The Process of Oil Painting Restoration

Oil paintings have been around for centuries. Over time, an oil painting tends to age and wear down. Oil painting restoration involves the retouching of a worn out oil painting to make it look better. Oil painting restoration is a booming business for artists. The process of restoring an oil painting is as follows.

The first step in restoring an oil painting is de-framing. This involves removing the canvas from the stretcher bars. This makes the restoration process much easier since you can work on the canvas much more easily.

After de-framing, the second step in oil painting restoration is cleaning. Use a soft cloth to clean off any dust that might have settled on the paintings surface. You can also use a fine brush o remove any dust and debris that might have gotten stuck within crevices within the texture on the painting. Vacuum the back of the painting to remove any dust that might have settled there.

The third step in oil painting restoration is the removal of varnish. Using a soft cloth soaked in methylated spirit, clean off the layer of varnish to expose the paint. Be careful not to damage the underlying paint.

If there are tears and holes on the painting, the fourth step is applying fresh canvas from the back of the painting to mend the tears and holes. If the damage is extensive, apply a whole piece of canvas at the back. This process is known as re-canvassing.

Fifth, apply paint on the areas where it’s faded and damaged. Try as much as possible to match the color of the pigment used in the original. After this, mount the canvas onto the stretcher bars. Finally, wait until the new layer of paint has dried off and then apply a fresh layer of varnish to your painting.