The Framers Forum

I have an oil painting that has a very obvious 'flake' of paint missing. I can easily repaint/restore the missing flake myself, but as it has depth this repair wouldn't be flush with the surface. Does anyone know what picture restorers use to fill a missing flake? I've already heard that Polyfilla/Spackle can be used, but also know that this isn't really recommended by professional picture restorers.

Since posting I've managed to track down the solution: 'Picture Putty'. Have found a supplier too: https://www.lionpic.co.uk/p/33251/GAINS ... Putty-59ml

Has the customer asked you to restore or are you doing it off your own back because the paint flaked off in your care
If the customer has asked you because they don't want to go to a professional restorer, then has it's been said many time before

Since posting I've managed to track down the solution: 'Picture Putty'. Have found a supplier too: https://www.lionpic.co.uk/p/33251/GAINS ... Putty-59ml

Are you aware how much skill and training it takes to paint in a missing area or a painting on canvas? There'sa lot more to it than just purchasing a pot of something which is some companies idea of a quick fix. It's not normal for skilled restorers to use suff like that most will fill the area of missing paint with either bummer wood filler, which is a clay based filler, or DAS modeling clay, but that's only part of the job.

The surface than needs to be scraped down flush with small scraping tools such as wax sculpting took and when you come to paint the missing area in you need to indentify what sort of paint was originally used and mix the colours require using the same pigments as originally used to ensure that the repair will age and fade in the same way as the surounding colours in the painting, to ensure that i a few years time the colours employed in thr repair will still match the original colours in the picture.

Do you have enough training to do this? Lots of people start off thinking that they can do this. Well, most of them soon find out that they can't! It may sound easy, but that's not usually how it is. It's a lot better as Steve has said not to make somebody else's problem, your problem! Sorry for being so blunt about this.

A flake of paint missing from a painting can be an indication of something more serious, delamination of the paint layer from the base layer over an extended area. If this is the case you have only placed a bandage on a major problem where the experience of a conservator is definitely needed.

Over the years I have acquired enough knowledge of painting restoration to know when to leave well alone.

A bad attempt at restoration can make future repair much harder or even impossible.

Run Away!!!!

Well, at least he can't say that some of the most experienced members on the forum did not warn him. I suspect that the whole canvas needs lining to re-attach much of the paint back on to the original substrate, which is definitely not job for somebody with no experience. Oh well!