Repair a Hole in a Canvas Painting
A torn canvas doesn't necessarily mean that your painting is ruined. A tear can be repaired in most cases and if you plan to paint over the spot, the repaired area may be virtually invisible. If the repairs are being made to an area that will not be painted over, it can be more difficult to hide but will keep the tear or hole from expanding at the very least. With some inexpensive materials and the following steps, you will be able to successfully make repairs to a canvas.
Instructions
1. Apply a piece of new canvas to the back of the painting using a mixture of beeswax and Damar, available at art supply stores, as adhesive. Be sure to flatten the edges of the tear. If the tear or hole is small, use a piece of canvas that is just slightly larger than the hole. If the canvas has extensive damage, you may opt to apply a piece of canvas to the entire back.
2. Turn the painting to the front and remove any excess wax from the front of the repair area with turpentine.
3. Fill the hole at the front if necessary. There may be a gap, with the new canvas backing that you have applied exposed, if you weren't able to seal the edges of the tear back together. This gap can be filled with a mixture to ensure that the surface is smooth for repainting. One way to do this is to use gelatin dissolved in warm water. Add chalk to the gelatin until a mixture with a putty texture is formed. Apply the putty to the hole and smooth over with a spatula for larger areas or your finger for a small area. You can also used a coat of Gesso in the hole to fill it. Let the Gesso dry for 24 hours.
4. Once the repair is dry, you can paint over the area and it may be completely undetectable.
