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How to Resurface Old Canvas Paintings to Create New Artwork

8/5/2017

32 Comments

 
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Do you have a few old paintings laying around that are no longer up to par and wonder if you could reuse them to make even better artwork? Interested in moving your painting skills forward by creating more art and in finding ways to save on supplies?


You want to make an omelette? You've gotta break some eggs.
-Tyler Durden (Fight Club)
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​In today's post, I will be taking you through the process of preparing an old canvas painting in order to reuse it to create a new painting. With just a few tools, you'll be able to have a brand new surface to paint on!
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I am a firm believer in using what we have and in being as resourceful as possible in our explorations. Because, as most of you already know, us artists need to explore a lot and we have to be smart about how we spend our money.
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Old painting
Original painting. Sorry about it being upside down in the picture!


 
First and foremost, a bit about the original painting. This canvas was a part of an artwork composed of three separate panels (three long rectangles meant to be hung vertically side by side). The paintings around 35 years old. Probably more.

Another important note is that these artworks seem to have been created using very thin applications of acrylic paint. It is definitely not oil. And they don’t have much texture to them at all.

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I took all of these points into consideration when I decided to use them in my oil painting explorations. I knew resurfacing them was going to be easy and that they presented good opportunities for me to work on a size and format I had never worked on before.

Canvases with thickly applied paint (either oils or acrylics) or a lot of texture on them will probably require more work because more sanding will have to be done. 


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Gesso for canvas resurfacing

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Secondly, I used regular Gesso I had at hand in order to resurface my canvas. There is a lot of debate whether or not it is ¨safe¨ to use oil paint on a canvas prepped with gesso.

​A lot of folks believe that it should not be done because it is just a recipe for cracking, peeling and an overall less durable painting. Other artists believe that a good quality Gesso can serve as base for practically any type of paint or medium.


I think it is up to you to figure out if this will work for your specific type of artwork or not, and the only way of finding this out is through first-hand experimentation. Perhaps your just experimenting and learning like me, and aren't really looking to create a masterpiece that will be passed on from generation to generation.

​In this case, it doesn't really matter.

Something you do ​have to keep in mind is that if your goal is to resurface an old oil painting, a whole new set of rules apply. Regular Gesso cannot be used for this purpose. You would need an oil-specific ground and/or primer (I will not go into this process today because it is not something I have personally tried).

So, once again, you can create an oil painting over traditional Gesso, but you cannot apply gesso over an oil painting. 
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Are you with me? Ok!

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I personally didn't worry much about creating an impeccable surface for this project because, as previously stated, I knew since the beginning that this was mostly an exploration for me. 

However, if it worries you, a solution is to apply Linseed Oil prior to starting the painting process (if you're painting with oils). Simply brush this all over the previously dried gesso and allow it to soak for about 24 hours. Afterwards, wipe off the canvas with a dry cloth and let the games begin!

​The idea is that the gesso will absorb some of this oil and it is less likely to make the painting crack later. 


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How to Resurface an Old Canvas Using Gesso
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Supplies

-Old canvas painting/print/pretty much whatever as long as it's not an oil painting
-Sandpaper
-Gesso
-Thick used up/cheap brush
-Old fabric or dusting cloth
-Glass containers for water
-Linseed oil (*Optional)

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Process

1. Wipe the old artwork clean. Make sure it is clear of dust and other particles. 

2. Sandpaper the surface using light pressure and focusing on heavily textured areas. Don’t fret so much about getting the surface super even if the painting has a lot of texture to it. Wipe surface using a cloth.

3. Apply first layer of Gesso as evenly as possible and allow to dry for a couple of hours. If your Gesso is too thick and this bothers you, you can add a bit of water to it. Make sure that first layer completely dries before continuing with the next step. If it feels damp to the touch, this means you should wait longer.

4. Once the first layer is dry, apply a second coat of Gesso and allow to dry once more.

5. Sandpaper the surface again. 
How much you sand this layer will depend on the amount of texture you want your painting surface to have. Some artists like starting off with more texture than others and this is where your personal preference comes in. Just make sure that after you're done with your sanding, you remove any left over particles by dusting your canvas once more. 

 
At this point it should be ready to be painted on. But if you are still a bit nervous about not having a quality surface to work on, use the Linseed Oil suggestion I mentioned before. I will be trying this out on the next one.


First layer of gesso applied
This is how the canvas looks once it's ready to go! These canvases actually have a slightly damaged gold frame. Instead of removing the frame, I simply painted over it layer using black acrylic paint. I don't really like gold.
 

​To end this post, I would like to encourage you to experiment with new artistic processes first-hand even though maybe you don't have much experience about how to go about them.

Sure, do your research, but actually do it! Trying things out for yourself is going to leave you so much more knowledge and experience than just reading or hearing about them. 

