Brush Dip and Brush Holders are available at genevafineart.com … my complete online course on how to paint realism in oil is available for free at drawmixpaint.com
For me it looks more expensive to buy all the product to make little bit of things I need than to buy directly from him. Not to mention if there isn't some thing in my country his free shipping deal is a big deal for me.
I grew up in my grandmother's oil painting studio. The place wasn't ventilated at all and there was open turpentine and linseed oil all over. Times have changed from when I was a wee lad
I've been painting for 60 years! Since then California has banned turpentine, lead white and who nos what! They have got everyone in a panic as to toxins. ALL BULSHIT! Most everything today is geared to sell you cheaper products and increase profits! If you think you are getting sick from oil paints OSHA doesn't seem to exist! Most doctors will avoid the subject. I'm glad I got started in the " good old days",! When things were so "overhyped" ! I paint for my own learning challenges - not for for what others think! Wish the government would back off! They are killing our freedom of use! And driving up prices! Being retired, oil painting is my whole life! But with new materials an artist can do much better than the "old masters" miss the smell of turpentine!! Still kicking at the age of 85,!
For the last 30 years I have been cleaning my finest artist hog brushes with mild shampoo followed by hair conditioner and they are good as new till today.
This information is priceless. I always followed the misconception that brushes needed to be completely dry and clean to get best control when applying paint. It has been tedious to keep cleaning and drying brushes for each painting session. Thank you so much for this information and a great video!
Eleven minutes and forty-nine seconds that has been the best use of my time all week. The clouds parted and I think I heard a choir of angels sing while watching this - I learned so much about what I was doing that wasn't particularly good for my brushes, and how I've been spending way too much time cleaning unnecessarily. This video was a great leap forward in my goal of being a competent artist. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience!
In one video you have eliminated so many of my fears and hesitations to start oil paints. Thank you! The thought of horrible smells, tedious cleaning with multiple steps and fear of drying times and ruined brushes are gone. I even air hugged you! lol.
BLESS YOUR CHANNEL I've been binge watching all your videos, and I've never had an art teacher before, so I realise how impractical my current method is. Thank you so much. ~Ollie
Well, that was very enlightening! ... I use to always clean my brushes every evening (sometimes at 1 in the morning) for sometimes 20 or 30 minutes, using citrus essence based brush cleaner, and then soap + water.... very time consuming! Now I will try your method!
Geez..............where were you in 1969 when I started painting? LOL Thanks for these helpful hints for if I ever get back to painting again. You and I have similar styles and yes, getting the fumes down is a blessing. I used to have fans and windows open back in the day.
Safflower oil will clean out your brush before changing colors too, if you really need to. I had no idea solvents were so harsh on brushes. Thanks for this video! It was really helpful!
Love that brush holder! Making that tomorrow morning! So hate having them around with no way to put them down unless I put them upright, which I don't like doing! I only clean after a session. Ok, I have used Dawn dishwashing liquid after gum spirits, but the trick is to mix the Dawn into the bristols using your fingers, NO WATER. This removes the residual oils from your brush and then will wash free with the soap, but I apply several applications of soap first, working the oil color out of the tip. then rinse using water. Now, treat your bristols with a 50/50 mix of fabric softener/water to restore the ph of the brush to neutral. Rinse thoroughly. Dawn or any other soap is a high ph value, and you want to take it down to PH neutral, so it won't dry out the bristols. The PH of most soaps is about 8.0 - 9.0 (drain cleaner is 13.0, and neutral is 7.0. The PH of fabric softener is 5.0 - 6.0, and water is for the most part 6.5 - 7.0. Most artist don't know this about soaps or how to address it.
When I'm done with a painting I will clean my brushes with Murphy's oil soap. I just recently found out about this. I also have a bar of brush soap that I've been using for a long time and it works well. It even removes paint from my hands. The other day I was sorting my brushes and came across seven that had stiff bristles. I was mad at myself because I always keep my brushes clean but somehow over time I missed cleaning these brushes. There was no paint on them, just stiff bristles. I soaked them in Murphy's oil soap (undiluted) overnight. Next day I rinsed the brushes thoroughly and to my surprise, the bristles were soft again. Amazing stuff. I was using mineral spirits for years and it does stink. I won't be using it any more. The problem with using solvents is that over time, the solvent dissolves the glue that holds the bristles in the ferrule. This happened to one of my brushes. Before I retired I worked as a scenic artist and learned a bad habit from the other painters. They were cleaning their brushes in lacquer thinner. Not knowing any better when I first started out, I did the same thing. Well, the bristles in my brushes eventually deteriorated. Thankfully I didn't use oil paints very often on my projects but it was still difficult to clean brushes on the job. I believe that the other painters used whatever they could get their hands on to clean their brushes and they simply didn't care. They didn't pay for the brushes. I sometimes found brushes laying in the dirt or left laying around completely dried up. I would take them home and clean them and use them.
