It's Monday morning again, and today I have a special for you. I have not one, but two articles on the proper care of artwork. The first one by Marc Eliuk tells us things to be aware of for oil paintings, and the second by Kathleen Karlsen covers any original artwork in general.
"When purchasing or obtaining a freshly painted oil painting, it is very likely that it has not truly "dried" yet. Oil paints can take between a few months to a year to "dry" despite feeling dry to touch. Therefore, let's make a distinction between these two states of dryness:
Dry: being dry to physically touch (taking a week to a month).
Cured: being dried chemically (taking several months to a year).
Although determining if an oil painting is physically "dry" or not, is relatively easy; however, determining if an oil painting is "cured," is a little trickier. Provided that the painting is dry to touch, there are a four major considerations in caring for your painting:
1. Uncured paintings are damaged more easily, especially in the early stages of curing.
In the early stages of curing only, you can physically feel the difference between a cured painting and an uncured one, as the uncured painting will feel, "soft" almost rubbery. (Please don't test this by running your fingers across a new painting that you intend to keep, the painting is very susceptible to damage, even rubbing off color if the painting has just dried). Therefore, keep in mind that you want to protect your painting from being scratched, rubbed against, or from rubbing off color (such as touching or using a regular cloth). When dusting any painting, use a soft cloth, feather duster or lightly forced air to dust with as paintings can still be scratched after they have cured.
2. Oil paintings require oxygen to cure.
Oil paints cure through oxidation, and how you store the painting will make a difference in curing times. Therefore, closing it in a case with no ventilation, or placing it right up against a sheet of glass when framing, will greatly slow your curing times. If you wish to use glass with a frame, ensure that you have at least 1.5 cm or about ½ inch of air between the glass and the painting. This might slow your curing time but it will at least cure and protect it from being scratched.
3. Uncured oil paintings can be light or dark sensitive.
Since curing an oil painting is a chemical process, some pigments will react to extremes in lighting. As with any painting, avoid hanging it in sunlight or near bright halogen lights as it will fade; however, only during the curing period (of up to a year) should you avoid keeping it in the dark all the time. From experience, I've found that keeping a freshly painted oil painting in a dark room for the curing process caused the white pigment to yellow. The closer the painting is to being cured, the less dark sensitive it will be; therefore, when it is cured, it is no longer dark sensitive and no longer an issue..
4. Never use any varnish or any liquids of any kind (at least) until it is cured.
During the curing time, or the first year to be safe, leave the painting alone from anything liquid. Liquids of any kind, especially solvents can react, even ruin your oil painting, even when cured. Please research the topic thoroughly on items to use in protecting your oil paintings, and do not test them out on your painting until after they have cured. Keep in mind that some chemicals will still react with a cured oil painting or soften the oils and ruin your painting.
Finally, keep in mind that with proper care, an oil painting will virtually last forever. Photos typically will not, even acid free photo paper will eventually age, oxidize and become brittle over time. With care, oil paintings can remain pristine for centuries and hopefully become family treasures to be passed onto your descendants."
If you have an interest in creating family heirlooms in the form of oil paintings, or are interested in learning more about the accomplishments of the author, please visit my website: www.artzmark.com
Thank you for your interest in this topic.
Marc Eliuk
BA. B.Ed. C.H.
Marc Eliuk is an artist, teacher and herbalist. Years of painting oil portraits have produced astonishing work and Marc’s talent is on the up and coming in the art community.
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"The following are some general guidelines for caring for original artwork and hand painted crafts that will keep your work beautiful for a lifetime and more.
Direct sunlight can fade and/or darken colors. Place your hand painted collectible or hang your painting so that it is not exposed to direct sunlight.
Do not mount display lights directly over your hand painted item or original art. Spotlights should ideally be located several feet from the surface of a painting or a special collection display.
The best environment for artwork is moderate, including average temperatures of 70-75F and a humidity of 50%. Since we do not all live in ideal conditions, try to avoid exposing your hand painted items and original art to extremes of either heat or humidity.
Avoid fireplace smoke and cigarette smoke. For other types of dirt and dust, paintings may be dusted with a soft, clean brush to very gently remove accumulated dirt and dust. Decorative crafts can be wiped gently with a damp cloth. Do not use any detergents or chemicals. In-depth cleaning for fine art should be done by a professional art restorer and is usually only required after many decades or even centuries!
If your artwork or fine art crafts need to be placed in temporary storage, store paintings and handcrafted items at the same temperature and humidity levels as indicated above. Do not seal in plastic or glass as moisture build-up may cause damage. Sheets or other low lint cloths may be used to lightly cover your paintings or handicrafts.
If your artwork has been seriously damaged (tears, punctures or other significant damage), the repairs should be handled by a professional art restorer. Common tapes and glues may contain chemicals that will damage the art.
Follow these guidelines and your original art and fine art crafts will add beauty and joy to your life for many, many years to come."
Thats all for now, how did you like todays "double" post? If any or you had any doubts, or weren't sure of some aspect of proper artwork care, I hope it was answered today. You know the drill by now, if you have a question or concern leave me a post. Take care and I'll see you on Wednesday.