Also, always remember that both in art and in life, it's much more about enjoying the process than the final outcome. Even if you don't end up with a masterpiece, the skills you learned throughout the way and what you discovered about yourself make the process totally worth it.
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Have you ever re-purposed an old artwork in order to create a new one? I'd LOVE to hear about it in the comments below.
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32 Comments
Anna link
4/16/2019 07:53:41 am

Hi Erika - I'm a studio photographer. I have a painted backdrop that was shipped to me and I've tried to steam the creases out but it wrinkles very easily whenever i move it.
Do you think that gessoing the back will add rigidity to this drop without compromising its color or quality? Maybe just one or two coats?

Reply
Erika Lancaster
4/17/2019 09:37:03 am

Hi Anna,

Thanks so much for popping by and for your comment/question. Means the world!

What kind of fabric is it? Is it thick, like canvas? Does it have paint all throughout (completely covering it) or are there areas that have no paint? What kind of paint is it? How thickly has the paint been placed on the fabric? Do some areas contain thicker coats of paint than others?

If the backdrop fabric is canvas, you can gesso it and the color quality shouldn't be affected. You can make the gesso mixture as thick or thin as you'd like by mixing in a bit of water, and laying down as many coats as you'd like.

However, there are many variables. I have never gessoed fabric that isn't canvas, or used it in combination with any kind of paint that isn't acrylic or oil.

Sorry I can't provide a solid answer to this, but I hope I helped in some way. Do ask the artist what he/she used and this could help clear up some doubts so you can make a decision. :)

Have a great day and thanks again!

Reply
Anna Kraft Hein link
4/18/2019 06:50:25 am

Thank you so much!
It's a thick fabric - I'm not a painter so I apologize for not being familiar with the terminology - but it's like a thick, heavy canvas.
The paint on top is not heavy, it's pretty evenly applied, but there are patches where it the application of paint is thin/bare.
I'm not sure what type of paint was used, but pretty certain that it's not oil.
Unfortunately the company is now out of business otherwise I could totally just email him.

Erika Lancaster
4/25/2019 09:47:33 am

Thanks so much, Anna!
I've emailed you a couple of suggestions. :)

Take good care of yourself and have a great day.

Reply
Pham Hai link
11/29/2019 09:04:26 am

Hello Erika Lancaster!
I think the works made from oil painting have a great soul at first sight. I went to many art galleries and really, with the oil paintings that made me leave the most impression!
Thank you!

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Erika Lancaster link
2/13/2021 12:37:08 pm

Hi, Pham!
Thanks for checking out this post and taking time to leave a comment. :)
Wish you a great day and take good care.

Reply
Celeste Pappas Jones link
2/8/2021 05:15:07 pm

So how do I cover and old oil painting before starting a new oil on top? How many times can I safely paint over? I typically just cover an old painting with "leftovers" from my palette but sometimes the surface is too ?? slick??? or something....I don't mind unexpected old textures but I would love to start with a uniform colored surface.

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
2/13/2021 12:41:19 pm

Hi, Celeste!
Thanks for popping by and for leaving your questions.
I haven't personally painted over an old oil painting myself. But I'd definitely sand it down until there's no uneven texture to the surface and then do something along the lines of what this article explains:
https://www.liveabout.com/painting-over-an-unfinished-oil-painting-2578581#:~:text=You%20can%20paint%20on%20an,grease%20or%20dust%20on%20it.&text=It%20is%20also%20possible%20that,in%20all%20of%20the%20oil.
Hope it helps and take good care!

Reply
Julian link
2/18/2021 04:31:00 am

Thanks Anna for this helpful guide.

I want to ask that is there any other alternative to Linseed Oil? One of my friend, living in Melbourne, tried using this oil on one of his oil painting but end up messing up everything. Do we need to take some kind of precautions too?

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
3/31/2021 02:50:29 pm

Hi, Julian!
My names Erika. :)
There are many alternatives to Linseed Oil that you can use, and there are artists out there that don't even use medium at all (just solvent).
Linseed Oil isn't toxic. What you have to have to be careful with are the solvents you use. You have to make sure that you're working in a well ventilated area, for sure. I'd recommend checking out this post/video I've created for more specifics:
https://www.erikalancaster.com/art-blog/acrylics-vs-oils-key-differences-and-similarities
You have to be very careful to add in only a bit of whatever medium it is you decide to go with, as it changes the consistency of your paint. There are so many ways of doing things when it comes to any kind of painting and it is a lot about exploring to see what's right for you.
I'd highly recommend this guy's YouTube channel. It's one of the best beginner's oil painting channels I've found and I stand by pretty much everything he shares: https://youtu.be/kl-32TfnHa4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtO3M_mEygw
Hope this is helpful!

