found soap & water 100% effective. As long as I don’t let the paint dry on the brushes, the kind of method you demonstrated (just cleaning them off on your hand until no more color flows out) works perfectly well. Very simple process. And I love just being able to have a simple glass of water to rinse my brushes off in between colors- dipping them in water & then cleaning them off on a (paper) towel is sufficient to get them basically back to clean between colors, & then a soap cleaning periodically to ensure no acrylic binder works its way into the ferrule or dries on the bristles… That’s about it. With oil paints, on the other hand, yes, it’s nice that you don’t have to worry about paint drying on them every 10-15 minutes… However, I’ve found that whether I use hand soap or even harsher soaps like Dawn, these methods simply do not get all the pigment out of the brushes. I’m not sure if it’s a difference of the materials that the brushes tend to be made of (maybe the natural fibers that are more common for oil painting purposes just stain more easily) or if it’s something to do with the oil binder itself, but the same method that works so easily for acrylics simply does not seem to work for me with oils. It’ll get them to maybe 50% clean- it’ll seemingly wash away the oils- but the bristles remain stained with the color of the pigment, & then further washing just gets diminishing returns until it’s clear that I’m making no progress & just probably wearing on the brushes. It’s unfortunate because there are things I really like about oil paints. I’m having to learn solvent-free for practical reasons, & I’d probably prefer to keep it that way for health too… It’s certainly been difficult to find a way of getting thin enough washes for underpainting to really have a wide fat over lean spectrum (lavender spike oil works okay, but I haven’t really found a happy medium with it that gives me results comparable to what I’ve seen others do with turpentine, so not sure whether it’ll serve that purpose, but it does at least give me a bit more leeway on the lean side of things. For now I am thinking I’ll just stick with acrylics for most underpainting purposes.
Acrylic does work well for under painting. Typically I dry brush my under painting. No oil. No solvent. It allows me to slowly build up the darks. It’s quite similar to working with charcoal or pastel. It’s also very easy to paint over because it is so thin and lean. Sometimes I use the wipe out method. I tone the panel with paint and a touch of oil. Then wipe out the highlights with a silicone blade. Works great. This is what many of the old masters did, except they used a rag. It’s also very lean and easy to paint over.
This was so so helpful. I don’t typically paint with oils. I may decorative painter so I must like chalk paint some acrylic, but I was using an oil-based liquid gold leaf, and found it difficult to get out of one of my brushes. I didn’t have the items you were suggesting, but I did have some Goo be gone… which I think is an orange oil base, and I also mixed it with a little bit of vegetable cleaner, which I think also has an orange oil base… Anyway, it worked really well! Thank you, thank you!
@@kimmm68904 glad it helped!!! If your in a pinch vegetable oil followed by soap and water works. Just make sure all the oil is out before painting. Vegetable oils don’t dry like linseed oil.
This is great -- thank you so much for the content; I am a beginning oil painter and was contemplating either water mixable oils, or avoiding brushes altogether (using palette knives) for this very reason. I will try your safflower or walnut trick.
It works great!! I’ve been painting for years like this and it’s perfect for alla prima. I use it as a medium and to clean brushes. And I still have all the options of multiple paint brands, unlike water miscible oils. That is important because not all brands are the same or have the same pigments. Being able to get the right pigments from the right brand can be very important as you progress. It’s always great to have options. Let me know how it goes.
Thank you for your reply! An update since then - no longer considering water mixables as a potential solution, instead using conventional oil paints / even tried some M. Graham which I really like...mainly cleaning in a slow drying oil as you suggest, painting more frequently too, but if any of them begin to get stiff they get a murphy's oil soak. Experimenting with not using any water to wash off the Murphy's. Just getting them very clean on a terry cloth rag, then the rag goes into the jeans and rugs laundry. @@GalleryBry
@@suzannebonham583 thanks for the update!! Use caution with not thoroughly rinsing out the Murphy’s oil soap. Any soap left in the brush could affect the integrity of paint layers. It’s best to get all the soap out of the brush and let brushes thoroughly dry before painting.