So much for the painstaking, laborious wiping and dipping and pressing and rewiping and redid ping and pressing and soaping, etc. I've been doing for ages ! I learn something new with each video. Amazing.
I recently purchased the Geneva Brush Dip and I really like it. I can leave my expensive Rosemary brushes sitting sometimes 10-12 days and the bristles are wet and supple like the day I dipped them. When I'm ready, I wipe them off and begin my session. Thanks Mark
I clean my brushes with linsead oil, wipe and wash in water with hair shampoo. Sometimes I grease them with oil in the end (only brushes for oil painting).
This has been very helpful to me. Saves a lot of time. While the holder was unavailable, I improvised with an ordinary small roller tray. I clean my brushes with Murpheys Oil Soap every few weeks or so. No solvents ever! Just soak overnight in Murpheys first. So easy.
I love your aesthetics! You make so much sense and never do you see a pure color in nature, you are correct. A pure color will most likely look strange on your canvas except for a mixed black in moderation.
Ty sir so much for this video you made my day and explained to me how to deal with problems i have as a beginer and who also cares alot about his health because minerals terpentin and others hurt health and also nature by alot so it's not ok to do that...Few brushes for every general color bright and dark to have same mix of colors on every brush and you solve the problem...I wish you all the best sir ty so much for sharing your expiriance with us..
How many brushes has she gone through? That's the best way to get the pigment jammed out in the ferraul of the brushes, which makes it harder to clean, thus shorting the life of the brush.
Nice. I have some brushes that i've been using for 20 years and are still usable. Care is paramount to have long lasting brushes. I always remove paint residues and then i wash them with soapy water and put to dry.
I think my brush cleaning obsession comes from 10 yrs of using acrylics. Thanks Mark, I'm going to follow this system. I guess it also helps when using a limited palette like you do😊
I use Turpenoid Naturals for all my brushes. I also have “linseed oil soap” (which I haven’t use it yet), I don’t have to wash my brush on this coz the Turpenoid Naturals keeps my brush conditioned. I stopped using Turpenoid Odorless Thinner when I paint coz I’ve heard some artist have experienced lung problem and so I started using TOXIC FREE thinner and/or cleaner. And as far as using my brush for only black paint, I do have 2 brushes for each painting - one brush for dark and one brush for light.
Hi Mark, thanks a lot for this useful information. I've always been careful with my brushes, but some of the points you've explained here I didn't know before.
Love all you videos and all the tips I've learned over the past weeks of looking at them. I paint with a group and have told them all about you and your paint.
This is worth watching and remembering, because I hear about muddy so much that I have been cleaning my brushes with mineral spirits, or soap and water . Thank you for this.
I've never painted in oil, because I did not want to deal with the fumes/toxicity of the solvents, especially turps before mineral spirits came into use. This video was very helpful, and I am very interested in painting with oils. Also, the logic behind your line of paint as well as the limited palette approach is excellent and unlike anything I've seen. However, I would like you to make a video talking about creating good studio ventilation, minimizing exposure to fumes, regular vs. odorless mineral spirits in terms of safe exposure levels. Thanks!!
found a great way to clean oil paint out of a brush . . . wipe the excess paint off, then dip brush into common household oil, like 3-in-One oil, available in any hardware or even Walgreens, etc. Work the oil into the brush on the side or bottom of small container, then rinse in odorless thinner, mineral spirits, etc. I have yet to find a trace of color coming out of the brush after these two simple steps . . . just try it!
totaly wrong treadment!!!! since about 1000 years fine art artists are doing this wrong. a revolutionary solution for parking your expensive art tools has been invented by me this year. if you are interested then send me an inquiry
B and J "The Masters" brush cleaner (tan puck shaped container) works really well. Just be sure to rinse them well with water to get rid of any residue. Great tips!
Thank you for giving us the recipe for the brush dip. You're literally invigorating artists here. I'll go to your website to see if there's a way to support you. What confused me at first is your explanation of how to clean a brush with black paint. After a few viewings, it seems like you're saying "Pick up a different color, work the new color in (yellow in this case), wipe it out with a paper towel, then repeat a few more times. By the time you're done, the black paint will be worked out by the yellow and you'll be good." Thank you
Revisiting this to see if there is anything I missed, or if anything has changed from my new experience with oils. I only use two maybe three brushes, so cleaning them is not a big deal for me, and my preference for synthetic helps. But your brush dip really is attractive to me for the simple reason that it is fast, and would be less wear on the brush.
