Restoring a Frame

A neighbor of mine had bought a beautifully framed painting from a thrift store a while back, but because of its condition, decided to just store it in his attic until he could get it fixed. When he found out that I accepted commissions, he came over and asked what I could do about his dirty frame and the stains on the painting?

I had never restored an artwork before, so I began by simply cleaning the dusty frame. All the nooks and crevices had to be scrubbed out with an enormous amount of q-tips and a toothbrush until the greenish gray cast was out.

Some areas of the frame had also chipped paint, so I had to figure out how to best blend it in with a new golden finish.

After the scrubbing, rinsing, and repainting, I finished the frame with a coat of varnish that would help preserve the paint and also add more glossiness.

The last thing remaining was to color-correct a few stains on the painting itself.

The stains corrected were on various spots of the dress in the painting, and a thick coat of gloss was also added to protect the artwork.

Here, the finished painting and its frame are pictured hanging inside the home of my neighbor.