what now?

Dave Murray · Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 5:13 pm Post subject: what now?

I have just finished my first oil painting (a sunset over Mt Larcom Qld). It was nearly dry when someone (grandchild?) made marks which removed small areas down to acryllic base. As the paint is 95% dry it is impossible to re-blend. Do I wait till it is fully dry and try to match the colours again? or what? Please help as it is a present for my daughter who has moved north to Innisfail and misses the view from Gladstone.

Tango · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 1360 Location: Melbourne

Hi Dave if you have just finished the painting it will be months before it is really dry (unless it is an Alkyd based oil paint), so you don't have to wait till it's dry, just treat it like a painting that you have been working on for a long time and the repair is the final top layer, and being the top layer it should be a ''FAT''mix , that is you should add a good load of oil medium to your oil paint as the dryer under paint wil draw the oil out of the new paint and make it dry to quickly and therefore cause cracking of the paint surface (if the extra medium isn't mixed in).

AvG · Joined: 17 Sep 2005 Posts: 1912

Colour matching will be easier if you apply a coat of retouch varnish. The retouch varnish will make the painting look a bit more like it did when it was wet and this means it will be easier to matchg up; the new mix of wet paint.
Retouch varnish is a workable surface and the paint need only be touch dry to apply. But don't use any other kind of varnish until the painting is fully completed and dried.

The Pook · Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 2904 Location: Tasmania

I second what Amanda said.

Can you upload a photo so we can see your work?

serena · Joined: 06 Jul 2009 Posts: 34 Location: Sydney

Hi Dave,

If you haven't attempted the repair yet you might like to rag off the edges where the paint has been removed with some solvent. You will need to paint over areas that haven't been affected to blend and retouch anyway so taking the area back a bit will help you with your blending as you apply fresh paint.

I second what Amanda and Tango have said also on the technical side of things. If you are using brands other than Archival oils the 'fat' over 'lean' principle as Tango stated is really important to avoid cracking in future.

If you are using Archivals Oils this classical rules doesn't apply because the paints are developed with inbuilt flexibility between layers to allow freedom of technique.