To do a complete clean and avoid mineral spirits I recommend a tiny bit of dawn dish soap and make-up brush conditioner. It's worked great for me for years. I hate mineral spirits and I already have breathing issues (life long) . I use bare essentials make-up brush conditioner (supposed to be for blush and other brushes used for applying makeup to the face). It's 100% awesome, makes them like new every time.
Fan-f**king-tastic! Thanks for laying all of these fundamental concepts out so clearly . I have been painting for a long time in various mediums including oils and this info really put cleaning my brushes in perspective . I am excited to create the brush dip you have demonstrated here. Also the concept of wiping and then brushing on the pallet to "clean " the brush instead of constantly cleaning with gamsol to switch colors is brilliant. It makes perfect sense, because I think I have inadvertently done that without intentionally meaning to use that method. Now I will intentionally apply this practice. Sharing this kind of knowlwdge is what it's all about. Thanx!
totaly wrong treadment!!!! since about 1000 years fine art artists are doing this wrong. a revolutionary solution for parking your expensive art tools has been invented by me this year. if you are interested then send me an inquiry
I've found that even with harsh cleaning, standard brush conditioner really does maintain good brush condition. Wonderful stuff. I can see this method of oil conditioning working similarly. I don't like the idea of not removing the paint from the brush though before conditioning.
I was taught to wash the brushes in dishsoap by putting the dishsoap into your cupped hand (no water), twirling the brush around, then rinsing with water. Then put vaseline onto the brush bristles to keep them soft. Works well. it's more work than what Mark does.
I use laundry soap now, it has served me well. I used to use a fairly abrasive hand soap, cleans thoroughly, but messes up the bristles, like Mark mentioned. I only use pure turpentine to think paint, but these days I use wetting mediums.
I use only orange hand cleaner from auto store, works amazing, is non toxic and get them clean and conditions them. But.... I just purchased all your paints and will start using this method now.
Well, I agreed with all this up to the point where you were doing a thorough cleaning. If I've been keeping my brushes well oiled (dipping them in walnut oil, but poppy is even better, just more expensive) I don't need any solvents to clean them. I rub them in liquid black soap first, perhaps repeatedly, and then in a solution of Marseille or Aleppo soap until they're squeaky clean. Consider the Renaissance artists, who had no solvents.
Im gonna get your brush holder when in stock. I will cover the whole set up with a cardboard box when not using holding the brushes etc because i have found lint dust and stuff somehow collects on my brushes laying around.
Masters Brush cleaner is the best cleaner. It gets every little bit of paint out and very efficiently. Plus to do most of the work quickly you can use a thin oil such as walnut oil in a brush tank and use it just like mineral spirits or some other solvent. Only trick with the soap and water method is that the bristles need a bit of a coating of the soap to stay together as hog hair brushes like to get limp when wet. And you MUST wait for them to be completely dry. At least the internet says so. I haven't had to worry as so far I've used water miscible oils.
Used to use soap and water, however, found that it dried the bristles out. Now using lacquer thinner because mineral spirits doesn't seem to clean the brushes well enough.
Hi - Very new to all this. Overuse of some of my brushes seemed to have dried them out, and I thought the dip oil could help. This may be a stupid question, but can I use the dip oil on brushes with acrylic paints?? FYI: Wish I had seen this clip before starting to work with my brushes. I found out first hand how quickly bristles are compromised when pushing brushes against a canvass. By the way, thank you for being so generous with your videos. I'm trying to teach myself how to paint from the ground up, and simple tips re: brushes (their differences, how to use them, which is good for what), are very helpful. I can't afford school, but these videos are also helping me get acquainted with many terms. Thank you again.
And he died so young at the age of a little more then 50 because he inhaled the odorless fumes you don't even have sense that is toxic..I love Bob Ross but you must find a way to not hurt your health by painting.This video made my day how to deal with problems i have as a beginer.
are you serious? I'm painting in my basement and its not really ventilated. using regular thinner used to alarm me to open the windows with the fan blowing for over a month to remove the smell. now with the Mona Lisa orderless brand I rarely think about opening the window
Yes it's odorless witch means that you can't sense it by smell but it still has components that can hurt your lungs and other organs.I am just saying that you can clean them outside wherever on open if you must to but be very safe because it's your life you need to carry about.This video gave me an idea how to deal with the problem of cleaning the brushes and painting without hurting me in any way possible because mediums are nothing by toxicity over the terpentin or any other paint thiner...I understand what are you trying to explain to me but always think twice about something that considers your personal health no matter how much you love painting. I wish you all the best in painting and life !!!!
