• Artwork Portfolio
  • Restoration Portfolio
  • Blog
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Artwork Portfolio
  • Restoration Portfolio
  • Blog
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Privacy
RIPS AND TEARS

trials and traumas in the life of paintings​

Potatoes and Onions

8/17/2010

3 Comments

 
Picture
Search 'painting restoration potato' you'll find a group of people who have been fooled by the idea of cleaning a painting with a freshly cut potato and some have used onions. While the initial affect is the desired one, the painting will darken substantially over time. The way it works is the carbohydrates in the potato will react with the linseed oil in the paint (linseed is the binder in most oil paints) practically removing the oils from the paint. The reason varnishes and paints change colour and darken is because they oxidize, sort of like rust forming on steel. Removing the varnish and even the oils in paint is the same as removing the clear coat on a car, you are inviting damage to the paint. Varnish and oil protect the pigments (essentially crushed minerals, dirt, or even bone) from oxidizing and destroying themselves. The potato trick might make the painting look nice for now but soon enough you wont have a painting left to save.

3 Comments
Nancy link
8/17/2010 04:00:28 am

I hadn't heard of the potato thing, but I heard about bread crumbs - using fresh Wonderbread. What does that do? Thanks.

Reply
mobilheimy link
3/22/2012 11:34:08 pm

Nice one info, thx

Reply
Juraj link
9/6/2012 11:38:28 pm

Good post dude

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    August 2018
    May 2018
    January 2018
    December 2016
    April 2016
    October 2014
    September 2012
    November 2011
    August 2010
    July 2010

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Andy Warhol
    Archival Processes
    Art
    Investment
    Oxidation
    Restoration

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.