A Comprehensive Guide On The Methods Of Cleaning Oil Paintings
Every art connoisseur must know how to clean oil painting. If you take proper care of an oil painting, it will last for a lifetime. Storing oil paintings properly and cleaning them is one of the factors of portrait preservation. You have a portrait at home, you want to take extra steps to preserve it, or it has become dull with time.
If you don’t know what to do or where to start, you can check out the story of Lana Zueva. Lana Zueva is a Russian born artist who adores oil painting and fell in love with the art at a young age. Lana Zueva believes her artwork will bring as much joy to her customers as she enjoys while creating them. Cleaning an art piece without ruining it is a difficult task.
No matter how deliberately you approach it, a small mistake can completely ruin the masterpiece. Sure enough, you do not want that to happen to your treasure when you try cleaning it. That is why here is a comprehensive guide for you on cleaning the oil painting. So stick to it. The first step is to check the signs you need to clean your oil painting.
Signs your oil painting needs cleaning
When you shop for paintings online, you will find many artists who use oil paints to create their masterpieces. The oil paintings can last for centuries. However, like every other thing, these artworks also age with time. The surface of an oil painting can gather dust, moulds, grime and can also get stains with time. Below are the signs you should check before you decide on cleaning your oil paintings.
- Dullness
- Discoloration
- Layers of grime or dirt
- Moulds
If your artwork by Painting artist Lana Zueva has cracks, flaking paints or changes in shape, it shows extreme signs of aging. It has only one solution. Do not try to clear it yourself and look for a professional art conservator for help.
How to clean an oil painting at home?
There are three ways of cleaning an oil painting at home. The first method is dry brushing. It is the most selected method of cleaning an oil painting at home. In this method, people dust the oil painting to clean dust and other particles. For dry dusting, place the artwork on a stable and flat surface.
Get a soft brush and start with cleaning a small section at a time and cleaning the surface carefully. The second method is by using saliva for cleaning. It may sound odd to you, but this method is safe and the best way of cleaning an oil painting on your own at home.
You may find it weird to use your saliva to clean your favorite oil painting. Professionals have been using this method for decades to clean oil paintings. A person’s saliva has powerful enzymes to break down grime and dirt. The enzyme in the saliva is not strong enough to break down the paint.
Do a patch test and start swabbing in small sections. Keep switching cotton tips while cleaning. Lastly, you can look for professional services to clean the art piece at home.
