Olive oil for cleaning brushes?
 

I know a painter who has recently taken to cleaning brushes with olive oil, to avoid turpentine. I have never heard of this, and I'm wondering why it wouldn't be more common, unless there were some downside. Anyone know about this?

One of the artists (a professional portrait painter) in the Tony Ryder workshop I'm taking this week swears by this as an excellent brush cleaner. She then washes out the olive oil with soap and water.

I've been using M Graham & Co. Walnut oil to clean my brushes. http://www.mgraham.com/html/nontoxicpainting.htm]www.mgraham.com

Step #1 Remove as much paint as possible using a dry rag (paper towel)

Step #2 Dip into brush washing container and wipe again

Step #3 Repeat step #2 until most color residue is gone

Step #4 Squiggle brush against screen at bottom and wipe off (repeat until brush is clean)

Step #5 Repeat step #4 in second brush washing container until brush is clean

Step #6 Wash with soap and water until you have perfectly clean suds. I use Murphy's Oil Soap.

Step #7 Reshape brush and lay flat to dry

Here is the brush washer I use. Sold by Jerry's Artarama. http://www.jerrysartarama.com/art-su.../0053189000000

Your brushes will love you!

Dumb question time: When I clean brushes with brush soap I will swish them around first in one direction, then the other, to work up a lather which is then massaged into the full length of the brush before rinsing. I repeat the process until no more color is evident in the lather and the brush 'squeaks' when rinsed.

By swirling the brushes around in this manner, am I destroying the 'flagging' of the bristles and making it difficult to maintain the shapes? Should I be swiping them back and forth 'with the grain' of the specific brush type rather than swirling them?

Minh

Michele, Marvin, much thanks for your helpful replies.

Minh, as I haven't a clue, I hope someone will be able to answer this for you and all interested.

Dear Chuck,

Olive oil is good for our arteries also. :)

Speaking of cleaning brushes, I saw on the internet that the Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner will also clean dried paint brushes about as good as anything.

My husband also uses it for cleaning his Harley Davidson.

Must
 

You must remove any weird junk from your brushes before you paint again. If you clean with any of these special ideas/formulas you've got to, at some point get that oil out of your brushes unless you want to paint with olive oil.

From my own experience.
 

When I was a kid in school, I swear I remember them telling us to store cleaned brushes with some grade of motor oil dip to keep the edge from fraying. It was a very long time ago and my 15 year lay off left no clue as to why.

But I tried vegetable oils. I was leaving dirty brushes in a jar of Wesson oil until I had a chance to get to soap and water. It was working nicely. The brushes were not so dry and I seemed to be able to simply wipe paint out of them. Since I sort of forgot a few during a watercolor spurt, I found it does eventually turn to gum. Many of these brushes were left for dead. During this era, I did find one of my paintings was suffering from eternal drying. I think the lack of removing all the oil somehow really messed the drying time of my one and only important work.

I recently got the infamous Ugly Dog soap from studioproducts.com. It is made with linseed oil and resin that work like cream rinse on the bristles. It is really amazing. I have recycled over half of my dead brushes. I think it has a lot to do with the oils which break down the paint instead of eradicting, like solvents. I must say I feel a bit of an evangelical fervor about the stuff, so I will admit prejudice.
dj*

Yes Debra
 

Yes, the key is for your brushes to be clean-not oiled.

Thanks for the recommendation here Marvin. I received my brush washers and M.Graham walnut oil a few days ago and they are great.

And yes, I could hear my brushes breathe a sigh of really once they were placed on my brush rack to dry.

Perhaps this will be the solution to a plein aire dilemma I have. We are flying to a vacation spot in Mexico soon, and I hope to spend lots of time painting.

We will be going to an area where I expect it will be impossible to buy mineral spirits -- and I can't bring them on the plane. But the corner grocery stores will sell olive oil!

Reminds me of a joke ...
 

In a remote area, on a frozen lake, two men found themselves ice fishing fairly close to one another. One man could not catch a fish to save his life but noticed that the other man was hauling them in. He finally approached the man and asked: I notice that you are having a lot of luck here, what's your secret? The man looks up and mumbles something incoherent. I'm sorry, the man says, I didn't catch what you said. Once again the man mumbles incoherently. Again the man responds, I'm not understanding what you are saying, can you be more clear? Finally the man bends over, spits on the ground, and then says "you've got to keep the worms warm."

Michele, while on your flight, you could hide a vile of mineral spirits between your cheek and gum. When someone speaks to you just mutter "plein aire." I'll bet they leave you alone.

...or send me to Guantanamo as an enemy combatant.

