How to Resurface Old Canvas Paintings to Create New Artwork

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Do you have old canvas paintings around that are no longer up to par and wonder if you could reuse them to create better art? Interested in moving your painting skills forward 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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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.

​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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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 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 before 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 brush
-Old fabric or dusting cloth
-Glass containers for water
-Linseed oil (*Optional)
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Golden Gesso 8 fl. oz. with Bright White Acrylic Primer

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Gamblin 8.5 Oz Refined Linseed Oil

Monte Marte Pack of 3 Gesso Brushes

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For a full list of my current favorite art supplies, go here. 



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.

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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