Is Painting Oil Conservation Towards Healthy And Better Environment Still Relevant?
A lot of people have asked me about painting oil conservation. What is it and how do I go about it? I'm going to make a short video that hopefully will address those questions. In the meantime, why not watch one of my videos on YouTube where I talk about painting restoration in general?
As you may know, there are several schools of thought concerning the topic of fine restoration. The most popular is called Edwardian Restoration. This was actually the first style of restoration to emerge in the 18th century. It focused on using oils and watercolor to bring a beautiful pastel picture of a bygone age back to life. The style has become very popular in paintings of pre Elizabethan times.
Preserving paintings in this manner is called dry cleaning. It is done by working the painting with a brush instead of water to remove excess oil and bring the surface back to its original condition. In theory, the work of art should stand the test of time even if the artist did not paint over it. It is important to note that there is considerable debate as to what constitutes “dry cleaning”, but most artists agree that it should not include using any water whatsoever on the painting.
Dry cleaning is an important aspect of painting oil conservation. However, it is only one step in the conservation process. There are many others. We will discuss a few here.
The first is called dilution. The painting is diluted with either alcohol or pure water to bring the highest degree of dryness. In theory, once the oil and water are diluted, the painting should last for decades. However, there are still issues with this method. It tends to leave behind too much wetting and absorption of the alcohol or other chemicals used to dilute the painting.
The second step is called extraction. Removing the pigment from the oil before conservation is done ensures that no pigment is left behind on the surface of the painting. Pigment is a very reactive substance and tends to stain the area in which it was dissolved. However, if the solvent used to remove the pigment is too harsh or toxic, the oil may simply be wiped away from the surface without being saved.
In conservation, dilution is again used to remove excess pigment but this time, mineral spirits or turpentine is used to make sure that the surface is safe for future use. This process is called lathering. Any mineral spirits left on the painting must be cleaned off immediately because they can permanently damage the painting. If there is too much spirit left, the surface may crack or the pigment may soak into the cement underneath and cause chipping.
Finally, dry cleaning is the final step in painting oil conservation. The surface is sprayed with a special detergent that is made especially for painting surfaces. It will break down the surface of the painting so that it may be reused as new. However, any residue that remained after the detergent has been used must be properly removed by another method for proper painting procedures.
Oil conservation is an important process for protecting paintings. It ensures that the artwork is not lost due to damage that may occur over time. It also prevents deterioration that occurs from weathering. Because oil evaporates, once it dries, it can never be restored. Conservation ensures that paintings are kept in peak condition through careful cleaning, protection and storage.
There are many methods used in conservation. One is the mechanical process in which cleaning and drying is done using machines. Another is chemical conservation where different chemicals are used to prevent degradation of the oil over time. And then, painting conservators use water-based solutions to remove oil, dilute it, and replace it with new oil paint.
During conservation, special cleaning processes must be used on paintings that are sensitive to strong cleaning solutions. Paint is sometimes covered in an acrylic medium that must also be carefully examined. In cases of damage or disappearance of pigment, techniques such as sandblasting can be used to repair paintings. In some cases, special equipment is used to restore paintings that have been damaged from environmental factors such as smoke from a fire or saltwater. The techniques used vary according to the painting and its condition.
Today, painting conservation has become more important because of the growing number of paintings around the world. Many paintings have been destroyed or stolen over the years. As a result, museums are required to safeguard paintings as well as paintings that are at risk of loss. Museums use conservation for paintings that are part of their collections as well as for paintings that are considered to be irreplaceable.
As you may know, there are several schools of thought concerning the topic of fine restoration. The most popular is called Edwardian Restoration. This was actually the first style of restoration to emerge in the 18th century. It focused on using oils and watercolor to bring a beautiful pastel picture of a bygone age back to life. The style has become very popular in paintings of pre Elizabethan times.
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| Is Painting Oil Conservation Towards Healthy And Better Environment Still Relevant? |
Dry cleaning is an important aspect of painting oil conservation. However, it is only one step in the conservation process. There are many others. We will discuss a few here.
The first is called dilution. The painting is diluted with either alcohol or pure water to bring the highest degree of dryness. In theory, once the oil and water are diluted, the painting should last for decades. However, there are still issues with this method. It tends to leave behind too much wetting and absorption of the alcohol or other chemicals used to dilute the painting.
The second step is called extraction. Removing the pigment from the oil before conservation is done ensures that no pigment is left behind on the surface of the painting. Pigment is a very reactive substance and tends to stain the area in which it was dissolved. However, if the solvent used to remove the pigment is too harsh or toxic, the oil may simply be wiped away from the surface without being saved.
In conservation, dilution is again used to remove excess pigment but this time, mineral spirits or turpentine is used to make sure that the surface is safe for future use. This process is called lathering. Any mineral spirits left on the painting must be cleaned off immediately because they can permanently damage the painting. If there is too much spirit left, the surface may crack or the pigment may soak into the cement underneath and cause chipping.
Finally, dry cleaning is the final step in painting oil conservation. The surface is sprayed with a special detergent that is made especially for painting surfaces. It will break down the surface of the painting so that it may be reused as new. However, any residue that remained after the detergent has been used must be properly removed by another method for proper painting procedures.
Oil conservation is an important process for protecting paintings. It ensures that the artwork is not lost due to damage that may occur over time. It also prevents deterioration that occurs from weathering. Because oil evaporates, once it dries, it can never be restored. Conservation ensures that paintings are kept in peak condition through careful cleaning, protection and storage.
There are many methods used in conservation. One is the mechanical process in which cleaning and drying is done using machines. Another is chemical conservation where different chemicals are used to prevent degradation of the oil over time. And then, painting conservators use water-based solutions to remove oil, dilute it, and replace it with new oil paint.
During conservation, special cleaning processes must be used on paintings that are sensitive to strong cleaning solutions. Paint is sometimes covered in an acrylic medium that must also be carefully examined. In cases of damage or disappearance of pigment, techniques such as sandblasting can be used to repair paintings. In some cases, special equipment is used to restore paintings that have been damaged from environmental factors such as smoke from a fire or saltwater. The techniques used vary according to the painting and its condition.
Today, painting conservation has become more important because of the growing number of paintings around the world. Many paintings have been destroyed or stolen over the years. As a result, museums are required to safeguard paintings as well as paintings that are at risk of loss. Museums use conservation for paintings that are part of their collections as well as for paintings that are considered to be irreplaceable.