Quick Fix for Loose or Dented Canvas

When you have a canvas that is already on stretcher, has been coated with gesso, and has had time to dry but still isn't as tight as it should be try this super easy fix before you go to the trouble of re-stretching you canvas.
-Boil tap water in a kettle or pot and with a big clean brush paint the hot water on the back side of the canvas, give it time to dry, and it should bring you canvas back to life.

Best Brush Cleaner

Keep your oil painting brushes like new with this mess free way to clean out even the most paint filled brushes.
What you will need:
-Two Rags (can use old T-shirts)
-Simple green cleaning solution
-Murphy's oil soap (used to clean wood floors)

Start by placing your dirty brush on one of the rags then spray bristles with Simple Green Cleaner. Rub the brush in the rag until you get most of the paint off of the bristles. Next pour about half a inch of Murphy's oil soap into a glass jar. Take the brush and put it in the oil soap pushing it flat from side to side then pulling it out along side the jar with enough pressure to squeeze the oil and excess paint from the bristles. Repeat until there is no more color coming from the bristles then use the clean rag to wipe the rest of the oil from the brush. This will clean and condition your brush and you don't need to use any water.

Note: once the oil saop begins to look mucky simply dump out the glass jar and refill.