Those who are starting off on oil painting may get several types of advices on cleaning oil painting when it becomes covered with dirt or grime, or when some corrections are required.
Here are some steps that you can use for cleaning oil painting: Put the painting that is to be cleaned over a sheet of clean paper, in a well ventilated area.
Remember to wear rubber gloves on you hands to safeguard your hands from the harsh chemicals.
You can build up your painting area using strips of wood or plastic.
Before starting on with the cleaning process, remember to do a test at the corners.
Now, you must take the neutralizer and apply it to a piece of cotton.
Now, use this to delicately wipe off the face of the painting; and clean the surface of all sorts of dirt and dust.
After this is done, you can use a wooden cotton swab, to test the corners of the painting with an emulsion cleaner, and a varnish remover.
This would help to settle on which product would work best to cleaning oil painting.
Soon after you make each test, remember to apply some neutralizer on a fresh cotton swab and wipe over the area of the painting that needs to be neutralized.
After you have decided about which product you must use, you must start by cleaning the rest of the painting.
You can use the wooden cotton swabs, in rolling motions to do this in a gentle manner.
While cleaning, avoid scrubbing back and forth on the canvas.
Check the cotton swabs regularly to heck for the accumulated dirt and grime.
Next, you need to varnish the painting with the help of a gloss.
This helps in preserving the painting for a longer time.
Follow these simple steps, and you can keep your treasured painting looking fresh for years to come.