When I was sign lettering by hand from about 1985-1990, I always cleaned my brushes well with mineral spirits and then dabbed them in the olive oil before putting them up. It would keep them nice and supple. Then clean them before painting again of course.

I have not used them since but still have them and they are just fine, still covered with olive oil. We always used the most expensive olive oil but I forgot the name. An old sign painter taught me that. I don't think I would ever put soap and water on my oil brushes though. I would think the soap would have detrimental effects on the bristles, making them dry out.

What would you use to get the olive oil out? The mineral spirits?

Yes Ma'am.

Thanks!

At the risk of repeating what has been covered in other buried threads, what's the matter with using Walnut Oil if you are "on location" without access to mineral spirits? You can paint with it, clean with it, and then if you can't stand the thought of it in your brushes, you can use a little brush soap (I'm assuming that's allowed on planes) when you get back to your room.

I remember reading about that -- sounds like it might be the right solution. Anyone know where to get it, in a quality that I could use for painting and cleaning?

You can buy it at M Graham, but the quantities are smaller and the price is higher than buying it at your local health food market. That's what William Whitaker suggested. He had a story on his web site about using Walnut Oil when he was on vacation, I think it was the demo of the cello player.

If you try it, let us know how it worked out for you. There is always so much controversy about this sort of thing, it's difficult to know what to think sometimes.

Lamp oil
 

I heard a painter (somewhere) say he/she (it's been a long time) used that redish lamp oil they make for those wick things that float on water/oil. (Can this be right?) Anyway, it supposedly worked great for cleaning brushes.

As for olive oil -- it's too expensive, and tastes too wonderful in sautees and salads.

Otherwise, I use a good swish in my cleaning can, and then soap and water until they're clean.

Hi Richard

I too have heard of artists using Kerosene (I wonder if that is the stuff you're thinking of?). In fact, I have a friend who swears by it. She just leaves the stuff in her brushes overnight after a decent cleaning in the kerosene. The next day, she cleans them off with mineral spirits and/or some oil and she's good to go. She claims the brushes stay soft and don't spread out or anything. She uses soap-and-water on them about once a week, only. Her reference for using kerosene is from a text describing the studio practice of an apprentice of the 19th century British painter, sir Gerald Kelly.

I'd be curious to know what is wrong with kerosene, as I have no doubt there is something. My guess is that it leaves way too many residues behind.

Also, if anyone is reading this who participated in the thread originally, I have it on some relatively good authority that Loriva brand walnut oil is a good one to use. It is apparently pure and can be found even at supermarkets (as opposed to health food stores). In either case, it is surely less expensive than "artists" brands. I often use sunflower oil or safflower oil, but the good thing about walnut oil is that it is a true drying oil and can be used in the painting, which the other ones cannot. (Without a drier added, safflower will not dry.)

Juan

Juan,

I had a student using kerosene in one of my workshops. It caused another student who was working nearby to get pretty sick. I think the fumes are pretty toxic.

I have tried various walnut oils for brush cleaning. In my experience the non-artist ones are thicker so the sediment stays suspended. This requires more frequent replacing of the oil in my cleaning jar. The M Graham walnut oil isn't as viscous so it can be used for a longer period of time before I dump it out.

The artist who 8 years ago generously gave me her copy of John Carlson's "Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting" had inserted a note indicating that some of the materials information was outdated, such as the reference to cleaning brushes with kerosene. She did not, however, say why, though the earliest copyright date on the book is 1929 and the simple fact is that plenty of science has been brought to bear on the subject since then.

I mention it only to offer one possible source for the advices that have led others to use kerosene, since this is a very frequently referenced text. Without recommendation or comment as to the soundness of this practice, I note Carlson's advice: As an end note, I was amused there by the words "through neglect." Those familiar with Carlson's manner will know that he is not reticent to point out the failures and inadequacies inherent in the careless thinking and procedures of "the beginner."

I want to emphasize that the Carlson reference is not intended to discount the intervening research that shows kerosene to be neurotoxic, as are various other substances we use as solvents.

Some folks are much more sensitive to this than others. I think I could probably drink turpentine without ill effects (assuming the use of a good, fresh lime), but my use of it in painting in a studio setting used to make a fellow student, working some distance from me, actually break out in hives.

Individual decisions have to be made based on circumstances and preferences. And of course the piper will have to be paid.

I have been using Mineral / Baby oil for some time now, because it is fairly inexpensive, because the smell doesn't smell so oily and because it works. I simply fill half my cleaning jar with it and swirl the brush against the wire mesh in order to clean off the paint. The paint particles simply drop to the bottom and the oil stays pretty clear for a very long time (depending on how often you paint). In between session I pour the 'used' oil through a coffee filter into a similar sized jar, transfer the screen and lid to the other jar and I'm ready to go.
I don't have to be concerned about toxicity. I conditioning the brushes as I use them, and it wipes off cleanly without any oily residue.