Thank you for this amazing tip. I am a beginner and don't have an art teacher so your videos are providing me all the support I need. I clean my brushes everytime I finish a painting session and this tip comes as a life saver. I will surely try your method. I would love to try your oil paints too. Are they available on Amazon or can they be shipped to India? I would really love to get feedback from you on my work. How can I share it with you?
Thank you for your video. It feels like its taken me an eternity to find the answers to my questions. Im grateful you are here. Ive been an artist all my life but new with oils. I just inherited a box full of oil supplies, including some old brushes that need some help. Cleaning, conditioning and such. They're well used but still salvageable. How would you suggest I begin to revive these? "Artist on a budget here." People have suggested vinegar, soap and water, even milk...for conditioning. Milk? Your advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you kindly
I hope for a kind reply. First of all thanks to Mark for all such valuable and useful information on his channel! I paint with a direct approach using colors straight from the tube for the first "layers" (although maybe I shouldn't be talking about layers in a direct approach). Then I add some walnut oil for the next layers. Of course, these phases are not always completed in the same session. Could the brush dip residue cause the painting to crack? I think some of it can remain in the brush at the start of each session (even after squeezing it) and end up in the first layers. Thanks!
Im using mostly synthetics, they are good quality and holds their shape great. Anyone has experience how to treat them well so they keep their shape for a long time? Great tips Mark, thank you.
My synthetics were very cheap so they dont hold the shape for a long time. But the tip are just that, buy good brushes because they are be good for the entire life.
As long as they have separate brushes its probably fine. Shell just buy new ones all the time. Makes a easy present for him to give to her haha. In the kitchen sharing knives and the dish washing brush is much more annoying if you are trying to take good care of them.
I received the brush oil and love it. Problem is I put a little bit in the same kind of jar I keep my odorless mineral spirits and accidently that I was dipping my brush into the spirits. I had to dab off the areas where I used the dip cleaner. YIKES! Other than my dumb mistake I love the brush dip. Thank you
"ill be out of town, can you feed my cat?"
"ill be out of town, can you dip my brushes?"
Yup I’ll dip your cat and feed your brushes on time
@@howardlovesyouu My cat looks really glossy! But why is there meat in my brushes?
"A teacher is a shortcut to fast learning." Thanks Mark for sharing your experience, that saves us years of trying to find things on our own.
love that quote, do you know who said it?
I really like how Mark shows you how to make any of the Geneva products on your own instead of just sucking people into buying them.
The mark of a good man.
Yeah, because there's enough people out there who will not want to go to the trouble of making something if they can just buy it.
If I had money I'd buy them.
I’d buy them if I could get them in the Middle East!!! The substitution recipes really help.
For me it looks more expensive to buy all the product to make little bit of things I need than to buy directly from him. Not to mention if there isn't some thing in my country his free shipping deal is a big deal for me.
I grew up in my grandmother's oil painting studio. The place wasn't ventilated at all and there was open turpentine and linseed oil all over. Times have changed from when I was a wee lad
I've been painting for 60 years! Since then California has banned turpentine, lead white and who nos what! They have got everyone in a panic as to toxins. ALL BULSHIT! Most everything today is geared to sell you cheaper products and increase profits! If you think you are getting sick from oil paints OSHA doesn't seem to exist! Most doctors will avoid the subject. I'm glad I got started in the " good old days",! When things were so "overhyped" ! I paint for my own learning challenges - not for for what others think! Wish the government would back off! They are killing our freedom of use! And driving up prices! Being retired, oil painting is my whole life! But with new materials an artist can do much better than the "old masters" miss the smell of turpentine!! Still kicking at the age of 85,!
I'm so happy to know that I don't actually have to clean my brushes ever again!
For the last 30 years I have been cleaning my finest artist hog brushes with mild shampoo followed by hair conditioner and they are good as new till today.
I use liquid laundry detergent and my brushes are in good nick!
add a little hair gel if taking the hogbrush out on the town
@@kevinhawley403 ahhahaha
@@kevinhawley403this comment had me rolling 😂😂😂
This information is priceless. I always followed the misconception that brushes needed to be completely dry and clean to get best control when applying paint. It has been tedious to keep cleaning and drying brushes for each painting session. Thank you so much for this information and a great video!
Me too.
Eleven minutes and forty-nine seconds that has been the best use of my time all week. The clouds parted and I think I heard a choir of angels sing while watching this - I learned so much about what I was doing that wasn't particularly good for my brushes, and how I've been spending way too much time cleaning unnecessarily. This video was a great leap forward in my goal of being a competent artist. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience!
