Returning to an old unfinished painting

[Mary Reilly]

I'm looking for some technical advice. About six years ago I started an oil that for various reasons I set aside before it was complete. Now I am itching to finish this painting, but I am concerned that the new layers of paint will not properly bond with the previous layers because of the amount of time that has passed. The size is 26x32 and the composition is rather complicated so I prefer to finish this one rather then start the painting all over again.

The painting is on stretched oil primed linen, and I've used some liquin (though not much) with the paint. The paint on the linen is in thin layers with not alot of build up.

Does anyone have advice of how I should proceed with the painting? I've heard somewhere that I should put a coat of retouch varnish over the surface of the painting and then proceed as usual. If that is true, should I let the retouch varnish dry first or start painting into it while it is wet? Are there any other suggestions that anyone has? I would love to finish this painting, but I don't want it to start cracking and pealing in a year or two.

Thanks for any advice.

Mary Reilly

[Leopoldo Benavidez]

Mary,

Yes, you can use retouch varnish first over areas that you want to paint into, or add a bit of any of the resins to your tube paint nuts on your palette, like dammar, mastic, copal, canada balsam, etc. Resins are sticky and think of them like a glue. Tube paints having oil in them, as their vehicle only, might present some adhering problems down the road over a dried film of paint. Dammar is by far the cheapest and easiest to procure! Good luck..........L

[Mary Reilly]

Of course, that makes so much sense!

Thanks,
Mary