How Does Art Restoration Work?

You’ve probably seen examples online or in museums of old, famous works of art that have been restored to their original glory. These pieces of art gradually degraded or became damaged over centuries and went through an often painstaking process to return them to their original state.

You probably don’t have a 1,000-year-old painting lying around in your house, but if you do have any paintings or photographs that have faded, cracked, or otherwise become damaged over the years, then we can help you restore them. Here’s a quick look into how the process of art restoration works.

Early art restoration

Art restoration has been practiced for a long time, but techniques didn’t use to be as sophisticated as they are now. Paintings were regularly restored to bring them more up-to-date with modern times and trends in the art world. This left artwork heavily altered from the artist’s original piece, negatively affecting its value in the eyes of many.

One technique to improve the painting’s appearance was to coat it in wood-ash and then wash it off, but this later proved to be damaging to the painting.

Art restoration today

Art restoration in modern times has become somewhat of a science. It is much less invasive than it used to be. X-rays, infrared, and cameras are often used to determine the original composition of the painting, highlighting areas that were essentially “edited” by previous conservators. After this analysis, restorers can use certain mixtures to remove the added elements from these early conservation efforts in order to reverse their effects, revealing more of the original artwork.

Photo restoration

Modern technology can also be used to restore old photos, to digitally repair damage or improve the quality of very old photos. Photos are scanned into a computer and then various techniques using a photo editing tool can be used to restore the photo.

Scratches, tears, and creases can all be removed from the digital photograph. Colors of faded photographs can be restored to their original vibrancy. Old black and white photos can even be colorized to incredibly convincing effect. Once you have your restored photo printed, you’ll have a physical copy of it as good as new. In some cases, even better!

Hang your artwork proudly on your walls thanks to restoration services from Tanglewood Art and Frame. Come into our custom framing shop in Clemmons or contact us directly to find out how we can help you.