Question: Should I resize an oil on canvas after pinholes appeared?
I am a traditional oil painter working in San Diego. I’ve worked on the same picture for several years. The work is done on Claessens oil-primed Belgian linen, relatively thin and smoothe. I recently scraped the upper layers of paint off an unsatisfactory section (down to the tone ground).
Small, translucent areas and pinholes appeared (hardly surprising).
I’m concerned the canvas could rot from direct contact with the paint. Two contacts in the industry have told me (1) the animal glue sizing penetrated the fibers, such that the risk of rot is minimal, and (2) I could apply animal glue size to the entire canvas from the reverse, but need to guard against uneven tension, warping, etc.
At present I think leaving it alone is best. I’ll repaint that section and hope it doesn’t rot.
Your thoughts on the matter will be appreciated.
Thank you very much for your opinion. It helps my nerves, as I move forward! Vita brevis, ars longa
I agree that there is little danger form leaving it as it is. I would not suggest coating the reverse with animal glue as this introduces a very hygroscopic addition to the reverse which will not be covered with paint and is in free contact with atmospheric moisture.
I agree that coating the back is risky- if it induces irregular shrinkage and causes puckering, it’s going to look awful! I have seen this happen when artists try to “cure” loose canvases by applying glue solution to the reverse.
