Do you ever wonder how damaged paintings are restored? There are quite a few steps, including safely cleaning the painting and removing damage before you can even get to the restoration part. In the case of this particular painting, there were restorations done years before but the paint used was not very good quality.

In the first restoration, the artist used oil paints, which oxidized over time and turned a darker color than the original painting. This time around, after removing the oil paints and revealing a large tear, the artist chose to use paints specifically for restoration. They don’t have oil in them so they won’t fade or darken over time. Plus, they can easily be removed with a special solution if repairs need to be made in the future.

Isn’t it amazing what kind of restoration work can be done? In the video below, the artist walks us through his process of choosing colors and reconstructing the work so it’s as close to the original as possible. First, he tries to see if he can locate a picture or copy of the original artwork. Obviously, that would be the best template to work off of. If that is not available, he tries to see if the artist has other works in circulation that he can get a feel for the style. If that isn’t possible, he will look at other paintings from that time period and see what styles were popular so he can base his restoration on that. In this case, he will have to use the painting itself to reconstruct the other half of the face.

Watch the mesmerizing video below to see how this artist layers on paint to bring this damaged artwork to life!

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