In one video you have eliminated so many of my fears and hesitations to start oil paints. Thank you! The thought of horrible smells, tedious cleaning with multiple steps and fear of drying times and ruined brushes are gone. I even air hugged you! lol.
I like his brush dip (his paints too). They make my room smell ripe bananas...
Your videos are so nice, they always put me to sleep at night, while at the same time hearing useful painting tips as I doze off into the dreamland 🙂
BLESS YOUR CHANNEL I've been binge watching all your videos, and I've never had an art teacher before, so I realise how impractical my current method is. Thank you so much.
~Ollie
Peinting acrilics
Well, that was very enlightening! ... I use to always clean my brushes every evening (sometimes at 1 in the morning) for sometimes 20 or 30 minutes, using citrus essence based brush cleaner, and then soap + water.... very time consuming!
Now I will try your method!
Geez..............where were you in 1969 when I started painting? LOL Thanks for these helpful hints for if I ever get back to painting again. You and I have similar styles and yes, getting the fumes down is a blessing. I used to have fans and windows open back in the day.
Safflower oil will clean out your brush before changing colors too, if you really need to. I had no idea solvents were so harsh on brushes. Thanks for this video! It was really helpful!
Man this guy is awesome! His speaking style is Rembrandt-like...it just flows right. He “pounds the strike zone!”
Murphy’s oil soap.... it’s a lifesaver for me.
Do you have to wash off the murphy oil soap before painting? TY for your tip.
Love that brush holder! Making that tomorrow morning! So hate having them around with no way to put them down unless I put them upright, which I don't like doing! I only clean after a session. Ok, I have used Dawn dishwashing liquid after gum spirits, but the trick is to mix the Dawn into the bristols using your fingers, NO WATER. This removes the residual oils from your brush and then will wash free with the soap, but I apply several applications of soap first, working the oil color out of the tip. then rinse using water. Now, treat your bristols with a 50/50 mix of fabric softener/water to restore the ph of the brush to neutral. Rinse thoroughly. Dawn or any other soap is a high ph value, and you want to take it down to PH neutral, so it won't dry out the bristols. The PH of most soaps is about 8.0 - 9.0 (drain cleaner is 13.0, and neutral is 7.0. The PH of fabric softener is 5.0 - 6.0, and water is for the most part 6.5 - 7.0. Most artist don't know this about soaps or how to address it.
Yet again a very useful tutorial, thank you...this man is top class
When I'm done with a painting I will clean my brushes with Murphy's oil soap. I just recently found out about this. I also have a bar of brush soap that I've been using for a long time and it works well. It even removes paint from my hands.
The other day I was sorting my brushes and came across seven that had stiff bristles. I was mad at myself because I always keep my brushes clean but somehow over time I missed cleaning these brushes. There was no paint on them, just stiff bristles. I soaked them in Murphy's oil soap (undiluted) overnight. Next day I rinsed the brushes thoroughly and to my surprise, the bristles were soft again. Amazing stuff.
I was using mineral spirits for years and it does stink. I won't be using it any more.
The problem with using solvents is that over time, the solvent dissolves the glue that holds the bristles in the ferrule. This happened to one of my brushes.
Before I retired I worked as a scenic artist and learned a bad habit from the other painters. They were cleaning their brushes in lacquer thinner. Not knowing any better when I first started out, I did the same thing. Well, the bristles in my brushes eventually deteriorated. Thankfully I didn't use oil paints very often on my projects but it was still difficult to clean brushes on the job. I believe that the other painters used whatever they could get their hands on to clean their brushes and they simply didn't care. They didn't pay for the brushes. I sometimes found brushes laying in the dirt or left laying around completely dried up. I would take them home and clean them and use them.
So much for the painstaking, laborious wiping and dipping and pressing and rewiping and redid ping and pressing and soaping, etc. I've been doing for ages ! I learn something new with each video. Amazing.
Very good advice.
I have been painting for years without knowing this and have gone through many brushes needlessly.
Having worked with high pigment density acrylics for years painting minaitures, the ease of use for "complex" oil paints is astounding.
I recently purchased the Geneva Brush Dip and I really like it. I can leave my expensive Rosemary brushes sitting sometimes 10-12 days and the bristles are wet and supple like the day I dipped them. When I'm ready, I wipe them off and begin my session. Thanks Mark
+Bryan Coombes Great to hear. :)
Wow Mark...you give some of t the best advise from your own experience and professionalism...thank you again...
I clean my brushes with linsead oil, wipe and wash in water with hair shampoo. Sometimes I grease them with oil in the end (only brushes for oil painting).
