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Discoloured Painting Restoration
We can restore dark and discoloured oil paintings with a sensitive conservation-lead approach. The results can bring new life to an artwork, allowing you to see a truly vivid composition – just as the artist originally intended. Contact our team to discuss what we can achieve for your painting.
Why does my painting look yellow?
Historic paintings often have a yellow surface, ranging from a subtle tone to a very dark appearance.
Traditional varnish deteriorates over time and can darken and decay naturally. As varnish ages it appears yellow or brown. The discolouration may have also been exacerbated by nicotine or smoke.
Our conservators can remove surface discolouration, as well as the varnish itself, without harming the painting beneath.
Varnish Removal
Over time a painting can lose the original colours and visual impact due to the ageing of traditional varnish and atmospheric contaminants. A discoloured surface can lead to loss of value and potential weakness in the paint layer.
Oil painting cleaning and varnish removal is one of the most frequent treatments performed by our expert conservators. Each solution is tested against the sensitivity of the paint, allowing for a safe and ethical result.
Conservation Cleaning
Solutions for cleaning paintings are carefully selected with a scientific approach, eliminating any risks with gentle testing.
Varnish removal can take several hours depending on the size of the painting, as small handmade cotton swabs are used and swapped out for every inch to avoid cross-contamination. A large painting may require the use of hundreds of handmade swabs and days of intricate work.
Following varnish removal, and after any further restoration work is completed, a new layer of varnish is applied. This is a conservation-appropriate variety, which means it is non-yellowing and UV-reducing, allowing the painting to have ongoing protection into the future.
The finish of the new varnish – matt, satin or high gloss – can be either the same as the original appearance or changed to help you see the artwork as clearly as possible.
Reviving vibrancy
When a painting is cleaned and the varnish is replaced, the vibrancy of the original colours return. Paintings are never repainted or altered, the new appearance simply reveals the colours that have always been hiding beneath a darkened surface.
We work to bring back the artist’s intended appearance with as minimal intervention as possible.
Our conservators are trained to a museum standard and hold Masters degrees in their specialist fields. Our team will always take the appropriate steps to ensure the historic and artistic integrity of a painting.
Hidden features
During the varnish removal process, any paint which is unoriginal to the artwork will be assessed and removed, if deemed appropriate. This often reveals missing or edited areas that have occurred over the course of its life, giving an insight into the history of the painting.
The dark varnish may have also been hiding details. We often find that missing original features are revealed following this treatment.
Fire & Nicotine
Fireplaces and candles are often the cause behind a darkened appearance – toxic particles from soot or smoke can become embedded and lead to a strong visual disturbance.
As many historic paintings have been on display over hundreds of years, it is likely that at some point in their life they have faced smoke contamination from fireplaces, nicotine or household disasters.
Yellow hues can also be caused by nicotine contamination upon and within the varnish, building up over centuries or decades.
This type of discolouration should always be addressed to ensure the safe preservation of an artwork.
Water, moisture & mould
Paintings can sometimes appear clouded or with a light white veil over the surface. This is caused by moisture becoming trapped within the varnish or by mould spores. We often see this type of discolouration following a flood or escape of water. Although extreme, it can be successfully restored in most cases. We can work with insurance claims or on an individual basis to save flood affected artworks.
Accidental stains
Varnish removal also eliminates any staining upon the surface, including accidental marks and spills. All areas and materials will be fully assessed to establish a bespoke cleaning plan, even with the most unusual stains.
Contact Our Team Today
We are happy to discuss your painting, offer advice and an obligation-free estimate for oil painting cleaning.
