Through history artists have used linen and canvas as a painting support, and for good reason, when carefully prepared the painting surface should be relatively stable and able to cope with the rigours of time. Nonetheless, a painting on canvas is still very vulnerable, as even a little pressure on the surface will create dents that will not naturally regain shape and anything more severe will certainly make a hole in the material. Such damage is not necessarily fatal for the painting and, in most cases, can be repaired. If you have a canvas that has a lump in it caused by accidental pressure, you can try removing it by lightly dampening the area on the back with a finger. The effect of the water drying will (hopefully) pull the area back into shape. If this doesn't do the job, more water can be dabbed onto the canvas with a sponge, but it's important to avoid making the canvas too wet. More pronounced distortions can be brought back by applying a cool iron over the reverse of the canvas. Where pressure on the canvas has actually caused the paint surface to crack, ironing from the back may help reduce the appearance of the damage. Small tears and punctures can be repaired by applying a patch of canvas to the back of the picture. For preference the patch should be made from the same type of cloth as the original and at least 2 inches larger on all sides than the tear itself. You can help disguise it's presence by fraying the edges. The traditional adhesive for this is beeswax or beeswax and damar, and the patch is applied with a iron that is just hot enough to melt the wax. There are modern alternatives to this adhesive but make sure that only conservation quality ones are used. To avoid further damage, always make sure that the canvas is laid face down on a flat surface cushioned with a blanket and covered with brown craft paper. In time canvases can become slack, if this happens, don't automatically tighten the wedges as minor distortions are very likely to correct themselves. If wedges do need adjusting, try and avoid driving them in any more than is really necessary, otherwise you may find the paint surface cracks or cheaper canvases tear. Picture restoration is a highly skilled job. The advice offered here is primarily aimed at the artist wishing to repair his or her own works, anybody wanting to repair a valuable work should always take the painting to a professional picture restorer.
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Rob Tyrrell is a professional artist specialising in pet portraits, you can find more information on his site plus samples of his pet portraits. Just log on to www.robtyrrell-petportraits.co.uk
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