Abacus
Antique Dealers: Antique Art Techniques
Antique
Art and Painting Restoration:
Many
times, restoring antique art or painting is as simple
as cleaning it and giving it a new coat of varnish.
Other times more extensive work is needed, such as
repairing tears in canvas, or filling areas where
paint has fallen off. Oil paintings and acrylics can
both be restored, as can paintings on canvas or canvas
board or wood.
Cleaning
and re-varnishing: This is the most common need for
antique art. Dirt and other residue are removed layer
by layer, restoring color to its original brilliance.
Re-varnishing protects the painting from fading and
restores the sheen.
Occasionally,
extensive cleaning is required. This is needed if
the antique art or painting has a deep yellow cast
to it, which is caused by old varnish or nicotine
tar.
Tightening
or re-stretching: Many paintings are stretched on
wooden bars; these bars tend to move when exposed
to humidity, causing the canvas to wrinkle. If a canvas
is slightly wrinkled, it can be tightened on the stretcher
bar to smooth the wrinkles. If it is very wrinkled,
it may need to be re-stretched.
Restoring
paint loss: In these areas, canvas is intact, but
the painted surface has fallen off completely or been
otherwise damaged (scratching, etc). These areas can
be filled and repainted to recreate the missing part
of the image.
Restoring
Tears and punctures: These areas require major restoration.
The canvas must be patched, filled, sanded, and repainted
to recreate the original image.
Your
antique art or painting may need a combination of
these treatments to be restored.
If
you are having a professional restoration company
restore your paintings they will usually be evaluated
on a case-by-case basis to see what is needed.
