PROJECT
3 Glue the patch
Apply the PVA to the canvas patch
and make sure the fibres are flush
with the original canvas. (If you are
using a primed canvas patch, which
I would recommend, make sure the
primed side faces the back of your
damaged canvas). Press down lightly
and make sure no PVA escapes
through the tear on the other side
of the canvas. If it does, just wipe
it away with a moist cloth.
Turn your attention to the painting
side of the canvas now and gently
push the two sides of the tear
together as much as possible in order
to make the fibres line up. Make sure
to do this relatively quickly as the glue
will be drying as you go.4 Let the patch dry
Rest the canvas painted side down.
Place a weight on the back of the
patch to hold everything in place
and leave the PVA to set for at least
24 hours. When it has set, turn the
canvas over and the front of the
painting should look something like
it does in the image on the left.
As you can see, the white primer on
the canvas patch is showing through
the tear. Let the PVA set properly
before touching up the paint,
otherwise it may loosen over time.5 Touch up the paint
Now your patch is on, we can
start retouching the paintwork. If you
were repairing an acrylic painting, you
could use a filler, such as Golden’s
Gel and Moulding Paste, to fill in the
gap and give a level surface overwhich to paint. Oil paint will reject
an acrylic-based filler, however, so
I recommend filling in any sizeable
gaps with thick oil paint instead,
applying it with a palette knife and
blending it using a brush.
This is where your artistry can
come in. For larger tears or impasto
paintings, you can choose to change
the appearance of the painting by
going over it with thicker layers of
paint. If it is a smaller tear or a
painting with more subtle brushwork,
you can attempt to lightly blend in the
touched-up patch with the rest of the
painting. It all depends on the size
and location of the tear and your
personal painting style.6 The final work
When viewed close up, some of the
tear is still visible, but I am pretty
happy with the overall results when it
is viewed from a distance. I hope you
have success with your repairs too.
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