Bring a damaged painting back to life - By: Allan Michael Taylor

Artists have used linen and canvas as a support for their pictures for centuries, and rightly so, when properly prepared the painting surface should be relatively stable and able to withstand the rigours of time. However, a painting on canvas remains very vulnerable, as even a small amount of pressure on the surface will produce dents that will not bounce back and anything worse will without doubt make a hole in the material. Such damage is not always a disaster for the painting and, in most cases, can be repaired.

If you have a canvas that has a bump in it from accidental pressure, you can attempt to remove it by lightly dampening the area on the back with a finger. The effect of the water drying will (hopefully) pull the area back into shape. If this is not sufficient, more water can be dabbed onto the canvas with a sponge, but you should avoid making the canvas too wet. Larger distortions can be brought back by applying a cool iron over the reverse of the canvas. Where pressure on the canvas has actually caused the paint surface to crack, ironing from the back can help reduce the appearance of the damage.

Small rips and holes can be repaired by attaching a patch of canvas to the back of the picture. Ideally the patch should be made from the same type of cloth as the original and at least 2 inches larger on all sides than the tear itself. You can help disguise it's presence by fraying the edges. The traditional adhesive for this is beeswax or beeswax and damar, and the patch is applied with a iron that is just hot enough to melt the wax. You can get modern alternatives to this adhesive but make sure that only conservation quality ones are used.

To avoid further damage, always make sure that the canvas is placed face down on a flat surface cushioned with a blanket and covered with brown craft paper.

Over time canvases can become slack, if this occurs, don't automatically tighten the wedges as minor distortions are quite likely to correct themselves. If wedges do need adjusting, try and avoid driving them in any more than is absolutely necessary, otherwise you run the risk of cracking the paint and cheap commercially prepared canvases may also rip.

Picture restoration is a highly skilled job. The advice offered here is primarily aimed at the artist wishing to repair his or her own works, anybody wanting to repair a valuable work should always take the painting to a professional picture restorer.

About the Author

Rob Tyrrell is a professional artist specialising in pet portraits, you can find more information on his site plus samples of his pet portraits. Just log on to http://www.robtyrrell-petportraits.co.uk

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