Thank you! Love your paintings, your markmaking and colors glow. Glad to see you here. I normally work with watercolors and gouache. But yesterday I started my first oilsketch. I use watermixable oils from Royal Talens because I really don’t want to use solvents or any toxic pigments because I sleep and work in the same space. With watercolor I almost always clean my brushes afterwards. Because (for now) I don’t oilpaint every day, I will clean my brushes after every session. Boy oh boy…I don’t love the smell of linseedoil but the way you can put down paint, make easy transitions and the freaking singing colors. I am sold. I just have to figure out how to do it safely. May I ask how you store your paintings in between sessions to avoid dust etc. And how do you get rid of oilrags safely. I have heard stories (from reliable sources) that linseed can catch fire on it’s own especially on oilrags or papers you use to wipe of your brushes. I now threw them away in a sealed container. How do you handle those? I just can’t seem to find much about those kind of things. Now I am going to binge watch the rest of your video’s! Glad I found you.
Thanks for that great comment! To wipe my brushes I have a few techniques. First I wipe as much off on my wood palette so I can scrape it up and reuse it. Next I keep a square of cardboard next to my painting to soak up the rest of the oil from the brush. The flat cardboard dissipates heat under normal working conditions. The main risk is tightly balled up rags in a very hot room. The heat builds up in the rag and can catch fire. Then I wipe any excess on a paper towel which I put in a jar of water to be extra safe. Was that helpful?
I wouldn't use a sealed container. I did an experiment with that, and set the sealed container in a "safe" (ish) place; went about normal life and forgot about it / when I lifted the lid, I smelled smoke and the pile was black and smoldering in the center. Granted, I was using more oil than I use for painting (I was doing furniture finishes) but still.... I have a wood stove and I throw 'em in that.
@@KBAFourthtime it depends what paint you use. I paint with earth colors and not heavy metals like cadmiums. If you’re using cadmiums check your local laws to see if there are any disposal restrictions.
How do you properly dispose of any oil paint, especially if washing with with the soap-and-water method and/or using a tissue? (I threw away two tissues that had oil paint on them from my first pair of oil-painted canvases, but from some looking, I fished them out from the bags I tossed them in.)
Any paint I wipe on a paper towel I let lie flat and not balled up to avoid any fire risk. Then on garbage night I put them in a bag and place them outside for collection.
This is great advice! Thank you! I watch a lot of videos and wondering what your opinions might be that some of the other artists recommend... First of all, I probably won't go back to traditional oils but if I do...water mixable (if you have used these) - what about baby oil?
Thanks for the feedback! I haven’t used water miscible oils because I like a very specific consistency to my paints. I have a few brands I like, such as m Graham(solvent free business model too) and blue ridge oils. With water miscible, one is restricted to only a few brands and can’t enjoy the full range of oils on the market. I also don’t clean my brushes after each daily session because it saves time and the brush lasts longer. I just lay them in a tray of oil. Definitely don’t use baby oil or food grade oils. They are non drying oils and it will compromise the strength of paint layers. What made you leave traditional oils?
Is it the concentrated Wood Cleaner version of the Murphy's that should be used on brushes, and should it be diluted before using? And is it safe for sable and squirrel? Thanks!
I don’t believe the version I had was concentrated and I did not dilute it when cleaning bristle brushes. For sable and squirrel, I use those for watercolors and don’t clean mine with soap, just water. I would encourage you to contact the brush manufacturer regarding specific care for natural sable and squirrel. I don’t want to give you the wrong information.
I don’t know enough about how conditioners work to really say. If they leave a residue on the bristles it might not be ideal because it could impact the integrity of the paint. When washing with any soap, you want to make sure there is zero residue remaining on the bristles. Regular shampoo might be okay. Typically gentle soaps work best. Harsh detergents like dish soap are the ones to be avoided because they can be too harsh on the bristles. Hope that helps. :)
Very helpful thankyou, Im going to switch to oil. I have a question though, what do you use to thin/lean out your oil paints for blocking and beginning layers and does linseed, walnut, and or safflower oil lean out paint or make them more fatty?( I know they make paints more fluid but dont know if that counts as thin/lean when it comes to layer building from lean to fat.)
