The harmony of images and colors on the canvases awakes a storm of emotions in humans. Joy, peace, serenity, inspiration – this is far from a complete list of feelings that we are experiencing looking at a work of art. The desire to constantly experience these emotions makes a man already for many centuries to decorate his dwelling with various artworks.
If your house or office is decorated with pictures, remember that they require a special care. It seems what can be easier? Just hang a picture on the wall and admire it. In reality, in order for the picture not to deteriorate but to delight your eyes throughout many years, several very simple rules should be followed.
- Do not hang a picture in direct sunlight, in places with high humidity, near heaters and above air conditioners, because changes in temperature and humidity may have an extremely negative impact on it.
- Try to do everything so that drops of water and fat do not get on your picture, do not touch the drawing with the fingers.
- Pictures do not tolerate fumes and tobacco smoke, because they absorb the smell and get covered with unpretty coating.
Watercolor Paintings
Watercolors are insufficiently durable. Over time, especially under the influence of direct sunlight, they lose their brightness and fade. Furthermore, the paper on which the drawing is made also fades, gets easily contaminated and becomes brittle.
If dirt gets on a watercolor painting, under no circumstances should you use water or an eraser for cleaning. For gentle cleaning, you can use a rolled-up white bread crumb. Thus it is necessary to process not only the contaminated area, but the entire surface.
To protect the watercolor drawings, experts advise to put them in a frame under glass. Due to the fact that the contact with glass also harms the drawing, it is the most advantageous to use the passé partout.
If your painting is hidden behind the glass, taking care of it becomes absolutely not burdensome: periodically clean the dust with a soft cloth from the glass, from the frame and the backside of the painting. To clean the glass, do not spray on it a wiper; the glass is better to be cleaned with a soft cloth dampened with water and some glass cleaner.
Oil Paintings
Paintings in oil are created on canvas, cardboard or wood. Such pictures, as a rule, are not hidden behind the glass. A picture painted in oils dry several years, therefore you should hang them in a warm place which a good ventilation. After a layer of paint hardens experts advise to cover the picture with varnish. It gives the picture additional stability to sunlight, water and mechanical damage. Place the picture at an angle to the light. If there is no varnish on the surface, glare of light will be uneven.
Painting in oils must be dusted from time to time. From the front side the dust is removed in one direction with a dry flannel or velvet cloth. Do not use a brush, a duster or a vacuum cleaner. The backside of the painting should be dusted with the same cloth. The cleaning of the backside of a painting should be done at least once in half a year. The dust from the frame is cleaned with a soft cloth. Faded gilding of the frame will restore its gloss if you wipe it with a flannel cloth soaked in a mild alcohol solution.
Experts advise not to use water and detergents for cleaning the pictures if the paint layer is cracked, this can irrevocably ruin the picture.
If the picture is heavily contaminated or deteriorated, do not try to correct the damages yourself. Only a professional restorer will be able to do a good job in high quality restoration of the picture.
