"La familia", or, how to damage a painting - varnish removal

Mike McCarty · 06-30-2003, 11:10 AM

I've just returned from San Antonio. This is my hometown where my mother and sisters still live. I took one of my recent painting to show off.

Without getting into the "how could this happen" part of the story, which would only serve to raise my blood pressure, you'll just have to trust that these are the facts.

My painting was varnished about 6 weeks ago with the following mixture: almost (guessed at) equal parts of Liquitex matte and gloss finish varnish with a small addition of turpentine thrown in (tea spoon added to a few ounces of the above varnish mixture). One coat of this mixture was brushed onto my painting. The finish looked real good and I was pleased.

In San Antonio the following was applied to the painting. Imagine a common cinnamon roll, with gooey globs of sugar icing. Place some of this icing on you finger and apply it to the painting. Leave this mixture on the painting for no more than 3 or 4 minutes.

Upon discovering this addition to my well considered work, I got a soft paper towel and put some warm water on it. I then carefully wiped the sugar/cinnamon glaze mixture from just above the eye of my painting. To my horror, not only did the sugar come off but the varnish did as well!

Now this wonderfully unified finish has a section, just above one eye about an inch by half inch, which is very different.

Again, without getting into the

Linda Nelson · 06-30-2003, 11:31 AM

Hi Mike,

When reading your post I could only think of the show "That Girl" when Marlo Thomas gets her big toe stuck in a bowling ball..

Anyway, the only thing I can suggest is to use is perhaps some strong coffee with some french vanilla creamer, as this is what I use with a frosted cinnamon rolls in the morning, and it seems to wash down really well.

Juan Martinez · 06-30-2003, 01:59 PM

Dear Mike,

What a fascinatingly horrifying story!

The "best" thing to do IMHO is to remove all, or most, of the varnish all over and then redo it. This will ensure uniformity again. That is, assuming no paint will be removed with the varnish. However, before going that far, why not just try to remove a little bit around the area of the current "hole" in the varnish--just enough to get rid of the ridges. Then, mix up your best guess of the matte/gloss ratio and patch it up. If, after drying, it looks noticeable, then you're simply back to having to remove all of the varnish. If not, then you're good-to-go. What do you think?

To remove the varnish (in case you haven't had to do this ever before) start by using the mildest solvent and work up from there. You want to use the mildest solvent that will get the job done. For instance, methyl hydrate will certainly work, or toluene, but these will also remove the paint very easily. But, perhaps naptha or some mild mineral spirits will work just as well, and still spare the paint layers.

If the paint was well-cured before the varnish was applied to it, then it should be pretty well able to withstand all sorts of solvents. I've successfully removed varnish using odorless mineral spirits (Gamblin's) and those blue shop towels you can get at any hardware store. They are strong, absorbent and, best of all, lint-free. I prefer them to cotton swabs. A restorer semi-acquaintence once "helped" me by removing some damaged varnish from a painting for me using a cotton swab dipped in the solvent. It removed the varnish all right but it left behind a zillion little cotton fibres which I then had to remove, one-by-freakin'-one, with tweezers! Arrgh.

By the way, are the Liquitex varnishes Hard (High Molecular Weight) or Soft (Low Molecular Weight)? If they are the former, then they will not settle, or level-out, as water does. Rather, they will conform to the contours of the surface they're applied to, so that is why you'll want to ensure those ridges are gone. With a soft varnish, the ridge wouldn't disappear, but it would be less evident.

Good luck.

Juan

Mike McCarty · 06-30-2003, 04:39 PM

Juan,

Thanks for the reply. Your approach seems reasonable to me.

In your opinion would you think that overlapping the "hole" would be a problem, or would you try and stay inside the hole. I'm thinking that I will apply this new varnish with a small brush.

Just thinking as I type, I could try and stay inside the hole and then when it is dry, depending on the results, I could go over the whole painting with another coat of varnish. Only one coat has been applied so far. Don't people routinely apply two coats?

I don't have the varnish bottles with me right now so I can't tell (would it say?) from the label whether it's hard or soft. I'll read the labels later today.

