{"id":12390,"date":"2016-08-01T09:00:49","date_gmt":"2016-08-01T07:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/artclinic.org\/?p=12390"},"modified":"2023-03-22T15:05:08","modified_gmt":"2023-03-22T14:05:08","slug":"painting-restoration-for-dummies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artclinic.org\/en\/painting-restoration-for-dummies\/","title":{"rendered":"Painting restoration for dummies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Painting restoration for dummies<\/h1>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
\"Schilderij<\/span><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

We all know those well-meant advices of granny from the good old days. You can also find many websites on internet on how to restore<\/strong> or clean<\/strong> a painting<\/strong> yourself. These advices vary from using an onion, potato, water with a little soap to using alcohol. Although all these products may have some properties they may help to improve the quality of a painting visibly, the chances of bringing permanent damage to the painting permanently are much higher.<\/p>\n

Do-it-yourself restoration<\/h2>\n

A potato and onion are full of water and can make the paint come loose. They can also scratch the surface. Abrasive materials and soap are based on acids and only one drop could make the paint dissolve and bring an irreversible chemical reaction.<\/p>\n

The use of alcohol is even more risky. Although every art restorer<\/a> uses this liquid compound on daily basis, a layman usually can\u2019t see the difference between surface dirt, the varnish layer or the color of dark paint that remains on the cotton. When working with alcohol they all show a same color on the cotton. What may seem dirt at first sight could be the removal of a layer of paint in reality.<\/p>\n

To underline my warmings, I will show a typical \u201cpainting restoration for dummies\u201d<\/strong> instruction-video (n Dutch) that makes believe that cleaning of a painting<\/strong> is a do-it-yourself<\/strong> job that anyone can do. Literally and figuratively to get tears in your eyes… <\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>