This is a great question. The short answer is I don’t thin my paint (I use a thin amount of paint) and dry brush my underpainting when painting alla prima. I use softer paints from brands like M Graham, Michael Harding, and Blue Ridge. These paints have a higher oil and pigment content and are easier to manipulate. Are you planning to paint directly or indirectly (alla prima or layering)?
I will have to try the safflower oil hack for avoiding cleaning my brushes. Do you know how well a dirty brush coated with safflower oil would work kept in a hot car after plein air painting? Also do you have any tips for transporting oily brushes with out making a mess?
First, I wipe the excess oil from the brush with a paper towel or rag. Then I just use a cloth placemat as a brush roll to roll my brushes in it. I use a binder clip to close both ends of the placemat to keep the brushes from falling out. I typically do not leave my gear long enough in a hot car for any combustion issues to arise from the oil rags or brushes. But if you had to leave them in a hot car, I would put the rags in an airtight container with a little water to soak the rags. Then perhaps just leave the brushes outside the car if possible to eliminate any fear of fire. There really should be no issue with the brushes if they are wiped down because there would be minimal oil in them. But you can’t be too careful, especially if the car is really hot. Did that help at all?
Thank you for this amazing video, you have a new subscriber! :) I actually clean my brushes every day after using them, which is exhausting and I am not the best at it :D I was wondering though since you talked about reusing the oil and solvent, how do you transfer the solvent from the dirty jar into the clean jar without spilling? I tried so many things already and I still spill a lot.. Maybe you have any advice on this?
Hi, Maya!!! Welcome aboard!! Glad to have you here. Transferring the clean oil or solvent can be tricky. With the oil I wait a few weeks until it has fully settled. Then I place the new jar in the sink to catch any drips. The trick is to just pour it fast!! Get it lined up and then tip the jar very quickly. Practice with two jars and water until you get a good rhythm down. It takes a little practice. There will always be a few drips when you finish pouring but it should be minimal. Let me know how it goes.
@@GalleryBry Thank you very much! :-) I'll practice more with water as I luckily have the jar I use for the dirty solvent twice - I'll let you know how it's going!
Hello, good video 😊. I’m new to oil painting & had a question. I’m working on a painting now, & I’m using Liquin. If I was planning on working with the same brushes on the painting the next day, could I wrap my brushes in plastic wrap to keep them from drying out, or do I have to clean them w/ the Murphy’s oil soap asap? Also if I’m using Liquin, prob not a good idea to dip them in linseed oil to wipe paint off yeah?
You bring up a great point: if you use fast dry medium like Liquin, oil alone will not remove the medium. You must use soap. Wrapping the brushes in plastic wrap could potentially work because it will keep out the air. But I haven’t tried it so I don’t know how much it will slow the drying. My experience with fast dry mediums is that they dry extremely quickly. The plastic wrap has potential. I would try it with an old brush first to test it. Let me know how it works!! I’d love to know!! :)
Great news on the paintbrush. After using it yesterday, I wiped all the paint I could get, off. Then I wrapped it in a plastic baggie, squeezed out the air, & used a rubber band to secure it. Took it out of the freezer this afternoon, & it’s fine. Completely soft & usable after it thawed out 😃
It works quite well. Just be sure to get all the soap out of the brush before letting it dry so the soap doesn’t affect your paint. :) Thanks for the question. Anything else I can help with right now?
Is it safe to oil paint in a small carpeted apartment? Other than laying a drop cloth down on the carpet, are there any other precautions that I should take?