Do you or anyone else know why this simple sugar glaze would, in less than five minutes, be so effective in removing the varnish. What's the point in varnish if not to protect against these occurances? I like the unifying finish it provides, but I thought it would be much tougher than that.

Juan Martinez · 06-30-2003, 06:05 PM

Dear Mike

A quick check with Liquitex's website indicates that their "Soluvar" varnish (I assume that is the one you used but they do have a range of them) is probably a "soft" varnish and/or a Low Molecular Weight resin because it is supposed to be "self-levelling" and "removable" (something akin to Damar I guess). Most importantly, though, they stress in a couple of places NOT to use Odorless mineral spirits to remove it or to thin it, only regular Mineral Spirits or turpentine are to be used. (Odorless is maybe not quite strong enough? I don't know.) Anyway, I thought I should let you know. Here's the link: http://www.liquitex.com/products/varsoluvargloss.cfm

Considering its purported self-levelling qualities, I would not expect that overlapping the hole will be a problem, especially since you said there is only one coat of varnish. Maybe after you patch the hole and after that has dried sufficiently, you might want to give the entire painting another layer? This may even everything out sufficiently to eliminate any lingering evidence of the hole.

I am as surprised to read as you must have been to see that the sugar mixture took the varnish off. Maybe run that one by Liquitex.

Best luck.

Juan

Mike McCarty · 06-30-2003, 08:25 PM

Juan,

The link you included is exactly the product I used, combined with the "satin finish."

Tomorrow I am going to make a stab a this. I'm going to take a lint free white cloth dampened with turpentine and try and feather out the perimeter edges of the hole. After some time to dry I will mix my gruel and try and feather it into, and slightly beyond the hole.

*****

Juliet - Tell me not, friar, that thou hear'st of this, Unless thou tell me how I may prevent it: If in thy wisdom thou canst give no help, Do thou but call my resolution wise, And with this knife I'll help it presently.

Friar Laurence - Hold, daughter: I do spy a kind of hope, Which craves as desperate an execution As that is desperate which we would prevent.

Juliet - Give me, give me! O, tell not me of fear! Love give me strength! and strength shall help afford. Farewell, dear father!

Mike McCarty · 07-01-2003, 10:58 PM

Today I did as planned. I dipped a small brush (instead of a rag) into turpentine and tried to melt the "hole edges" of the varnish. What happened was, every place I touched on the varnish with turpentine, the varnish melted in varing degrees. I quickly judged that I had to make my attempt and then back away because the more I worked the more need for work appeared.

I let this dry for a couple of hours. I then made up my varnish mixture, guessing at the combination I had made before. With the same brush I applied the new varnish to the hole and just beyond.

What I have now is something that is better than what I had yesterday. But to my critical eye I will never have, without completely stripping all the varnish off which I won't risk, a fully restored painting. I could, and I may, go over the entire painting with another coat of varnish but from what I see now the ridges will never be gone to my complete satisfaction.

*****

Romeo - Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much.

Mercutio - No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church-door; but 'tis enough, 'twill serve: ask for me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man.

Linda Brandon · 07-02-2003, 10:23 AM

Queen - [scattering flowers] Sweets to the sweet!
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Alas, poor Michael! a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. Where be your gibes now? Quite chop-fallen?
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Good gentlemen, I gather that mechanical means of reducing ridges, i.e. sanding [ASIDE: stage whisper: "random orbital power sander?"] are too radical to consider? But what fun it would be to try this, especially on someone else's painting! [gleeful rubbing of hands together]
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King - [rising] My words fly up, my thoughts remain below:/ Words without thoughts never to heaven go.

[EXIT Linda, hastily]

Mike McCarty · 07-02-2003, 11:05 AM

Fair lady, I believe you have mistaken me for poor Yorick, that hath borne me on his back a thousand times.

Actually, my thoughts have strayed to random power orbital sanders. But more to work with knee caps than canvas.

****

Hamlet - You that look pale and tremble at this chance, That are but mutes or audience to this act, Had I but time - as this fell sergeant, death, Is strict in his arrest - O, I could tell you - But let it be. Horatio, I am dead; Thou livest; report me and my cause aright To the unsatisfied.