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How to preserve glass painting?

How to preserve an oil painting?can anyone tell me whether using fixative spray is a good idea or not?

  • How to preserve an oil painting?can anyone tell me whether using fixative spray is a good idea or not? how can i preserve an oil painting?can i use fixative spray after a picture is ...show more

  • Answer:

    Absolutely do NOT use Fixative!! The other response is correct, wait for the painting to dry. How long depends on many factors, like how thick you painted, and the colors used (yes - some colors dry much slower than others). Then, once the painting is completely dry, you want to apply a removable varnish. Not a varnish for wood, like from a hardware store, but a varnish made for paintings - and it should have a UV protectant in it. Since it sounds like you're not a regular oil painter, the best thing would be to go with a spray (aerosol) varnish, rather than a brush-on varnish. You will be able to choose the "sheen" of the varnish, from gloss to matte - but if you choose matte, use that only for your final coat - buy BOTH gloss and matte, use the gloss for your first coat (and second coat if you want to be thorough) then use the matte only for the final coat. This is to avoid getting a hazy build up from the matte varnish. As for cracking... there is not much you can do about that. Odds are, if the oils used are linseed based and the painting is not too thick, you'll have very little cracking in your lifetime. It would be good, however, to make sure the support (the canvas the painting was made on) is stable - you can gesso and seal the back to stiffen the fabric and keep the stretchers from warping and swelling. Don't ever let something poke into the canvas, that is the most common cause of cracks on newer (dry) oil paintings. But, again, cracking is inherent to oil paints and there is not much you can do to stop it. The good news is that it rarely happens quickly, and sometimes it is very minor. Golden (who actually makes acrylic paint) has a lot of tips on how to apply varnish in their YouTube channel, even though they show it going onto acrylic, the tips work for oils as well.

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Fixative is about as strong as hairspray. It would not help an oil painting at all. Actually an oil painting is rather sturdy contrary to popular belief. Usually a varnish (that is what you are looking for) is meant to even out the shine and bring out the contrast as some techniques tend to dull the paint when diluted. A side benefit is that it also protects those thinner layers of paint. Oil paint, modern quality oil paint will not crack. At least not in your lifetime or that of your grand children. It is more a problem with 'old skool' varnish that does crack eventually and collects dust in those cracks. You can even buy varnish that *will* crack. So nothing to worry about there. Let your painting cure completely. Usually around 8 weeks unless you did some really heavy paste work. It that case it may even take years. (Some paintings by Monet were painted on bitumen and are still not dry after 100 years) Here is a tutorial on varnish that will help you out:

Puppy Zwolle

Oil paintings need to dry before fixing

Jon

an oil painting will not degenerate on it's own even if you do nothing to it. in other words you don't have to "preserve it". many artists like the matte finish of an UNvarnished painting so they let it go. varnishing is for evening out a painting's surface. spray the painting with damar varnish spray or better yet, DAMAR RETOUCH VARNISH, and you don't have to wait until dry...you only have to wait until the painting is dry to tack. the painting will dry underneath the spray. caution,,,shake the can vigorously and spray in thin coats 24hrs apart until you feel it's enough.

Mik

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