@@GalleryBry When I’m doing cross cross brushstrokes, applying base or cleaning my brush, how likely is it that I’ll splatter paint on the walls and/or surrounding area? I’ve never painted before so I just want to make sure I’m covering all my bases
@@maxjudon8668 just s as you can’t eat a cookie without dropping a few crumbs, you can’t paint without 0% mess. But with that said, you can be extremely clean if you are careful. I paint with little to no medium, so my paint is not runny and does not spatter. If you use too much medium it could drip or spatter. And if you use controlled brush work it will not spatter. The most likely scenario is getting paint on your hands and touching other things. But you could wear gloves or just be extra careful. Did that help answer your question?
Great question!! Murphy is actually a soap despite having oil in the name. After you use it and make sure all the soap is out of the bristles (that’s very important) you can let the brush dry and safely store it. Can I answer any other questions for you right now? Happy to help.
I can’t say with 100% certainty because every brand is a little different, but it should work as long as it doesn’t have additives to slow or stop drying. Do a little test: mix a tiny drop of the walnut oil in with a bit of paint. Then let it dry and see how long it takes to dry. If it dries like normal paint then it should be okay, especially if you are just using it to clean and not as a medium. You just don’t want a non drying oil mixed in with your paints because it can affect the strength of the paint layers in your painting. Was that helpful? :) Let me know how it works. I’d love to know
This soap does contain chemicals so it should be kept out of the eyes and not ingested. But I have never heard of there being issues with trash disposal or combustion. Soap is not flammable under normal conditions and is washed down drains every day. So it can be disposed in the trash and won’t catch fire. Thanks for asking. :) Are there any other questions I can answer for you? Happy to help. :)
@@GalleryBry is regular oil (like lindseed oil, walnut oil) dose the same? Like The can't go in the trash and gose up in flames part? Or is it as safe as Murphy oil too? (Sorry if it sounds like a stupid question, i got spooked and paranoid what i read about paint thinner)
@@ms.pirate these are good questions. Rags soaked with linseed, walnut, or other oils should not be placed in the trash. They can heat and combust. They should be stored in an air tight container and soaked with water. Murphy oil soap has no raw oil in it and can safely go in the trash. Was that helpful? :)
Hi @gallerybry I was watching paintcoach video and saw your reply to @ianbillings regarding non toxic alternatives that brought me here.. I am your new subbie now and clicked the like button...great video and keep up the good content 👍
I think I’ll try Murphy’s oil soap next; I moved from pretty exclusively painting in acrylics (aside from watercolors) to experimenting with oils over the last few months, & this has definitely been one of the biggest nuisances… Starting acrylic painting, brush care was definitely annoying compared to the effortlessness of watercolor, but it wasn’t hard to adjust to… I just had to accept the need to constantly be cleaning my brushes to avoid letting paint dry on them… But I found soap & water 100% effective. As long as I don’t let the paint dry on the brushes, the kind of method you demonstrated (just cleaning them off on your hand until no more color flows out) works perfectly well. Very simple process. And I love just being able to have a simple glass of water to rinse my brushes off in between colors- dipping them in water & then cleaning them off on a (paper) towel is sufficient to get them basically back to clean between colors, & then a soap cleaning periodically to ensure no acrylic binder works its way into the ferrule or dries on the bristles… That’s about it.
With oil paints, on the other hand, yes, it’s nice that you don’t have to worry about paint drying on them every 10-15 minutes… However, I’ve found that whether I use hand soap or even harsher soaps like Dawn, these methods simply do not get all the pigment out of the brushes. I’m not sure if it’s a difference of the materials that the brushes tend to be made of (maybe the natural fibers that are more common for oil painting purposes just stain more easily) or if it’s something to do with the oil binder itself, but the same method that works so easily for acrylics simply does not seem to work for me with oils. It’ll get them to maybe 50% clean- it’ll seemingly wash away the oils- but the bristles remain stained with the color of the pigment, & then further washing just gets diminishing returns until it’s clear that I’m making no progress & just probably wearing on the brushes.
