- mouldings and ornaments
- exquisite patinas
- a mouldmaking service
- painted copies and originals
- beautifully sculpted frames
- and rather a lot more….
- mouldings and ornaments
- exquisite patinas
- a mouldmaking service
- painted copies and originals
- beautifully sculpted frames
- and rather a lot more….
This section is a brief survey of our work with copies.
We make fastidiuos and exact hand-painted replicas of original paintings based on the techniques of the original painting.
To do this we use studies by conservationists and restoration experts to find out
- the support upon which the original painting was made
- the structure of the paint layers
- the nature of the pigments
- the types of oils and resins used in the mediums
- the handling of the paintwork
As we paint we introduce cracking into the different paint layers where desirable and patinas, both of which we use to give the effect of age.
Research
Materials
Cracking & Patinas
Time
Research
Materials
Cracking & Patinas
Time
Research
Before we start painting we thoroughly research our project. We find and study any available restoration documents which may outline the structure of the painting we are copying, and failing that, other paintings by the same artist which look as though they were executed in the same manner.
If we find nothing we then look at the artist’s teacher and studio associates to see if we can find a possible similar technique.
The research material is written by Art museums or other such institutes, and outlines
- the support upon which the paintings are done
- the structure of the layers
- the type priming
- any particular underpainting
- the pigments
- oils, balmes and resins used
- the particular characteristics of the brushwork
Only when we have sufficient information do we proceed to painting.
When creating the copies, the process generally begins with the support of an original which we will replicate as closely as possible. If the painting is on wood we will use a carpenter to make us a proper support in the correct manner of the epoch. Subsequently the support willl be treated to give it an aged appearance.
The pigmants and paints used are of the highest quality, and where possible, they are from only natural and not synthetic sources so as to respect the different qualities of the original.
The oils used are all treated inhouse, and are the same as the oils used in the original. We do not use cheaper chemically altered oils.
We make our own painting mediums according to the information we have gathered from our research. We do not use ready-made mediums and varnishes to dilute the paints.
Over the years we have developed our own methods for cracking and ageing the paintings’ surface.
Cracks can be introduced into each and every layer of the painting, and if required, the base upon which we are painting as well. We employ a variety of different methods for cracking, and as such, can create different effects in different areas.
Clients may also have patinas applied to adjust the tonalities in a painting to make it look a lot older, and we hab=ve a wide range that we make ourselves.
To calculate the time it takes to do a replica oil painting, you have to take into account
- the research
- the number of layers in the painting’s structure
- the drying times of the oils and resins used
- the amount of cracking in the different layers
- the patinas used to simulate age
No two jobs are the same and we have to see the techniques involved before we can give a rough estimate.
We don’t do rush jobs – it is just not possible if you are serious about quality, and we are.
To calculate the time it takes to do a replica oil painting, you have to take into account
- the research
- the number of layers in the painting’s structure
- the drying times of the oils and resins used
- the amount of cracking in the different layers
- the patinas used to simulate age
No two jobs are the same and we have to see the techniques involved before we can give a rough estimate.
We don’t do rush jobs – it is just not possible if you are serious about quality, and we are.