Reply
Hobbit jack link
3/8/2021 06:38:35 am

Hi,

i feel that your blog is very interesting ..in your blog you explain very well about How to Resurface Old Canvas Paintings to Create New Artwork

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
3/31/2021 02:51:44 pm

Hey, there!
Thanks for reading.
Glad you're enjoying my posts. :)
Have a great day.

Reply
Alison
3/27/2021 03:40:24 am

Hi there, thank you for this info.. When preparing my canvas I seem to have cut a little slit into it - is there any way that I can repair this (its about 2cm long and runs along the warp of the canvas) - do you think that the gesso will cover it - I will be painting quite a textured artwork onto the canvas but for now I am preparing it..
Thank you for your website.
Alison

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
3/31/2021 02:54:59 pm

Hi, Alison!
I found this great tutorial for you. This is what I would do if I run into something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoP8w6S8VgI
Hope it's helpful!
Have a great day and thanks for popping by. :)

Reply
art events link
4/3/2021 05:35:28 am

These are some great idea about how to resurface old canvas paintings to create new artwork that you have discussed here. I really loved it and thank you very much for sharing this with us. You have a great visualization and you have really presented this content in a really good manner.

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
4/5/2021 04:01:13 pm

Hi, there!
Thanks so much for checking out this post. Glad you found it helpful.
Have a great day and take good care.

Reply
Tyler Johnson link
4/12/2021 09:43:38 am

That's good to know that you would have to sandpaper the surface of the painting. I don't feel super comfortable doing that since I feel like it would be easy to take too much off and damage the painting. I'll have to consider leaving any restorations to a pro.

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
4/13/2021 04:05:22 pm

Hi, Tyler!
Thanks for reading and taking time to comment.
Yep. If you want to restore a painting, for sure taking it to a specialist.
This post was more for people looking to reuse and basically cover up an old painting with a new one.
Have a great day and take good care!

Reply
Hair Extension Boxes link
10/25/2021 04:27:00 pm

I appreciate your post thanks for sharing the information.

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
4/12/2022 08:55:38 am

Thanks so much for reading!

Reply
NicheCanvas link
4/5/2022 06:45:39 am

Reusing and utilizing old canvases is definitely a smart idea and a skill you should utilize generally. Do you think that sunflower oil would work the same as linseed or still be a good alternative? I'm not on what is similar to linseed oil but I've definitely been looking at alternatives.

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
4/12/2022 09:00:31 am

Hey, there!
I personally haven't used sunflower oil, but it is used for oil painting the same way that linseed oil is. So I don't see why it wouldn't work! :)
Sunflower oil does tend to dry slower than other oils, but it should work the same.
Thanks so much for checking this one out and have a great day!

Reply
Jason link
4/28/2022 09:01:25 am

Some great ideas here, I hate it when canvases feel like they've run their course and need replacing.

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
5/3/2022 09:53:35 am

Hi, Jason!
Thanks so much for reading and leaving your comment. :)
Glad you found this one helpful.
Have a great day and take good care.

Reply
NicheCanvas link
7/1/2022 07:35:27 am

Hi, Erika!

Thank you for sharing your great ideas! It's truly a waste to put aside an old canvas. Hence, it's good to discover that there's still a way to resurface it by using Gesso. I'm just curious if it's still possible to resurface the old beauty of the painting using your guide without me having to paint it again? I hope I could get some thoughts about this from you.

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
7/5/2022 08:38:47 am

Hey, there!
Thanks so much for reading and for your question.
I'd recommend taking the painting to a specialist doing painting restorations so that they can assess what can be done.
Here's a great article explaining the process for restoring old paintings: https://johncanningco.com/blog/paint-restoration-process-techniques/
Wish you tons of luck with this and have a great day!

Reply
Milla
7/18/2022 07:25:57 am

WOW nice

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
3/6/2023 08:48:08 am

Thanks for reading!

Reply
Daniel Levis link
9/19/2022 03:16:21 am

I find your blog is quite interesting. You explain how to resurface old canvas paintings to create new artwork pretty effectively on your blog.
I truly enjoyed it, and I appreciate you sharing it with us. You delivered this topic in a really effective way, and your presentation is excellent.

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
3/6/2023 08:48:55 am

Hi, Daniel!
Thanks so much for reading and taking time to leave a comment.
I'm glad you enjoyed this one.
Have a wonderful day and enjoy your art practice!

Reply
Brian link
2/24/2023 10:12:20 am

We recently did this project as a family to try and resurface some old canvas painting we had in our garage to make the new art work. It was very fun and exciting to do and they came out great. We followed some of the steps in your blog as well.

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
3/6/2023 08:50:33 am

Hi, Brian!
Thanks so much for checking this one out and taking time to leave a comment.
I'm glad to hear that you and your family had fun with your canvas resurfacing project, and that what I shared was helpful.
Have a lovely day and enjoy your art practice!

Reply



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