I had a painting teacher who insisted we all paint with acrylics because he was "allergic" to turpentine.
"What about odorless turpentine?"
"Nope. It still stinks."
As I have been trying to learn to paint in oils, nuances and all, I didn't want to have to interupt the process to learn to paint in acrylic. Not knowing about being able to use oils - walnut, or olive - to clean my brushes until just this moment, I set out to the art supply store hoping to find something to solve my dilemna. What I found was "Eco-House Natural Chemistry Products - NeutralThin Odourless Thinner - A Healthy Home Product - Hypo-allergenic Formula."
This stuff really is odorless and it cleans my brushes really well. In fact, it restored a couple brushes I thought for sure were dead. My teacher did not have any problems with it and being as my studio is in my house, I love it that I'm no longer stinking up the place.
It is flammable. The label says, "Odourless, low-toxicity thinner and brush cleaner for thinning and clean-up of oil-based paints, oils and waxes. 100% volatile.
Suitable as a painting medium ingredient for most artist's oil paints, except products containing damar resin. Mixable with Eco-House # 915 Natural Orange Terpene Solvent in any ratio. Also excellent for degreasing metal parts.
Low risk of allergic reaction. Use only in areas with adequate ventillation. Do not discard in septic or sewer system, but filter and reuse until totally evaporated. Photodegradable.
Combustible at 122 degrees F, or 50 degrees C.
Ingredients: Isoparaffinic hydrocarbons with less than 0.01 % aromatics (a proprietary blend of highly purified, volatile mineral oils.)
I was interested in this topic when I thought that I had to have turps to paint in oils. I then found Marvin Mattelson's class (which is still very available) and I attended a one week workshop in Atlanta. I have not used turps in my painting since. I use cold pressed linseed oil or that Walnut Oil medium from Graham as mediums. I use about 30 - 40 brushes all beautifully held in a 3 tiered brush holder that has each value marked for each brush. It makes it where I don't wash the brushes when changing values or colors etc like I do when turp is readlily available. I found when I use turp I get lazy, wash, wipe, clean, wipe all day and I'm surrounded with the fumes, odorless or not. Now, I'm fume free until the very end of the day when I quickly wash them in turps and dispose of the wrags immediately, and properly.
A note: in grade school I was deemed a student with an extremely high IQ then came high school art and turps. Then, people thought I was on drugs, or smoking something. The "brain fog" came again when I started painting full time again. I've been turp free for 3 or 4 months now and my husband commented a couple nights ago that I was no longer soo flakey. BIG STUFF, Thanks to Marvin's wonderrful class and methods he shares so beautifully. He showed me after a week of painting that I really could do this, turp free stuff.
Associate Member SoCal-ASOPA Founder FT Professional
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Posts: 1,395
Prolonge the lifespan of your oils
Oils deteriorate and become thick when air fills up in the bottle that they are stored in. To make your oils last longer drop marbles in the oil to raise the oil level back to the surface closest to the lid.
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Great idea. I have a huge bottle of linseed oil and at the rate I use the stuff I'll have enough to last until the next century. Maybe marbles would help it last longer. That is, if I can find the marbles I lost a while back. I know they were around here somewhere.....
That olive oil looks wonderful, Carlos! For a salad...
Marvin, now I understand the reason for the walnut oil. I've been using a cheaper alternative - canola oil from the supermarket. I wash wash wash my brushes with Ivory soap to get it out, but I think I'll be getting some of that walnut oil now.
For the record, I accidentally laid a few of my Ruby Satins in my oil can/brush cleaner to clean them "just a little later" and forgot them. A month later, I saw the can up high on a shelf, gasped, took the brushes and washed them with my Ivory soap, and - they are as good as new.
I just had to get in here on this one even though I have not participated for awhile.
Peter, I agree with you . I have been using Baby Oil for years. The only difference is that also immediately wash out ALL of the oil til squeaky clean with Dawn Dish Liquid. I should do a commercial for all of the times that I have used Dawn and told all of my students to do so. They come back with wonderful comments. Some say that they tried my plan on old brushes and made them usable again.
So, thumbs up on Baby Oil and Dawn. I have saved brushes for years due to that I believe.
Marvin, I do agree too that one needs to clean out the oily content no matter what anyone uses. Also, in my studio, I often use Turpenoid to clean and still finish with Dawn.
You're cute, Marcus!
I just had to get in here on this one even though I have not participated for awhile. 
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