It’s unfortunate because there are things I really like about oil paints. I’m having to learn solvent-free for practical reasons, & I’d probably prefer to keep it that way for health too… It’s certainly been difficult to find a way of getting thin enough washes for underpainting to really have a wide fat over lean spectrum (lavender spike oil works okay, but I haven’t really found a happy medium with it that gives me results comparable to what I’ve seen others do with turpentine, so not sure whether it’ll serve that purpose, but it does at least give me a bit more leeway on the lean side of things. For now I am thinking I’ll just stick with acrylics for most underpainting purposes.
Acrylic does work well for under painting. Typically I dry brush my under painting. No oil. No solvent. It allows me to slowly build up the darks. It’s quite similar to working with charcoal or pastel. It’s also very easy to paint over because it is so thin and lean. Sometimes I use the wipe out method. I tone the panel with paint and a touch of oil. Then wipe out the highlights with a silicone blade. Works great. This is what many of the old masters did, except they used a rag. It’s also very lean and easy to paint over.
This was so so helpful. I don’t typically paint with oils. I may decorative painter so I must like chalk paint some acrylic, but I was using an oil-based liquid gold leaf, and found it difficult to get out of one of my brushes. I didn’t have the items you were suggesting, but I did have some Goo be gone… which I think is an orange oil base, and I also mixed it with a little bit of vegetable cleaner, which I think also has an orange oil base… Anyway, it worked really well! Thank you, thank you!
@@kimmm68904 glad it helped!!! If your in a pinch vegetable oil followed by soap and water works. Just make sure all the oil is out before painting. Vegetable oils don’t dry like linseed oil.
I do this too!
@@polly1141 works great, right?
I use simple green and palmolive for oil brushes works great I'll try the murphys for acrylic
Thanks for sharing!! Murphy’s works well for oil paint so I’m sure it will also work for acrylics. Let me know how it works for you. :)
Thank you for this video.I save a lot of time.
You’re quite welcome. :) Hope you are having a great day!!
Great methods and tips Bryan!
Happy to help!! :)
This is great -- thank you so much for the content; I am a beginning oil painter and was contemplating either water mixable oils, or avoiding brushes altogether (using palette knives) for this very reason. I will try your safflower or walnut trick.
It works great!! I’ve been painting for years like this and it’s perfect for alla prima. I use it as a medium and to clean brushes. And I still have all the options of multiple paint brands, unlike water miscible oils. That is important because not all brands are the same or have the same pigments. Being able to get the right pigments from the right brand can be very important as you progress. It’s always great to have options. Let me know how it goes.
Thank you for your reply! An update since then - no longer considering water mixables as a potential solution, instead using conventional oil paints / even tried some M. Graham which I really like...mainly cleaning in a slow drying oil as you suggest, painting more frequently too, but if any of them begin to get stiff they get a murphy's oil soak. Experimenting with not using any water to wash off the Murphy's. Just getting them very clean on a terry cloth rag, then the rag goes into the jeans and rugs laundry. @@GalleryBry
@@suzannebonham583 thanks for the update!! Use caution with not thoroughly rinsing out the Murphy’s oil soap. Any soap left in the brush could affect the integrity of paint layers. It’s best to get all the soap out of the brush and let brushes thoroughly dry before painting.
Thank you! Love your paintings, your markmaking and colors glow. Glad to see you here. I normally work with watercolors and gouache. But yesterday I started my first oilsketch. I use watermixable oils from Royal Talens because I really don’t want to use solvents or any toxic pigments because I sleep and work in the same space. With watercolor I almost always clean my brushes afterwards. Because (for now) I don’t oilpaint every day, I will clean my brushes after every session. Boy oh boy…I don’t love the smell of linseedoil but the way you can put down paint, make easy transitions and the freaking singing colors. I am sold. I just have to figure out how to do it safely. May I ask how you store your paintings in between sessions to avoid dust etc. And how do you get rid of oilrags safely. I have heard stories (from reliable sources) that linseed can catch fire on it’s own especially on oilrags or papers you use to wipe of your brushes. I now threw them away in a sealed container. How do you handle those? I just can’t seem to find much about those kind of things. Now I am going to binge watch the rest of your video’s! Glad I found you.
