The Framers Forum

I need to source an odour-free white spirit that’s suitable to use when painting in oils or acrylic. The only odour-free white spirit I can find is Bartoline's Clean Spirit, but the label says “Not recommended for the thinning of oil based paints”.

It also says “White spirit should be used for this purpose” but all white spirits seem to have odour. Can any oil/acrylic painters here recommend a suitable odour-free white spirit please?

Jacksons. Put odourless in to their search for different brands and quantities.

https://www.jacksonsart.com/bob-ross-od ... -road-only

..

Go on the Jacksons Art Supply web-site and type in solvents in the search box.
Here's a link to their own solvent -
https://www.jacksonsart.com/jackson-s- ... road-only

That's really helpful and solved the problem, thank you both.

The Bob Ross one... so that will be a happy little white spirit presumably

I hadn’t noticed that - just that it was on offer, a happy little accident.

I do a lot of painting.

You can clean your oil paint brushes with vegetable oil. I keep a brush washer filled with it, and leave my brushes in there until I've finished my painting.

Jacksons make a bucket of oil based soap pellets that you activate by adding some hot water. It basically makes a bucket of artists' soap, which is excellent to clean your brushes on once you're done. Don't use hot water, it expands the ferrule and the bristles will fall out.

When I do need to blot the oil off my brush and change colours, I use a rag to remove the worst of it, then rinse the brush in a little zest it or gamsol. It's in a sealed metal washer with a rubber gasket, so doesn't too get smelly if I do use the stinky stuff.

Gamsol is one of the best oms. I use zest it too, W and N sansodor is ok, but I won't touch turpenoid again... bleuch!

I should point out, you mentioned for acrylic too.... If your brushes have hardened with acrylic, and fairly liquid etc won't wash them, the only thing that will get the dried acrylic out of them is acetone, which will kill your brush anyway. Just keep your acrylic brushes damp and try not to dip the paint past the ferrule. Water should be the only solvent needed for acrylic. A good wash with fairly liquid or regular shampoo should do it.