Inexpensive works of art on paper can be restored by the average person.
Restoration of artwork should only be done by amateurs on inexpensive paintings. Advanced restoration techniques require extensive training, years of experience and a laboratory full of specialized materials, solvents and tools of the trade. Restoration attempts by non-professionals will usually do more damage than good. The average person can learn to repair badly damaged paintings of little monetary value or can do simple, minor repairs to more valuable paintings or prints, especially works of art on paper. Proper handling and conservation of works of art is a form of pre-restoration, preventing the need for later repairs.
Instructions
1. Conserve your artwork by handling and displaying it correctly. Only use archival acid-free matting and framing materials. Never display a painting or print in direct sunlight; even an hour or two a day will fade the colors. Frame the picture so it doesn't touch the glass. Use ultra-violet-filtered glass if the painting is hung in strong light. Paper tape the back of the frame, sealing it from moisture and insect damage.
2. Clean your art work thoroughly. Secure your work of art on paper while cleaning it; have a helper hold it down. Vacuum off any loose dust, spiderwebs or smoke particles. Use a moderately stiff bristled artist's paintbrush to remove any compacted dust or dirt, especially in heavily applied impasto painted areas of oil or acrylic. Use a damp cloth to clean smudges and light stains on oil or acrylic, but not on watercolor. Clean watercolors with a kneadable art eraser.
3. Brush on a diluted solution of paint consolidator to secure any flaking or loosened paint to the support. Apply it with a fine brush only to the affected area. Work the material into cracks and under flakes to reattach them. Repair bubbles or flakes with heated beeswax, pressing them down with a painting knife.
4. Remove acidic cardboard or paper backing, mounts or mat board to prevent further darkening and damage. If the cardboard mount is stuck on tightly, remove it by peeling off the laminated layers one at a time, then steam off the remaining residue and adhesive by holding it over a steaming pot of boiling water.
5. Remove any masking tape, plastic tape or gummed labels, as they will stain the paper. These can be cut off with a hobbyist's knife or loosened with heat or steam. Clean adhesive and tape remnants with a kneadable eraser. Redo the poorly mended tears using archival linen tape and wheat paste. Badly torn areas can be reinforced on the back of the paper using thin Japanese tissue paper. Holes on the verso side may be patched with wheat paste and paper that closely matches the original.
6. Reline the entire sheet of paper if it's in poor condition or overly fragile. Strengthen it by attaching a sheet of Japanese mulberry paper or high quality rag paper with archival adhesive. Dry the relined paper between sheets of acid free blotter paper. Weight the blotter paper down to prevent buckling.
7. Flatten out your support paper by removing any buckling, rippling, waviness or creasing caused by prolonged exposure to moisture. Relax the paper by humidifying it, then drying between blotters under weight. Badly wrinkled areas can be fixed by light spraying with a spritzer bottle and re-drying between weighted blotters.