This has been very helpful to me. Saves a lot of time. While the holder was unavailable, I improvised with an ordinary small roller tray. I clean my brushes with Murpheys Oil Soap every few weeks or so. No solvents ever! Just soak overnight in Murpheys first. So easy.
I love your aesthetics! You make so much sense and never do you see a pure color in nature, you are correct. A pure color will most likely look strange on your canvas except for a mixed black in moderation.
I love my Murphy’s oil soap, works extremely well.
Do you have to wash off the murphy soal before painting? TY for yourr tip.
@@karlenebland4556 It's a good practice to always make sure your brushes are free of any sort of soaps/conditioners before painting.
Ty sir so much for this video you made my day and explained to me how to deal with problems i have as a beginer and who also cares alot about his health because minerals terpentin and others hurt health and also nature by alot so it's not ok to do that...Few brushes for every general color bright and dark to have same mix of colors on every brush and you solve the problem...I wish you all the best sir ty so much for sharing your expiriance with us..
What good did I ever do to have found you and your videos. I’ve watched so many videos, no knowledge is as simple and on point as yours. Thanks
"Don't stab with your brushes... My wife paints that way. " Wow, shots fired, chief. Trouble in paradise? 🤣
How many brushes has she gone through? That's the best way to get the pigment jammed out in the ferraul of the brushes, which makes it harder to clean, thus shorting the life of the brush.
Nice. I have some brushes that i've been using for 20 years and are still usable. Care is paramount to have long lasting brushes. I always remove paint residues and then i wash them with soapy water and put to dry.
I think my brush cleaning obsession comes from 10 yrs of using acrylics. Thanks Mark, I'm going to follow this system. I guess it also helps when using a limited palette like you do😊
I use Turpenoid Naturals for all my brushes. I also have “linseed oil soap” (which I haven’t use it yet), I don’t have to wash my brush on this coz the Turpenoid Naturals keeps my brush conditioned. I stopped using Turpenoid Odorless Thinner when I paint coz I’ve heard some artist have experienced lung problem and so I started using TOXIC FREE thinner and/or cleaner. And as far as using my brush for only black paint, I do have 2 brushes for each painting - one brush for dark and one brush for light.
Just wan't to say thanks for your generous sharing of your experience.
Hi Mark, thanks a lot for this useful information. I've always been careful with my brushes, but some of the points you've explained here I didn't know before.
Love all you videos and all the tips I've learned over the past weeks of looking at them. I paint with a group and have told them all about you and your paint.
Thank you so much for this helpful advice. I have struggled to keep my brushes clean and am heartened by your advice.
This is worth watching and remembering, because I hear about muddy so much that I have been cleaning my brushes with mineral spirits, or soap and water . Thank you for this.
I've never painted in oil, because I did not want to deal with the fumes/toxicity of the solvents, especially turps before mineral spirits came into use. This video was very helpful, and I am very interested in painting with oils. Also, the logic behind your line of paint as well as the limited palette approach is excellent and unlike anything I've seen. However, I would like you to make a video talking about creating good studio ventilation, minimizing exposure to fumes, regular vs. odorless mineral spirits in terms of safe exposure levels. Thanks!!
found a great way to clean oil paint out of a brush . . . wipe the excess paint off, then dip brush into common household oil, like 3-in-One oil, available in any hardware or even Walgreens, etc. Work the oil into the brush on the side or bottom of small container, then rinse in odorless thinner, mineral spirits, etc. I have yet to find a trace of color coming out of the brush after these two simple steps . . . just try it!
totaly wrong treadment!!!! since about 1000 years fine art artists are doing this wrong. a revolutionary solution for parking your expensive art tools has been invented by me this year. if you are interested then send me an inquiry
Good advice!
working color into a brush before using it is a great tip, thanks
I use baby oil to clean my brushes. It's super cheap and works great
I use baby oil also
I have avoided getting back into oil painting because I hate cleaning the brushes after every painting session. Not a problem anymore. Thanks!!!
B and J "The Masters" brush cleaner (tan puck shaped container) works really well. Just be sure to rinse them well with water to get rid of any residue. Great tips!
Great tips, love the brush holder. I want one of those.
“I want that” hahaha
Thank you for giving us the recipe for the brush dip. You're literally invigorating artists here. I'll go to your website to see if there's a way to support you.
What confused me at first is your explanation of how to clean a brush with black paint. After a few viewings, it seems like you're saying "Pick up a different color, work the new color in (yellow in this case), wipe it out with a paper towel, then repeat a few more times. By the time you're done, the black paint will be worked out by the yellow and you'll be good."