Thanks for that great comment! To wipe my brushes I have a few techniques. First I wipe as much off on my wood palette so I can scrape it up and reuse it. Next I keep a square of cardboard next to my painting to soak up the rest of the oil from the brush. The flat cardboard dissipates heat under normal working conditions. The main risk is tightly balled up rags in a very hot room. The heat builds up in the rag and can catch fire. Then I wipe any excess on a paper towel which I put in a jar of water to be extra safe. Was that helpful?
I wouldn't use a sealed container. I did an experiment with that, and set the sealed container in a "safe" (ish) place; went about normal life and forgot about it / when I lifted the lid, I smelled smoke and the pile was black and smoldering in the center. Granted, I was using more oil than I use for painting (I was doing furniture finishes) but still.... I have a wood stove and I throw 'em in that.
Hand soap, huh? Well, I did get an oil paint set for Christmas. Once I get that learned, I'll try that.
Yep! A very gentle soap is best.
@@GalleryBry Unfortunately, washing it in the sink meant getting excess paint down the drain. Was that illegal?
@@KBAFourthtime it depends what paint you use. I paint with earth colors and not heavy metals like cadmiums. If you’re using cadmiums check your local laws to see if there are any disposal restrictions.
@@GalleryBry What I have are a starter paint from Hobby Lobby, and all that are in it, metal-wise.
@@GalleryBry Just a cheap set from Hobby Lobby for me.
this is a good video...I need to learn how to clean my oil paint brushes.
Oil or soap works great. I paint regularly so I just leave them in a tray of oil. Have any specific questions?
How do you properly dispose of any oil paint, especially if washing with with the soap-and-water method and/or using a tissue?
(I threw away two tissues that had oil paint on them from my first pair of oil-painted canvases, but from some looking, I fished them out from the bags I tossed them in.)
Any paint I wipe on a paper towel I let lie flat and not balled up to avoid any fire risk. Then on garbage night I put them in a bag and place them outside for collection.
@@GalleryBry I'll keep that in mind.
Thank You for great tips 👍😊
You’re quite welcome. :) happy new year!!
Very helpful thanks
Glad it was helpful. :) Hope you are having a great day!!
This is great advice! Thank you! I watch a lot of videos and wondering what your opinions might be that some of the other artists recommend... First of all, I probably won't go back to traditional oils but if I do...water mixable (if you have used these) - what about baby oil?
Thanks for the feedback! I haven’t used water miscible oils because I like a very specific consistency to my paints. I have a few brands I like, such as m Graham(solvent free business model too) and blue ridge oils. With water miscible, one is restricted to only a few brands and can’t enjoy the full range of oils on the market. I also don’t clean my brushes after each daily session because it saves time and the brush lasts longer. I just lay them in a tray of oil. Definitely don’t use baby oil or food grade oils. They are non drying oils and it will compromise the strength of paint layers. What made you leave traditional oils?
Is it the concentrated Wood Cleaner version of the Murphy's that should be used on brushes, and should it be diluted before using? And is it safe for sable and squirrel? Thanks!
I don’t believe the version I had was concentrated and I did not dilute it when cleaning bristle brushes. For sable and squirrel, I use those for watercolors and don’t clean mine with soap, just water. I would encourage you to contact the brush manufacturer regarding specific care for natural sable and squirrel. I don’t want to give you the wrong information.
@@GalleryBry Thanks for your advice. I haven't seen a version that wasn't concentrated, so I'll keep my eyes open for it.
How do you feel about using a 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner to wash your brushes in place of Murphy's oil soap? Thank you!