For me, this is amuch better alternative than the water-miscable oils.
I tried using them and did not like the feel (too sticky). I also prefer to have a much larger choice of traditional oils, in larger sizes.

Best of all, my wife no longer complains about the awful smell (unless I use certain Winton oils, which for some reason are particularly pungent).

Peter,

Baby oil never dries so you need to be very careful to remove all residue as this will weaken your paint film. That's why I use co;ld pressed walnut oil to clean my brushes.

Thanks for the info. I always wipe the brush vigorously between paint application, so it shouldn't pose a problem. I'll check out the walnut oil, though.

I've been hand lettering and pin-striping for 33 years. What I was taught from some of the best "1-shot

I just wanted to clarify that I use the method I do for cleaning synthetic brushes. It's my experience that any type of solvent will prematurely age them. I use the Silver Ruby Satins and the Winsor Newton Galleria rounds. Cleaning them with M Graham walnut oil followed by ivory soap seems to do the trick for me.

Where do you get it? I did a quick search of all the online vendors in my favorites list and came up empty.

Marvin,

Why did you switch from Murphy's oil soap to Ivory soap?

Hi Peter,

If you're asking about the walnut oil, check www.mgraham.com . You can also use walnut oil from the grocery store. It's cheaper, however as Marvin said earlier in this thread the M. Graham oil is superior.

Regards,

Holly

Holly, when I started using Murphy's oil soap was using natural bristle brushes and mineral spirits. The oil in the soap helped to replace the natural oils that the thinner removed. Since synthetic brushes contain no oil to begin with, I felt that the extra oil was making the brushes a little too stiff from oil residue build-up. My brushes are much softer with Ivory. And my hands are so lovely too!

So let me get this straight...
 

Hi, i'm new to alot of things. So let me get this straight about olive and walnut oils, and hope you'll be patient with me:

:bewildere

1. Olive oils are great for cleaning brushes after painting. But one needs to wash the brushes with soap and water, after cleaning with olive oils? So can olive oils be used to clean brushes for in-between changing colors during the painting sessions?

2. Walnut oils available in supermarkets are pure, and is a good "replacement" medium for the more-expensive artist brands. At the same time, it's a good brush cleaner? So can walnut oils be used to clean brushes for in-between changing colors during the painting sessions?

marcus

You need to wash brushes with soap and water following any cleaning method. Regardless of the solvent. It's like rinsing out your mouth with water after brushing with toothpaste.

I find a big difference between walnut oil that is used for cooking and walnut oil cold pressed for painting use. The cooking oil is thicker and the paint sludge doesn't settle to the bottom of your cleaning bucket. I don't like olive oil as much as the M. Graham and Co. walnut oil.

Using anything to clean brushes during painting will be added to your paint. Linseed oil makes a stronger faster drying paint film than walnut oil. The reason you see many brushes in the artist studio is because a fresh brush should be used for a fresh color mixture.

I use odorless mineral spirits from Gamblin for cleaning my brushes. I have a window open and a fan blowing the vapors outside all the time, and I keep my solvent container covered except when I'm actually cleaning a brush.

I don't use soap and water on the brushes after cleaning, though. I don't think I could get all the soap out and I'd rather have a small amount of OMS mix with the next day's paint (unless it has all evaporated by then) than soap residue.

Michelle,
I also use the Gamsol to clean my brush(es) all day. I used to cover it in between cleaning of brushes but I realized that I had the paper towel in my hand. Every towel with the smallest smidge of Gamsol would have to go in the covered metal trash can if I determined the Gamsol to be so toxic as to have to cover it up.

Now, girlfiend, where does that leave us? I am using the Gamsol unless someone will be so kind as to help me by giving me a health reason not to.

PS: My studio has a woodstove for heating and I have this fear of a big boom someday.

;)

Oh my goodness! You already have your "health reason" to switch. I don't want to read about you in the news. If I had a woodstove in my studio I'd switch to walnut oil for cleaning immediately. Or I'd buy a ton of brushes and clean them all at the end with soap and water only. I'd keep any solvents far away from any studio with a woodstove.

Thanks Michelle!

I've only used a woodstove for heat for ever and have only painted "near" it for 2 years. "near" is 25 feet away. I read the Gamsol label and low and behold it has the same warnings that other solvents have. Don't breathe it etc. Dang. I like watery paint. What do you think of using the Weber Res-n-gel as an extender? How else can I make my paint thin if no gamsol, not too much walnut oil, etc.?

This will be quite a problem for me if I get rid of all solvents unless I learn of an option..

Thanks.