Thank you
Revisiting this to see if there is anything I missed, or if anything has changed from my new experience with oils. I only use two maybe three brushes, so cleaning them is not a big deal for me, and my preference for synthetic helps. But your brush dip really is attractive to me for the simple reason that it is fast, and would be less wear on the brush.
Thank you for putting so much thought in all your videos. Loving your brush stand!
Awesome website as well.
To do a complete clean and avoid mineral spirits I recommend a tiny bit of dawn dish soap and make-up brush conditioner. It's worked great for me for years. I hate mineral spirits and I already have breathing issues (life long) . I use bare essentials make-up brush conditioner (supposed to be for blush and other brushes used for applying makeup to the face). It's 100% awesome, makes them like new every time.
I’ve been cleaning my brushes with turps and then soap for 35 years. I’ll give this method a try.
Fan-f**king-tastic! Thanks for laying all of these fundamental concepts out so clearly . I have been painting for a long time in various mediums including oils and this info really put cleaning my brushes in perspective . I am excited to create the brush dip you have demonstrated here. Also the concept of wiping and then brushing on the pallet to "clean " the brush instead of constantly cleaning with gamsol to switch colors is brilliant. It makes perfect sense, because I think I have inadvertently done that without intentionally meaning to use that method. Now I will intentionally apply this practice. Sharing this kind of knowlwdge is what it's all about. Thanx!
totaly wrong treadment!!!! since about 1000 years fine art artists are doing this wrong. a revolutionary solution for parking your expensive art tools has been invented by me this year. if you are interested then send me an inquiry
Thank you so much. Im just a beginner and your Videos are SO great and helpfull. Thank you.
Wow, I wish Id seen this video years ago!! Thank you!!!!
I've found that even with harsh cleaning, standard brush conditioner really does maintain good brush condition. Wonderful stuff. I can see this method of oil conditioning working similarly. I don't like the idea of not removing the paint from the brush though before conditioning.
Acacia Rogers Art k
I was taught to wash the brushes in dishsoap by putting the dishsoap into your cupped hand (no water), twirling the brush around, then rinsing with water. Then put vaseline onto the brush bristles to keep them soft. Works well. it's more work than what Mark does.
Seriously comprehensive. Thank you.
I use laundry soap now, it has served me well. I used to use a fairly abrasive hand soap, cleans thoroughly, but messes up the bristles, like Mark mentioned. I only use pure turpentine to think paint, but these days I use wetting mediums.
I really like your instructions. Very helpful.
Thank you man! Great tips, awesome way of presenting. You really help us. All best from Serbia.
I love a common sense approach.
Thank you so much you are a great teacher!!! Thank you soooooooo much!!!!
Thanks for the information, just going thru a few problems with this exact situation. This was very helpful..
thank for being direct and to the point
(s)
I never thought of a brush dip. So I’ve been using natural soaps with animal fats/milks. It cleans BUT does dry them out.
I use only orange hand cleaner from auto store, works amazing, is non toxic and get them clean and conditions them. But.... I just purchased all your paints and will start using this method now.
I just ordered your Geneva Set #3. I can't wait to try your products!
Well, I agreed with all this up to the point where you were doing a thorough cleaning. If I've been keeping my brushes well oiled (dipping them in walnut oil, but poppy is even better, just more expensive) I don't need any solvents to clean them. I rub them in liquid black soap first, perhaps repeatedly, and then in a solution of Marseille or Aleppo soap until they're squeaky clean. Consider the Renaissance artists, who had no solvents.
Great tips, and coming from you really worth following. Thanks
Dip, wipe and beat the devil out of it xD
Getting the brushes to last the longest - is get the brushes really clean up to the ferraul! With that in mind, they can take a real beating !
Can you wrap your dipped brushes gently in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to keep the "wet" for longer than a week?
Thanks from Brasil!
Im gonna get your brush holder when in stock. I will cover the whole set up with a cardboard box when not using holding the brushes etc because i have found lint dust and stuff somehow collects on my brushes laying around.
This was awesome! Thanks from Austin.
Thank you for sharing your experience much appreciated Marc
Sound common sense advice, great video thanks.
thank you for this information, what a time saver, really great video
I am looking at making my own paint for fallowing his methoud. Wished I knew what pigment to order. His color mixing video is a must.
Masters Brush cleaner is the best cleaner. It gets every little bit of paint out and very efficiently. Plus to do most of the work quickly you can use a thin oil such as walnut oil in a brush tank and use it just like mineral spirits or some other solvent. Only trick with the soap and water method is that the bristles need a bit of a coating of the soap to stay together as hog hair brushes like to get limp when wet. And you MUST wait for them to be completely dry. At least the internet says so. I haven't had to worry as so far I've used water miscible oils.
