Lilou's Art Restoration

Painting Restoration

restoration of contemporary oil painting, colour matching, re-integration, re-touching area of loss, fluorescent oil paint re-touch, in-situ painting restoration
Impact tear, 18th Century Oil Painting on Canvas, discoloured varnish, removal of varnish, filling loss areas, filling tear area, colour matching and re-touching tear area, removing over painting, re-varnish, colour gamut, colour saturation, colour definition
Before Treatment
18th Century Portrait Painting, restoration of 18th Century Portrait Painting, rejuvenation of colour contrast,
After treatment

18th Century oil on canvas Portrait

This portrait arrived with an impact tear and had discoloured varnish.

The treatments involved:

Varnish Removal 18th Century Oil Painting, Restoration of 18th Century Oil Painting, Portrait restoration, discolouration of varnish,
Varnish removal in progress
filling tear area
Restoration of 18th Century Portrait in Oils, Filled tear area with Flugger, Tear area fill before re-touching, painting conservation, Painting Restoration,
retouching, colour matching, retouching tear area, restoration of 18th Century Portrait painting, art restoration, painting restoration
art restoration, re-touching
damage to paint 18th Century oil painting, retouching, colour matching, blue tones, conservation, painting conservation, painting restoration
Retouching damage to the shawl
complete re-touching, re-touching red tones, impact tear re-touch,
18th Century Portrait restoration. Re-touched impact tear area
retouching skin tones, restoration of 18th Century Portrait painting, impact tear
Retouching the skin tones on the hand
retouched skin tones. impact tear, restoration of 18th century portrait oil painting,
complete retouched hand
After Treatment

Shakespeare

19th century oil painting portrait, stretcher indentations, restoration of 19th Century oil painting on canvas, strip lining, hole repair, re-touching, surface clean, removal of varnish, colour matching areas of loss,
19th Century Oil Painting Before Treatment
After Treatment

This oil painting had a variety of issues that needed repairing… ‘Shakespeare’ had an uneven surface that was not taught to the stretcher; it had several areas of paint loss and a hole.

The painting was surface cleaned and the discoloured varnish removed. The painting was then removed from the stretcher in order to correct the planar deformation and to strip line.

Using weights, heat and moisture treatments the uneven surface was flattened. The Strip Line was attached using heat and BEVA film adhesive. The painting was then re-stretched to the stretcher and attached with the original nails. Any paint loss areas were filled and holes were repaired using canvas inserts, canvas threads and BEVA Adhesive. The filled areas were retouched. Finally the painting was varnished.

Removal of painting from the stretcher
Weights and moisture treatment to flatten surface
Heat and moisture treatments to flatten surface
Attaching strip line to rear with heat and BEVA film adhesive
Strip Lining in progress
Strip Lining 19th Century Oil Painting,
Strip Lining in Progress
restoration of 19th century oil painting, Painting Conservation, filling of holes and areas of loss on an oil painting
holes and areas of loss filled
‘Shakespeare’ After Treatment
painting restoration, tear and area of loss, art restoration, art conservation, dog oil painting
Oil Painting incorporating dog in need of restoration
oil painting tear repair, conservation of 19th century oil painting, restoration of oil painting
Tear and loss area on a 19th Century Oil Painting

HORATIO COULDERY: ‘Taking Turns’  OIL ON CANVAS PAINTING (19th Century)

CONDITION REPORT

 On arrival, observations detect that the surface of the painting appears to be stable; there are no visible tears and the stretcher appears to be taught. The canvas edge is stable apart from nails attaching the stretcher to a wood surround. The canvas is torn and degraded at these areas. At present these tears do not seem to be affecting the planar level of the canvas. No apparent need for strip lining at this time.

There is a small triangular patch to the rear top middle of the canvas.

A slight stretcher bar indentation is visible.

There are stains to the rear.

TREATMENT PROPOSAL

  • Frame Removal
  • Dry clean (chemical sponge) rear of the painting
  • Surface clean
  • Varnish/ coating Removal
  • Varnish application

In particular the owner of the painting was concerned about the intense darkness of the painting, hiding much of the imagery. There appeared to be a thick textural coating over the painting. Originally thought to be a discoloured varnish, the coating turned out to be a thick gluttonous in texture coating that was extremely difficult and time consuming to remove. As shown in the before and after images, the imagery was eventually revealed and re-varnished.

 

Horatio Cauldery ‘Taking Turns’ Before Treatment

Horatio Couldery ‘Taking Turns’ After Treatment

Coating removal in progress
Coating removal in progress
Coating removal in progress

Restoration of ‘Docherty’ landscape painting (1930’s)

Oil on Canvas 61 x 51cm Unframed

Docherty Oil on Canvas, Before Treatment
Docherty Oil on Canvas (Rear). Before Treatment

CONDITION REPORT

On close inspection, the surface of the painting is largely stable. There are several small areas of friable, flaky paint (1-2 cm). See images below.

small holes to the corners

The painting is taught to the stretcher and does not require any structural work.

Despite having been kept in a smoking environment, the surface does not appear to have much surface dirt, probably due to being kept in a glazed frame. The varnish does have some discolouration and on testing, does appear to be easily removed.

There does not appear to be any past restoration work applied.

TREATMENT PROPOSAL

  • Frame Removal
  • Consolidation of flaky paint areas
  • Varnish Removal
  • Fill and re-touch paint loss areas. Possibly the small holes in the corners
  • Varnish application
  • Glass clean
  • Re- attach to frame

Docherty: In progress (right side varnish removed)
Docherty: After treatment

TEAR REPAIR ON A 19th CENTURY PORTRAIT PAINTING (OIL ON CANVAS)

Painting before treatment

The painting was damaged during transportation. It had a large tear from the shoulder area up to the neck.

The painting had been previously wax relined which can cause some difficulty in repairing a tear. The canvas can be thick, brittle and not easily malleable.

The threads that were coming through to the front, were gently manipulated to the rear of the painting. The tear was temporarily taped to keep in place and the threads were attached at the back using a re- weaving method and BEVA film bridge joints (a heat activating adhesive).

The tear was then filled and re- touched

Tear temporarily taped

Tear filled

Tear Repair after treatment

SAMUEL COLEMAN OIL ON CANVAS. 51.5 x 61.1 cm. 1804

Before Treatment

Rear before treatment

Impact damage..

CONDITION REPORT

The primary concern is impact damage due to the painting falling off the wall. The damage is located at the centre of the painting and is a 6 cm long gash that has removed surface paint and ground paint. It is not a full tear.

The top right of the painting has a small recent scuff displaying a loss of paint, probably due to the fall.

There are a number of small historical abrasion marks on the painting surface.

U.V light reveals there to be historical restoration in the form of consolidation of crack areas and/ or some retouching of cracks. Parts of the trees have also been over-painted.

Surface craquelure is evident. Some areas are more prominent.

The painting is wax re-lined. The surface is relatively stable and the canvas is taught to the stretcher. The painting does not appear to require structural work.

The varnish layer is discoloured. The removal of the frame reveals some mould stains

TREATMENT PROPOSAL

  • Frame Removal
  • Consolidation of flaky paint areas around the damaged area
  • Surface clean
  • Removal of mould
  • Varnish Removal
  • Consolidate areas if needed
  • Fill and re-touch paint loss areas, some slight retouching of more obvious crack areas if they distract from the imagery
  • Varnish application (s)
  • Re- attach to frame

Varnish removal in progress

Flattening of damaged area using heat treatments

damaged area is filled

After Treatment

The painting required several varnish coats: a brush varnish, semi-shiny spray varnish coat and some dot varnishing to even the surface.