Execute Magazine

Cleaning After Painting Session 

After painting, use your palette knife to scrape off the excess paint and clean it with a rag.

You can also mix it with some more paint if you need more color in the future.  Store the leftover paint in the refrigerator to prolong the paint life.

Cleaning your brushes after an oil painting session is the last step.

The best way to clean brushes is to use a brush cleaner, like soap, or substitute turpentine.

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The better you clean your brushes, the longer they will last.

If you are painting the next day, it's ideal to maintaining them in a plastic bag stored in the refrigerator.

It's important not to pour your dirty solvent down the drain.   If you want to get the most out of dirty solvents and medium, then pour it into a jar and wait for all the residue on top to settle.

This will allow you to filter out all of your solids, and then you might be able to use it again to clean your brushes or use it for underpainting.