I don’t know enough about how conditioners work to really say. If they leave a residue on the bristles it might not be ideal because it could impact the integrity of the paint. When washing with any soap, you want to make sure there is zero residue remaining on the bristles. Regular shampoo might be okay. Typically gentle soaps work best. Harsh detergents like dish soap are the ones to be avoided because they can be too harsh on the bristles. Hope that helps. :)
Very helpful thankyou, Im going to switch to oil. I have a question though, what do you use to thin/lean out your oil paints for blocking and beginning layers and does linseed, walnut, and or safflower oil lean out paint or make them more fatty?( I know they make paints more fluid but dont know if that counts as thin/lean when it comes to layer building from lean to fat.)
This is a great question. The short answer is I don’t thin my paint (I use a thin amount of paint) and dry brush my underpainting when painting alla prima. I use softer paints from brands like M Graham, Michael Harding, and Blue Ridge. These paints have a higher oil and pigment content and are easier to manipulate.
Are you planning to paint directly or indirectly (alla prima or layering)?
I will have to try the safflower oil hack for avoiding cleaning my brushes. Do you know how well a dirty brush coated with safflower oil would work kept in a hot car after plein air painting? Also do you have any tips for transporting oily brushes with out making a mess?
First, I wipe the excess oil from the brush with a paper towel or rag. Then I just use a cloth placemat as a brush roll to roll my brushes in it. I use a binder clip to close both ends of the placemat to keep the brushes from falling out. I typically do not leave my gear long enough in a hot car for any combustion issues to arise from the oil rags or brushes. But if you had to leave them in a hot car, I would put the rags in an airtight container with a little water to soak the rags. Then perhaps just leave the brushes outside the car if possible to eliminate any fear of fire. There really should be no issue with the brushes if they are wiped down because there would be minimal oil in them. But you can’t be too careful, especially if the car is really hot. Did that help at all?
Cone style coffee filter is best to strain that used oil . . . just sayn'.😉
Great tip!!!
Thank you for this amazing video, you have a new subscriber! :) I actually clean my brushes every day after using them, which is exhausting and I am not the best at it :D I was wondering though since you talked about reusing the oil and solvent, how do you transfer the solvent from the dirty jar into the clean jar without spilling? I tried so many things already and I still spill a lot.. Maybe you have any advice on this?
Hi, Maya!!! Welcome aboard!! Glad to have you here. Transferring the clean oil or solvent can be tricky. With the oil I wait a few weeks until it has fully settled. Then I place the new jar in the sink to catch any drips. The trick is to just pour it fast!! Get it lined up and then tip the jar very quickly. Practice with two jars and water until you get a good rhythm down. It takes a little practice. There will always be a few drips when you finish pouring but it should be minimal. Let me know how it goes.
@@GalleryBry Thank you very much! :-) I'll practice more with water as I luckily have the jar I use for the dirty solvent twice - I'll let you know how it's going!
@@chaodise great!! You can do it!! Eager to hear how it goes.
Thanks❤
P.S. Great Tips! I subscribed and will definitely share your tips (link) with some of my other oil painting friends!
Thanks for sharing!!! I’m working on a book review of Alla Prima by Richard Schmid for the next video.
Use vinyl gloves by cleaning with Murphy's cause it can give allergic reactions.
Good to know! Thanks!!
Hello, good video 😊.
I’m new to oil painting & had a question. I’m working on a painting now, & I’m using Liquin. If I was planning on working with the same brushes on the painting the next day, could I wrap my brushes in plastic wrap to keep them from drying out, or do I have to clean them w/ the Murphy’s oil soap asap?
Also if I’m using Liquin, prob not a good idea to dip them in linseed oil to wipe paint off yeah?
You bring up a great point: if you use fast dry medium like Liquin, oil alone will not remove the medium. You must use soap. Wrapping the brushes in plastic wrap could potentially work because it will keep out the air. But I haven’t tried it so I don’t know how much it will slow the drying. My experience with fast dry mediums is that they dry extremely quickly. The plastic wrap has potential. I would try it with an old brush first to test it. Let me know how it works!! I’d love to know!! :)
@@GalleryBry that’s a great idea. I’ll use an old brush today, wrap it up in plastic wrap til tomorrow, & let you know. Thanks a lot 😊
@@dshepherd107 awesome!! Eager to hear how it works! I would think it would slow the drying.
