BEST WAYS TO CLEAN YOUR PAINTBRUSHES

Whether you’re using oils, acrylics or watercolours, ROB LUNN reveals how to effectively maintain your paintbrushes and extend their life span

Learning how to clean paintbrushes properly is an important skill that all traditional artists need to learn sooner rather than later. As the saying goes, if you look after your tools, your tools will look after you. When you start painting, a good set of brushes is one of the most important investments you’ll make – and they can set you back a fair amount of money too. So it makes sense to give them a bit of TLC.

The golden rule when it comes to paintbrushes is keep them wet while in use and give them a good clean when they’re not. This approach will help keep your brushes in good nick for a long time. But cleaning paintbrushes is easier said than done, and there are some techniques that you need to know if you’re going to get the paint out effectively.

How to clean your paintbrushes properly depends on the kind of paint that you’re using. In this article, we’ll run through the main cleaning process and then explain the different brush care variations for different painting mediums. Let’s start with the medium with the most options: oil paint…

Based in Bath, England, selftaught Rob tackles portraits, still-life pieces and landscapes in his work. He also enjoys teaching art and runs a series of workshops. You can explore Rob’s collection of paintings at www.roblunn.co.uk.

1 Remove paint from the bristles

First, remove as much paint from the bristles as possible by folding a clean cloth or paper towel around the ferrule of the brush (the bit just below the bristles) and wipe upwards. Always move the cloth from the ferrule to the end of the bristles. You don’t want to get paint down the ferrule because this will ruin the brush. Continue until very little paint is left showing on your cloth.

2 Ditch the white spirit

For some artists the go-to cleaning solution for oil paint is white spirit, but there are much better and safer alternatives, both for the user and the environment.

The next best alternatives to white spirits are ‘clean’ spirits such as the water-based Bartoline Clean Spirit. Use this just as you would traditional white spirit, but don’t pour it down the drain afterwards, despite it’s ‘greener than white spirit’ credentials. Take it to your local recycling centre, or even better, recycle it yourself. Decant the dirty ‘wash’ spirit into an empty clean spirit container and over time the pigment sinks to the bottom, leaving reusable clean spirit above.

The best solution for cleaning oil paint off brushes is pure oil, but it does take a bit more work. Linseed oil dries quicker than other oils and so a better alternative is walnut oil or safflower oil.

3 Place brush in pot

Next you’ll need to use your spirit or oil. For this, you’ll probably want to kit yourself out with a metal brush washer, which are available in a variety of sizes. These make light work of brush-cleaning and while the majority of models start at around £15, are a great investment. Fill the washer up with Bartoline Clean Spirit and then holding your brush almost vertically, gently run the bristles back and forth across the perforated metal insert submerged in your spirit or oil.

This knocks off pigment from the bristles without swilling up the sediment at the bottom of the pot. The sediment can be periodically dredged and disposed of responsibly. If you’re using oil instead of clean spirit you may need to repeat this step, wiping as described in step one with a clean cloth each time.

A metal brush washer makes light work of brush-cleaning

1 Use a cloth to wipe clean

First clean off as much paint as you can using a clean cloth or paper towel. Wrap the cloth around the ferrule of the brush and, squeezing the cloth with your thumb and forefinger, work up towards the end of the bristles. Repeat as many times as necessary.

1 Clean with water as you go

Because a lot of watercolour paint is used in highly diluted ‘washes’, it should take less work to remove the pigment from the bristles. Instead of cleaning with a cloth, keep a vessel of water close to hand at all times, and swill the brushes between washes. One tip is to use a brush washer with a holder so you can suspend the bristles in water when not in use.