The correct uses of turpenoid/tine and oil??

[MrJackson]

Having just started making the transition from acrylic to oil, I'm finding that the paint itself is everything I had imagined but the solvents are tricky. The linseed oil I can handle because it is just like an acrylic medium, but I just cannot figure out how to use turpenoid correctly. Google has not been helpful.

How does one use it without guzzling it like water is guzzled with acrylic.

How many jars of it should one have out? Just one, one for each color, or brush?

How much should one pour into said jars?

How does one clean a brush when changing colors or during cleanup?

Is it safe to pour down the sink?

Since one can't smell turpenoid, how can one know if a space is well ventilated? (In my room I've just opened the window and put a big fan on high facing out. I hope that's enough...)

edit: oh and, happy 2007 conceptart.org My new years resolution is to draw more. What's yours?

[DavePalumbo]

don't pour down the sink. Soak your used turp in paper towels and throw them in the trash. In warm weather, you can also pour it into a dish and put it outside to evaporate (make sure it's not where animals can get it).

otherwise, I just use one small jar of turp (just enough to swish a large brush in) and wash my brush in it when I want it clean. I try to use a small amount and change my turp when it's too dirty to clean up properly. Just swirl your brush in there and then pat it on a rag. If it look like it's still dirty, repeat

[dose]

A common approach is to use one jar to clean your brushes, and another for mixing washes & thinning paint.

The amount to put in each jar will depend on how you paint. If you use a lot of thin paint on big canvases you might need more. But I know people who use one or two little tiny cups attached to their palette.

You can pour your dirty turps into a jar at the end of the day, put the lid on, and let it sit for a few days. The pigment will settle to the bottom and the top will be turp that is clean enough to reuse for most purposes. You can rotate a few jars in on different days so that each jar has a long enough time to sit for the pigment to settle. Or use DavePalumbo's method above. Don't pour it down the sink.

For cleaning brushes to change colors, do like DavePalumbo says and just swish the brush around in jar of turp, or use a lot of brushes so instead of having to clean one out for a new color you just grab a fresh brush. That way you're also left with the color in the other brushes if you need those colors again (a nice advantage of oil paint, since the colors won't dry up). Some people don't like holding a bunch of brushes though, or hate cleaning 20 brushes at the end rather than 2 or 3. Do whatever feels natural for you.

To clean the brushes at the end, use turp to get as much paint out as you can, then wash with soap and water. Some people recommend specific soap- I use cheapo brushes so I don't bother. But I see a lot of people using Murphy's Oil Soap. Someone else will probably have better input on that.

I'm no expert on fumes & stuff, but my guess would be the fan blowing out in your room is enough. However- if you get lightheaded or headaches, it's not enough.

Hope this helps

Tim

[MrJackson]

Thanks for the great advice, both of you.