An oil on canvas can be easily damaged during transit or stored inappropriately. A tear can work into the canvas if resting against a sharp object, and the weave, fray if under undue tension. Damp, sunlight and temperature extremes can rob the canvas of natural oils and therefore cause the canvas to brittle and liable to tear.
How does the artist repair a torn oil painting?
Save Money on Art Restoration
Art restorers can be costly and hard to find. But I have fixed this oil painting myself. The damaged painting is an old master showing Bracebridge Pool, Sutton Park, UK by a Victorian landscape artist Willis Pryce. The painting is thought to be worth a few hundred pounds.
The Damaged Painting
As can be seen from the images, the tear is quite substantial and in a prominent place, being about 1.5inches long and an inch from the frame. Fortunately, the hole can be knitted together. Repairing a hole is a different matter and I have written a separate article on how to repair a hole in canvas. For now, I am knitting together a tear in canvas.
Grafting over the Canvas Hole
Some websites advise gluing thick material onto the back of the painting for strength. This is a big mistake, and this preliminary demonstration shows why. Here, I have used thick material over the tear and stuck it down with glue.
Cutting thick material to size and placing it over the hole.
Gluing the material over the hole.
Using thick material to repair an oil on canvas will distort the canvas shape.
Using masking tape to repair an old master with ruin the look of the painting.
The images show how the wrong material will shrink and harden with the glue, warping the shape of the canvas. Notice the round shape of the material pulling the canvas into a raised area. This isn’t good. Wetting the canvas will flatten out the distortion, but the effect is temporary. Once dry, the warp will reappear.
The lower image shows a botched effort with regular masking tape. This had been used to repair a hole in the canvas. The result is a raised square. My next article shows how I made the canvas flat.
The lesson here is don’t use thick material, the wrong glue or masking tape to repair an oil painting. These will distort the canvas surface and ruin the appearance of the painting.
And now for how I put things right.
Repairing an Oil Master
The fabric, as seen, is vital.
Further materials to avoid are wool, those with loose fibers and stretchy fabrics. Avoid fabrics chemically treated, coated or brightly-colored. Un-fast dies could leach into the glue and onto the painting. I opted for thin but strong linen cotton material undyed (although a neutral colour is suitable). This will provide an inconspicuous graft.
Glue Suitable for Repairing Canvas
Another important matter is the glue. The wrong glue could spoil a restoration.
Avoid glues containing solvents or harsh chemicals. A pungent odor is the giveaway. The canvas is organic and should be treated as such. Avoid glues for other purposes, such as for glass or plastics, as these will dry rigid.
A trusted fabric glue is good. Make sure it is acid-free. A good fabric clue will dry water-resistant and flexible. Don’t go for cheap glues or craft glues as these may not adhere.
Materials Required for Art Restoration
The following additional materials will be needed.
Scissors.
A blunt palette knife.
Greaseproof paper.
Tracing paper.
Pencil.
A soft brush to apply the glue.
A shallow lid.
A pot of water.
An old sheet would come in useful.
Clear a space for your art restoration. A table or a corner of the room would be suitable.
Removing the unwanted patch from the back of the oil painting.
Carefully, I eased off the unwanted thick material using a blunt palette knife. As the material was thick, it came off easily anyway. This comes to show thick material is unsuitable for repairing a delicate oil painting. Be sparing with water, should this be required, for the damp will seep down onto the oil painting from the back. Great care was used for removing the unwanted material.
Once the material is removed, it is time to rework the area.
Step 1: Prepare the space for your restoration project. If necessary, place a sheet over the space. Ensure the surface is sturdy and flat. Prefer a hard floor to a carpeted area.
I wanted to avoid removal of the painting from the frame, so I created a platform where the canvas (face down) can rest. This means I can repair the painting from the back.
An unframed canvas doesn’t require this platform, but still needs a sturdy surface on which to rest.
For my framed painting, I used several large, sturdy books of varying thicknesses, I built a platform to the required height. This ensures the canvas is fully supported whilst the glue is drying. Place a sheet of greaseproof paper onto the surface on which the canvas is resting.
Place the painting face-down.
Make sure the platform is located directly beneath the tear.
Step 2: Now cut your selected fabric into an irregular shape, echoing the contour of the tear. I used tracing paper to plan the shape of the material for grafting.
Ensure the graft will completely cover the tear. I then added glue diluted with a little water.
Step 3: Ensure the material is bigger than the tear itself. I allowed a centimetre or so on each side, as seen from the image. I fanned out the edges of the fabric to allow the glue to shrink without distorting the canvas and to avoid harsh ridges. Here, I cut ‘v’s into my fabric shape.
Place a cherry-sized dollop of glue into a shallow lid. (More may be required if the tear is big). To avoid sticky fingers, I held the material in place with a blunt utensil.
With a soft brush, lightly brush a little water over the fabric. This encourages the glue into the fine weave. Don’t saturate it. Go for a light, damp feel. I then added a little of the glue. Spread evenly over the fabric, aiming for an even feel. Go right to the edges.
Wash the brush immediately afterwards.
Step 4: Ease the grafting material over the hole. I used a blunt edge of a knife to ease the shape into place. The glue won’t dry immediately so you will have a minute or so of play. I shifted the material this way and that until it rested directly over the tear. Add a little additional glue if necessary.
Press the grafted material gently but firmly over the tear, ensuring all edges are stuck down to the canvas. Place greaseproof paper over the area and rest a few books on top. Once the glue starts to adhere (in a minute or two), I checked the front of the painting to ensure the tear is grafted correctly.
Step 5: Leave to dry overnight. The glue will be thoroughly dry in a day, ready for the next step: touching up a damaged oil painting.
The image shows the tear repaired and the canvas surface dried flat. No unwanted ridges or distortions can be seen.
As can be seen here, the tear has grafted together successfully, and the canvas dried flat and free of warps. It is now ready for the next stage: touching up with paint. This will render the tear invisible.
My next post shows how to overpaint a damaged painting. This will completely hide the damage.
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