lead pencil (graphite?) bleed-through

[ntl]

My DD bought a 3x4' painting on canvas by Ceffalio some time ago while on a trip. No info as to medium, probably oil, pastel hues. The paint is not thick, looks as though l-o-n-g sweeping brush strokes were taken with perhaps a pale cerulean or manganese, burnt sienna or terra rosa, a "cream" color, gray. Some burnt umber and magenta (at lower than mid point) are the only darks. All strokes are left to right with slight curves, sort of indicating sky and sea.
Problem: several lines have recently appeared. Most are perpendicular or on a slant, some darker, some broken. all less than ~3-4 inches. She's asked me to fix it. I could probably match (or come close) to the paint, but will these marks bleed through again? I really don't want to ruin it. I've googled the artist, but what I see on a few sites this fellow probably did not do this piece. What would you do?
Here is a photo of the area--upper left of center:

 

[Andy_in_Vienna]

hi,

looks like graphite ... and it will most certainly bleed-through again ... I can't figure a way to fix that ....
cheers,

Andy

 

[Flowercat]

Maybe try carefully erasing them? Or just accept is as a part of the art now

 

[Donna T]

Since you don't know if the painting was varnished or not it seems that it would be risky to add more paint - maybe differences in the surface sheen would be more noticeable than the marks. Even if you could pull it off there's no guarantee that other marks won't appear elsewhere as time goes on. I hope the painting can still be enjoyed as is.

 

[laika]

Oh, the fights that were had at a site that I once frequented about whether graphite strike-through was real or not. Someone will doubtless drop in and tell you, ntl, that graphite doesn't migrate through oil layers, but instead oil paint becomes more transparent over time. Or that you simply didn't notice those marks before.

I hope the painting can still be enjoyed as is.

Or just accept is as a part of the art now

All things considered, that might be the best suggestion. I'm certainly no expert, but anything that you try will likely alter the overall finish of the painting in some way. Check out MITRA is my only suggestion.

 

[Marc]

The Hippocratic oath comes to mind. "First do no harm."

I don't know if graphite can migrate through dry oil paint layers. Most effects I've seen can be put down to increasing transparency and saturation of the graphite with oil making it darker. (This I've personally witnessed.) If migration is an effect, it can only be removed when it reaches true surface. Not when it merely appears to. Unbound graphite is dissolvable in mineral spirits. If, If, it's on the surface, then a little of this on the end of a not too hard brush (Providing the paint is safe to this.) might remove it.

Baring this, you should never over paint damage with non-removable paint. If the surface is matt, then a little watercolor (with little or no added water.) dotted over with the tip of a very, very small brush over the dark lines. If glossy, then pigment bound in easily removable varnish. Possibly this could be made with dried watercolor reactivated with varnish, but restoration paints of this type can be purchased.

 

[Enyaw]

It looks like a fence line to me .. as you don't show the whole of the painting it's hard to tell if it's significantly bad or just a new dimension to the piece.
I figure if daughter can't live with it then you have nothing to lose by trying a fix as at worst, you can only finish it off and take it to disposal. Your daughter has to decide on that one. She can hope for a fix and if it doesn't work, no harm no foul as it is useless as is.

 

[laika]

If the surface is matt, then a little watercolor (with little or no added water.) dotted over with the tip of a very, very small brush over the dark lines. If glossy, then pigment bound in easily removable varnish. Possibly this could be made with dried watercolor reactivated with varnish, but restoration paints of this type can be purchased.

That sounds very reasonable and fairly easily done, and with little chance of an irreversible outcome. A valuable bit of information, Marc.

 

[ntl]

Thank you all for all your thoughts and suggestions. I haven't done anything with it yet. I really don't want to, I don't know enough about it, and haven't the skills. ie, I hadn't thought of surface sheen or varnish--I don't varnish my work.
I did think of "construction lines" such as are seen in many famous pieces, but these are too few to determine that right now. Maybe a wonderful masterpiece will emerge through the fog of pastel hues, lol!

I'll see about taking a photo of the entire piece tomorrow and posting it. I'll give some thought to Marc's suggestion of using watercolor dabbed on.
This area is less than a quarter of the whole, the visible marks are in the upper left.

Since this is possibly/probably a "recent" painting, no more than 5-6 years old, and though the paint does seem thin to me, I'm inclined to think it is bleed through, but it could be the paint is becoming more transparent. No, there were no such marks on it when she brought it home a few months ago. Thanks for the suggestion of MITRA, Laika. All I could think of was the defunct AMIEN.
Thanks!

 

[ntl]

This painting is a bit larger than 3x4", The marks are near the top, left of center. A few diogonal lines show below the left vertical line. If you look at the top photo you can see the placement of most of the lines.
Thanks for your input.

 

[Enyaw]

My opinion: it adds to the abstraction within piece. They simply drive me to the top of the cloud and then I go back down again on the viewer right.

 

[ntl]

Error--the size is a bit more than 3 feet x four feet, not inches...

 

[ntl]

Interesting, Wayne. You see the marks as positives, then?

 

[Artyczar]

I'm with Wayne. I see them adding to the painting as part of the process in the work. Character.

 

[Scamall]

I’d leave them as I like them there but also because it is someone else’s creation. If you are just using it as a substrate for your own work that’s one thing, but sounds like she is keeping the art and it is a part of the art.

 

[Artyczar]

It's strange, as I have been watching out for my pencil marks showing throw my paintings and they have not, but I do paint very thick. Maybe that's why, or maybe they often get smeared with the oil medium and blend into the paint?

 

[Rich53]

I'm thinking of the times on the Antiques Road Show when an appraiser says something like, "If it hadn't been fiddled with, it would be worth a gazillion dollars. But now it's worth fifty cents."

Let it be. Perhaps you can do a copy of it for your daughter? Minus the marks, of course!

--Rich

 

[Marc]

I'm thinking of the times on the Antiques Road Show when an appraiser says something like, "If it hadn't been fiddled with, it would be worth a gazillion dollars. But now it's worth fifty cents."

Let it be. Perhaps you can do a copy of it for your daughter? Minus the marks, of course!

--Rich

There was a one off documentary I saw some twenty years ago or so. It just happened by chance to be on when I turned on the TV. This British man of African descent with an upper middleclass accent had this interesting piece of Benin bronze he had bought at a local antique shop. Showed the shop and wondered if it was the 'real thing' so decided to take it to an appraiser at a major auction house.
Me "Oh I like this sort of thing. Let's keep watching." Then the evening before the appraisal he puts down this large pile of newspapers and pops the bronze on top. "What's he doing?" He then proceeds to polish the life out of so that it's like gleaming new brass. "...What? No, No!"
The Appraiser the next day: "These have sold for 150 thousand pounds and up if with the right history. ''cough''. It, ah doesn't have the patina of the right age, (gives side glance.) but that can be changed of course."
Me: "shakes head."

 

[ntl]

LOL!
I told my DD what you all had to say, and that if she wanted, I would try the watercolor correction, but I didn't want to. So it remains as is, warts and all!
As far as ME making a copy?! Surely you jest. I can only dream of and hope for that freedom of movement!