“Oil Brushes”

One of my favorite mediums is using oil painting, i find it less messy if you are organized on using it. I remember back 3 years ago when I transitioned from using waterbased acrylics to oil paint, i was using water to clean my brush and the oil paint wont come off my hands and the brush no matter how much I repeatedly cleaned it with soap. Then eventually i learned to use a thinner for cleaning the brush(duh?! Well i can say that im self taught and mistakes are just part of the learning process.

i use this thinner, Mona Lisa Odorless paint thinner

Oh boy when i started using a thinner, i did not know there was an odorless thinner, i was using a ordinary thinner on my first oil painting but could not tolerate the smell, so good thing i went to the art store and browsed around on how i can make it more easier to use oil paints.

brush cleaner tank, is a must for using oil brushes

it has a haed coil/ spring inside, add a decent amount of thinner and use the coil to clean the brushes more thoroughly

I bought two of those and the first one i use while painting and the nect one is for cleaning and its a good way to keep your brush from oil paint stains as that hardens over time leaving your brush useless.

I also bought containers and a small grill from the dollar store and it a good way to contain your mess in just that area and also you can also use the residue and re use that aint thinner.

a big Jar to put your thinner after every use

This Mason Jar is very useful, after painting, i put all my paint thinner in here, and in time the paint and thinner will separate and the paint will be like clay in the bottom of the jar and you will be left with the clear thinner on top, thats a very nice way to save money!

I really invested big time with my oil brushes and i use mainly Bob Ross Brushes, compared to other brushes the bristle in this is made of natural Hog hair, at forst i was just collecting them but this brushes although a little pricy will last a lifetime. Believe it or not, i have been using this brush since i started on oil paint, and its been 3 years, and they still are very efficient.

my very first oil painting “4 seasons Yin and Yan”

And as a last tip, when your done with you brush make sure you leave it soft using a baby oil, just damp it on baby oil and it will be ready for your next use. So there you go, these are very useful and helpful tips, specially if you want to start with oil paint technique. Not only will you save a lot of money but you will be able to enjoy your brushes for a very long time, hope you found this tips valuable