Great news on the paintbrush. After using it yesterday, I wiped all the paint I could get, off. Then I wrapped it in a plastic baggie, squeezed out the air, & used a rubber band to secure it. Took it out of the freezer this afternoon, & it’s fine. Completely soft & usable after it thawed out 😃
@@dshepherd107 thats great news!!! Thanks for sharing that!!!
Is using shampoo ok to wash synthetic bristled brushes ok? Thanks v much.
It works quite well. Just be sure to get all the soap out of the brush before letting it dry so the soap doesn’t affect your paint. :) Thanks for the question. Anything else I can help with right now?
Is it safe to oil paint in a small carpeted apartment? Other than laying a drop cloth down on the carpet, are there any other precautions that I should take?
It certainly can be. Is there something specific you are concerned about with oil paint? Are you worried about toxicity?
@@GalleryBry When I’m doing cross cross brushstrokes, applying base or cleaning my brush, how likely is it that I’ll splatter paint on the walls and/or surrounding area? I’ve never painted before so I just want to make sure I’m covering all my bases
@@maxjudon8668 just s as you can’t eat a cookie without dropping a few crumbs, you can’t paint without 0% mess. But with that said, you can be extremely clean if you are careful. I paint with little to no medium, so my paint is not runny and does not spatter. If you use too much medium it could drip or spatter. And if you use controlled brush work it will not spatter. The most likely scenario is getting paint on your hands and touching other things. But you could wear gloves or just be extra careful. Did that help answer your question?
@@GalleryBry Yes, thank you for the detailed response.
@@maxjudon8668 You’re quite welcome. :) Hope you are having a great day!!
Hi I have one question! If i use murphy's oil, do i have to wash the brush again with a soap afterwards? Thanks.
Great question!! Murphy is actually a soap despite having oil in the name. After you use it and make sure all the soap is out of the bristles (that’s very important) you can let the brush dry and safely store it. Can I answer any other questions for you right now? Happy to help.
@@GalleryBry that would be all and tyvm🙂
can i use organic walnut oil? since artist grade walnut is not available in my country :(
I can’t say with 100% certainty because every brand is a little different, but it should work as long as it doesn’t have additives to slow or stop drying. Do a little test: mix a tiny drop of the walnut oil in with a bit of paint. Then let it dry and see how long it takes to dry. If it dries like normal paint then it should be okay, especially if you are just using it to clean and not as a medium. You just don’t want a non drying oil mixed in with your paints because it can affect the strength of the paint layers in your painting. Was that helpful? :) Let me know how it works. I’d love to know
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Dose Murphy oil soap have dangerous chemicals that cant go in the trash? Dose it go up in flames from air like paint thinner?
This soap does contain chemicals so it should be kept out of the eyes and not ingested. But I have never heard of there being issues with trash disposal or combustion. Soap is not flammable under normal conditions and is washed down drains every day. So it can be disposed in the trash and won’t catch fire. Thanks for asking. :) Are there any other questions I can answer for you? Happy to help. :)
@@GalleryBry is regular oil (like lindseed oil, walnut oil) dose the same? Like The can't go in the trash and gose up in flames part? Or is it as safe as Murphy oil too? (Sorry if it sounds like a stupid question, i got spooked and paranoid what i read about paint thinner)
@@ms.pirate these are good questions. Rags soaked with linseed, walnut, or other oils should not be placed in the trash. They can heat and combust. They should be stored in an air tight container and soaked with water. Murphy oil soap has no raw oil in it and can safely go in the trash. Was that helpful? :)
@@GalleryBry yes, thank you
@@ms.pirate You’re quite welcome. :)
Hi @gallerybry I was watching paintcoach video and saw your reply to @ianbillings regarding non toxic alternatives that brought me here.. I am your new subbie now and clicked the like button...great video and keep up the good content 👍
Welcome aboard!!!! Glad you like the content. More videos on the way soon. Have any topics you would like to see covered?