Art Cleaning and Restoration
As time passes, unprotected art and oil paintings tend to darken due to the accumulation of dirt and yellowing of the varnish or paper. The best way to protect art is to have it properly framed or finished. Cleaning art restores the color and detail that has been obscured over the years. We can clean most oil and acrylic paintings and can clean some printed works, restoring the "brightness" of the color and the paper.
Improper cleaning, even just using soap and water, can harm a painting by causing the surface to crack or paint to chip off. Cleaning and restoring artwork seems simple, but it is a very detailed, time consuming process. Typically, cleaning a 16" x 20" painting takes about 6 - 8 hours. Most cleaning requires a cleaning kit. We will not do anything to harm your art - everything we do will be fully explained in detail and approved by you before we begin. Colours offers art cleaning, paper and canvas repair, chip repair, and limited frame repair.
We start by inspecting your art, looking for damage and determining its condition. We then discuss what you want done. If the work is framed we agree on what you want to do with the frame - either cleaned, repaired, or replaced. We only do limited frame repair as the repair cost often exceeds the replacement cost. We then give you a firm quote based on time and materials. If your artwork is beyond our ability to repair, we will refer you to conservators who can do the work. A deposit for the cleaning materials is required.
Cleaning Drawings (Pencil and Pen & Ink) - for the most part, we recommend that only the area around the work be cleaned t0 prevent accidental removal of drawn areas. The process involves "erasing" the residue that has accumulated on the paper and a mild cleaning (bleaching) of the paper to bring out the brightness of paper. Cleaning Prints - this involves removing dirt and stains from the paper in the same manner as described above, but also using a mild solvent and neutralizer and process similar to cleaning a painting.
Due to the extreme delicacy of rice and other grass papers, we can not clean Japanese work at this time.
Improper cleaning, even just using soap and water, can harm a painting by causing the surface to crack or paint to chip off. Cleaning and restoring artwork seems simple, but it is a very detailed, time consuming process. Typically, cleaning a 16" x 20" painting takes about 6 - 8 hours. Most cleaning requires a cleaning kit. We will not do anything to harm your art - everything we do will be fully explained in detail and approved by you before we begin. Colours offers art cleaning, paper and canvas repair, chip repair, and limited frame repair.
We start by inspecting your art, looking for damage and determining its condition. We then discuss what you want done. If the work is framed we agree on what you want to do with the frame - either cleaned, repaired, or replaced. We only do limited frame repair as the repair cost often exceeds the replacement cost. We then give you a firm quote based on time and materials. If your artwork is beyond our ability to repair, we will refer you to conservators who can do the work. A deposit for the cleaning materials is required.
Cleaning Drawings (Pencil and Pen & Ink) - for the most part, we recommend that only the area around the work be cleaned t0 prevent accidental removal of drawn areas. The process involves "erasing" the residue that has accumulated on the paper and a mild cleaning (bleaching) of the paper to bring out the brightness of paper. Cleaning Prints - this involves removing dirt and stains from the paper in the same manner as described above, but also using a mild solvent and neutralizer and process similar to cleaning a painting.
Due to the extreme delicacy of rice and other grass papers, we can not clean Japanese work at this time.
Cleaning A Painting
Cleaning A Painting - The cleaning process involves removing the painting from the frame and cleaning the painting with a neutralizer to remove surface dirt. We use a cotton Q-Tip and clean a 1" square at a time. When the painting is clean we apply a light conservation varnish to protect the painting. A 16" x 20" painting has 320 1" squares; each square takes about 1 minute to clean. If the painting requires a deeper cleaning, the process is repeated using an Emulsion or Varnish remover.
Cleaning Kits:
1. Surface Cleaning Kit - $75.00
2. Basic Cleaning Kit - $150.00
3. Varnish Removal Kit (includes basic cleaning kit) - $200.00
Cleaning Kits:
1. Surface Cleaning Kit - $75.00
2. Basic Cleaning Kit - $150.00
3. Varnish Removal Kit (includes basic cleaning kit) - $200.00
Torn Canvas
Repaired Canvas Damage
Restored Canvas
Repairing Damage - Repairing a painting can be very expensive. Unless the art has great sentimental or monetary value, or will cost more to replace than repair, you might consider getting new art. If a painting is to be repaired, it will also need to be cleaned. The repair process includes:
1. Remove the painting from the frame and removing the canvas from the stretcher bars.
2. Attaching the entire painting to new canvas using a Lining compound - small tears can be "patched."
3. Filling missing paint areas with repair medium and then clean the painting.
4. Color matching and repainting the repaired areas.
5. Re-stretching and varnishing the painting.
6. Cleaning the frame and assembling the painting.
Repair Kits:
1. Patching kit (for small tears or punctures) - $60.00
2. Repair kit (includes varnish removal kit) - $275.00
Labor Rates:
1. Frame cleaning and minor repair/assembly - $20.00 per hour.
2. Art cleaning - $30.00 per hour (one hour minimum).
3. Painting repair (lining/patching) - $45.00 per hour.
4. Color matching/paint repair - $75.00 per 1" square area ($75.00 minimum).
1. Remove the painting from the frame and removing the canvas from the stretcher bars.
2. Attaching the entire painting to new canvas using a Lining compound - small tears can be "patched."
3. Filling missing paint areas with repair medium and then clean the painting.
4. Color matching and repainting the repaired areas.
5. Re-stretching and varnishing the painting.
6. Cleaning the frame and assembling the painting.
Repair Kits:
1. Patching kit (for small tears or punctures) - $60.00
2. Repair kit (includes varnish removal kit) - $275.00
Labor Rates:
1. Frame cleaning and minor repair/assembly - $20.00 per hour.
2. Art cleaning - $30.00 per hour (one hour minimum).
3. Painting repair (lining/patching) - $45.00 per hour.
4. Color matching/paint repair - $75.00 per 1" square area ($75.00 minimum).