Used to use soap and water, however, found that it dried the bristles out. Now using lacquer thinner because mineral spirits doesn't seem to clean the brushes well enough.
Lots of things to learn from you. Thanks.
Hi - Very new to all this. Overuse of some of my brushes seemed to have dried them out, and I thought the dip oil could help. This may be a stupid question, but can I use the dip oil on brushes with acrylic paints?? FYI: Wish I had seen this clip before starting to work with my brushes. I found out first hand how quickly bristles are compromised when pushing brushes against a canvass. By the way, thank you for being so generous with your videos. I'm trying to teach myself how to paint from the ground up, and simple tips re: brushes (their differences, how to use them, which is good for what), are very helpful. I can't afford school, but these videos are also helping me get acquainted with many terms. Thank you again.
What about liquin and other mediums? At the end of the session how do you clean these mediums out the brushes?
👍👍
Well, for one thing he doesn't use Liquin.
Excellent video! Thank you for information.
i like the bob ross method - dip , wipe and beat the devil out of it :)
jaja i was thinking same
And he died so young at the age of a little more then 50 because he inhaled the odorless fumes you don't even have sense that is toxic..I love Bob Ross but you must find a way to not hurt your health by painting.This video made my day how to deal with problems i have as a beginer.
are you serious? I'm painting in my basement and its not really ventilated. using regular thinner used to alarm me to open the windows with the fan blowing for over a month to remove the smell. now with the Mona Lisa orderless brand I rarely think about opening the window
Yes it's odorless witch means that you can't sense it by smell but it still has components that can hurt your lungs and other organs.I am just saying that you can clean them outside wherever on open if you must to but be very safe because it's your life you need to carry about.This video gave me an idea how to deal with the problem of cleaning the brushes and painting without hurting me in any way possible because mediums are nothing by toxicity over the terpentin or any other paint thiner...I understand what are you trying to explain to me but always think twice about something that considers your personal health no matter how much you love painting. I wish you all the best in painting and life !!!!
bob ross uses acrylics
Genius! Thank you.
It looks really practical. I will buy one.
Thank you for sharing the ideas.
Thank you for this amazing tip. I am a beginner and don't have an art teacher so your videos are providing me all the support I need. I clean my brushes everytime I finish a painting session and this tip comes as a life saver. I will surely try your method. I would love to try your oil paints too. Are they available on Amazon or can they be shipped to India? I would really love to get feedback from you on my work. How can I share it with you?
Thank you for your video. It feels like its taken me an eternity to find the answers to my questions. Im grateful you are here. Ive been an artist all my life but new with oils. I just inherited a box full of oil supplies, including some old brushes that need some help. Cleaning, conditioning and such. They're well used but still salvageable. How would you suggest I begin to revive these? "Artist on a budget here." People have suggested vinegar, soap and water, even milk...for conditioning. Milk? Your advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you kindly
I love a good damaged and frayed brush...not always is that the case though. I save them all.
Your channel is awesome, professional enough 🙋🏻✨
Excellent! Thanks Mark!
Thanks Mark, useful and informative.
I hope for a kind reply. First of all thanks to Mark for all such valuable and useful information on his channel! I paint with a direct approach using colors straight from the tube for the first "layers" (although maybe I shouldn't be talking about layers in a direct approach). Then I add some walnut oil for the next layers. Of course, these phases are not always completed in the same session. Could the brush dip residue cause the painting to crack? I think some of it can remain in the brush at the start of each session (even after squeezing it) and end up in the first layers. Thanks!
I've always used Ivory Soap with hot water. Will try your method. thank you.
Im using mostly synthetics, they are good quality and holds their shape great. Anyone has experience how to treat them well so they keep their shape for a long time? Great tips Mark, thank you.
My synthetics were very cheap so they dont hold the shape for a long time. But the tip are just that, buy good brushes because they are be good for the entire life.
I love golden Taclon! The cleaner you keep them, the better! They can really take a beating!
His wife must drive him crazy then, him seeing her methods like that xD
As long as they have separate brushes its probably fine. Shell just buy new ones all the time. Makes a easy present for him to give to her haha.
In the kitchen sharing knives and the dish washing brush is much more annoying if you are trying to take good care of them.
I received the brush oil and love it. Problem is I put a little bit in the same kind of jar I keep my odorless mineral spirits and accidently that I was dipping my brush into the spirits. I had to dab off the areas where I used the dip cleaner. YIKES! Other than my dumb mistake I love the brush dip. Thank you
thanks for the video. I was wondering about the correct way