WINDOW TIPS
First remove the lock, it's four screws and worth the effort. Next, rotate the sashes by pulling the top sash down as far as it will go and raising the bottom sash as high as it will go (up past the top sash). Confused yet?... see figure #2.
Rotating the sashes is the only way to gain access to the horizontal strip that is just below the lock at the bottom of the top sash.
The sashes may be painted shut, the top sash in particular. You may need to run the corner edge of our stiff putty knife down the sides and across the top of the sashes to break the old paint loose. Don't forget that the exterior paint could also cause the sashes to stick. If the putty knife doesn't do the trick, try bumping the top sash upwards using your palms at the bottom of the sash. Use oven mitts to prevent bruising or injuring your hands.
I've found our clean, empty gallon pail . We can use it as a paint "pot". It is not a good idea to paint out of a full gallon bucket or a quart can. I've poured about a quart of paint into the pot.
All we need now is our trim brush, a clean rag, our one inch stiff putty knife, our duster (disposable three inch brush) and an old bed sheet. The bed sheet will work great as a drop cloth under the window. Do not use plastic, plastic is fine to cover furniture and the like but I do not recommend it for floors, it can be slippery. Plastic will not absorb paint drops to prevent tracking via our little feets. Bed sheets are better.
Do not tape off the glass, it will not do what you think it will and it can cause a lot of problems.
We don't need problems.
WINDOW TIPS (continued)
When painting almost anything, it is a good idea to start towards the center and work outward. This will help keep forearms, palms, and fingers out of the wet paint. With that in mind, we can start painting.
Dust off the entire window (with the duster brush), Dip the paint brush into the paint to a depth of about one quarter of the bristles length. Tap the brush a couple of times against the rim of the pot, while keeping the bristles out of the paint but inside the pot. While painting mullions you also need to rake both sides of the bristles up and across the rim of the pot. This will remove excess paint and compress the bristles. Mullions do not require a lot of paint or a heavily loaded paint brush.
figure # 2
Rotated sash