One may come across many advices about cleaning an oil painting, but those tips must come with a major disclaimer. More than other types of rough and ready projects on cleaning oil paintings must really be trusted to professional conservators. Anyhow, if your oil painting is not really old, not terribly valuable, or not too important, there are other potential ways to make it appear good and cleaner yourself. Furthermore altering true antiques more or less forever decreases their value, whether or not they appear better to you.
If it seems that your oil painting reproduction is little older, evaluate whether the paint is in good condition but the varnish has become older. In this case, try applying a gentle solvent known as conservation liquid. Some of the art supply stores may sell an ?emulsion? intended to clean and remove varnish. There is always a chance that the solvent would as well harm or remove the oil paint. If you are ready to risk this possibility, pat the emulsion with a cotton swab quite delicately. Try spot testing one corner before moving on to the whole canvas. Work in an area where you find adequate ventilation.
For any of the recent oil paintings, your trouble is more probable a loudening of dust, smoke, pet hair, dander, and other bacterial or fungal growth. In this case, ensure none of the paint is set to come off the canvas or board, sense that it doesn't display any cracks or flakes. Then you could vigilantly dust the surface with a very soft, dry bristle brush, like a baby toothbrush or shaving cream brush.
When the surface is steamy, dirty, or oily, you might desire to take the cleaning a step further and in fact uses a mild detergent solution. Again, in general speaking, oil and water must never mix, as moisture could be damage both the canvas and the impasto. Proceeding with care, use brand original cotton cloths dipped in a mixture of dish soap and only the warm water. Lightly blot the surface, but do not rub, wipe, or rub at the oil painting. At no point you should sink any part of the painting, nor permit so much moisture that it drips or pools.
For an oil painting to retain its original shine and form, the artist or the collector needs to maintain it carefully. Particularly if you are an art lover or collector who owns one or several oil paintings, the best way to maintain the paintings is to get some professional help to clean or refurbish your valuable collection.
But hiring a professional can be quite expensive and time consuming. If you follow a few simple steps carefully, you can effectively clean the oil paintings on your own. Here are some easy to follow steps, guidelines and directions on how to clean oil paintings yourself.
1. Use soft brushes
To maintain the quality of the oil painting always give stress on using very soft brushes to remove dirt. While dusting an oil painting make sure not to flex the canvas or to remove the oil paints by bumping the painting. Avoid dusting the loose flaking paint as while doing so you might damage the paint completely.
2. Use gentle solvent
If the original oil painting is in good shape but the varnish is quite aged, you can apply a gentle solvent known as conservation liquid for cleaning it. Use the solvent with a cotton swab and apply it on the paint very carefully. To be on the safer side, it is advisable to test the reaction of the solvent by applying it on just one corner before trying it on the whole canvas. Use the solvent in an area with sufficient ventilation.
3. Clean the back of the painting
You must also pay attention to the back of the painting and clean it regularly by brushing or vacuuming. But before cleaning the back, remove the painting from its frame and place it on a clean surface. You can remove the dirt by vacuuming it with the help of a small nozzle with a brush attachment. If possible you can also use a cover on the back of the painting to prevent the accumulation of dust behind the painting.
4. Stop bacterial growth
For a new oil painting, chances are high for build-up of dirt, smoke, and bacterial or any fungal growth. After making sure that the paint is not showing any cracks or flakes, cautiously dust the surface with a baby toothbrush or shaving cream brush. Also make sure that the painting is not accumulating moisture in any form as it would totally damage the painting in the long run.
5. Remove the surface dirt
If the dirt accumulated on the front surface of the painting cannot be removed by dusting, you can use cotton pads dampened with distilled water. The cotton pad must be lightly rolled on the surface to remove dirt.
6. Avoid extra decoration
Additional decorations such as placing live plants around paintings must be avoided at any cost as pests and insects can stain the oil painting and damage the frame.
7. Take help of experts
Take the help of qualified experts to clean or refurbish any oil painting which is covered in dust or has completely yellowed varnish. Such paintings cannot be cleaned properly by novices. If you try to make such a painting look brighter with some handy tips, you might damage it completely.
Follow these steps and enjoy the charm of an original oil painting for generations to come.
Both Vijay & Tony Chalmers are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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