Don’t despair!  There is an easy way to remove the dried paint.  Yesterday I painted primer on 6 outdoor chairs.  The brush took a beating as I applied paint to the sides of the closely spaced wood slats and paint built up as the outer bristles dried in the September sun.  Thanks to Artist Bob Burridge (http://www.robertburridge.com) I didn’t have to worry about the condition of the brushes.  I put a generous amount of Murphy’s Oil Soap in a cup with some warm water.  I soaked the brushes overnight and voilà!  After a light rinsing and a “brush-out” to remove the loosened paint the brushes are as good as new!  (At least the bristles are! 😉