How to clean your oil brushes

I lost access to my art studio over the holiday period and when I returned, I realised I made a fatal mistake!! I had forgotten to clean a few of the brushes before packing up!

Oil brushes are expensive and one of the most important tools a painter owns. If looked after well, they will last for a very long time.

Solvents, such as turpentine, paint thinner, and mineral spirits, are the most common brush cleaners for oil painters. All three options are incredibly effective, but they do have toxic properties. When using solvents to clean brushes, be sure to do so in a well-ventilated area. Therefore, I use Gamsol – which is an odourless solvent – for thinning my oils (sparingly), cleaning my brushes during painting and for the final clean.

How to clean Oil Brushes

Give the brushes a general wipe off – on an old cloth or paper towel.

Then put Gamsol in a jar ( I love my Stainless steel Barrel Cup) and rinse your brushes, then wipe them again on the old cloth or paper towel (I repeat this step if I feel it is needed).

Then clean them with a bar of soap specially created for cleaning brushes. Pull the brush through the bar so not to destroy the bristles.

Rinse the brushes off in water.

Repeat until there is no more coloured bleed into the soap.

Once brushes are clean, remould the tips of the brushes and rest them flatly.

And don’t forget them, like I did!