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To understand how to best look after your furniture, the key is to understand the materials from which it was made. Various types of wood have been used throughout the many design styles of antique furniture, all of which are susceptible to natural decay which can be accelerated by the environment in which they sit.… Read more »
At Fine Art Restoration Company, we treat many unusual and eclectic artworks and items. Some of the most intriguing are found in the displays of natural history in antique taxidermy. What is taxidermy? Taxidermy is the term given to natural specimens which have been cleaned and preserved. Their exterior will have been mounted over a… Read more »
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After an oil painting is finished it benefits from varnish to be in the very best condition. This doesn’t only preserve the paint, but often brings out brighter saturation, ensures it does not become dull and gives the finished product a professional quality. Varnish is recommended only for oil and acrylic paints, this is because… Read more »
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How do you protect artwork from sunlight? It depends on the type of artwork and how well this might withstand bright conditions. As a rule, direct sunlight should be avoided, but extra steps can be taken to avoid ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Ultraviolet rays are responsible for damage to treasured paintings when they are… Read more »
What are those brown spots on your watercolour or print? They are commonly referred to as ‘foxing’ patches on the paper, a reaction with moisture caused by mould spores. They may begin as a small and easily ignored blemish, but in time they will only spread and become worse now that they are present. Foxing… Read more »
Sometimes when an oil painting seems to be dirty or fading, you may be tempted to try your own cleaning technique at home. It is possible to achieve a light clean if the canvas is stable, where the paint layer is not flaking or cracked, for example, removing any dust or very light contaminants upon… Read more »
The post How to Restore Pastel Paintings appeared first on Fine Art Restoration Company.
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We frequently deal with fire-damaged artworks and it is entirely possible to treat paintings that have been affected by soot and smoke. Our aim is to collect the artworks as quickly as possible, carry out the restoration work, and return them home when suitable to do so. We’ve set out our steps to follow below… Read more »
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Moving house can be a stressful time for anyone; this experience was made even more difficult for one of our clients after their artwork was damaged by a removal company. Two highly cherished and sentimental paintings were substantially damaged – this was even harder to see after they had been entrusted to a company for… Read more »
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Accidental damage to oil paintings comes in many forms; spillages and stains on artworks are very common and can happen so easily. For many of our clients, the damage is not of their own doing but has instead happened while renting out their home or while work has taken place. Examples of substances we have… Read more »
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It is always a privilege for our team to be able to preserve items which have special historical significance. This was the case recently when we restored a 1940 army beret that was in need of cleaning and restoration. The beret is very special to our client, who wished to have a sympathetic restoration focused… Read more »
Frequently Asked Questions, Guides and advice, How to ..., Oil Painting, Useful articles, Watercolour
An interesting question we are often asked is ‘Which paintings are the largest and most complex you have restored?’. When we receive a 7ft by 3ft painting into the studio with tears and in need of lining, it’s an exciting challenge for all of our team. But the other end of the scale can be… Read more »
Frequently Asked Questions, Guides and advice, How to ..., Oil Painting, Useful articles, Watercolour
For many art collectors, the worst-case scenario for the condition of their artworks would be if they were damaged through water, fire or a bad accident. Unfortunately, such incidents do happen and requires the need for artworks to be removed from the scene promptly and safely. We are always able to suitably package such items… Read more »
Frequently Asked Questions, Guides and advice, How to ..., Useful articles, Watercolour
It is always a fascinating source of interest for our clients and art collectors to see how we repair watercolours and works-on-paper. It is understandable to assume there is little or nothing that can be done to fix such fragile items. Although these are naturally delicate items, repairs are still possible and very successful. So… Read more »
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It can sometimes seem very obvious why an artwork needs restoration. If a painting has a tear, you know it needs repaired. Or if an artwork is so dirty you can no longer see specific details, you know it needs cleaned. This is indeed correct, but when a painting arrives into our studio, instead of… Read more »
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If your painting has a tear, puncture, hole or areas of missing canvas, the damage can be very obvious and hard to hide. We refer to such issues as problems with your painting’s structure – which means any damage to the canvas itself. Damage to a painting’s structure prevents the artwork from being fully supported… Read more »
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What is ‘strip-lining’? If you follow art restoration and conservation, it’s likely that you will have had the term ‘lining’. Lining is the addition of a second canvas to a weakened original, to provide reinforcement and stability to an artwork. (You can read more about the process of lining in our helpful article detailing why… Read more »
Our latest case study explores the restoration of a mid 19th century watercolour seascape, one of a pair and an original Luigi Renault of the Consul Kestner schooner. Our client came to us rather concerned and discouraged after an antique expert concluded that it would be difficult to treat the painting. The issue with our… Read more »
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Every painting we work on in the studio has a unique identity. Whether it’s a signature we find while cleaning, an interesting note on the back of the canvas, or a clear sign of where part of an artwork has been painted over, there is always something of interest that tells the story of a… Read more »
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Last week, we received an urgent email from one of our clients. Their painting had been stored in a cardboard box, waiting to be unpacked when an accident left flooding in their home. The cardboard understandably did nothing to protect the artworks, and our client was very distressed. So what should you do if your… Read more »
