AIC's 41st Annual Meeting

The integration of losses to the media in works of art on paper has traditionally been done using pastel, colored pencils or paint based media such as watercolor. In this presentation we will discuss the use of colored cotton and polyester fibers derived from machine made threads to reintegrate losses in design. The technique was developed to treat a large scale watercolor, "Tintagel on the Cornish Coast" by William Trost Richards, that had sustained gouges and abrasions to the primary support. The textile fibers, obtained from commercially available sources, were processed in various ways to prepare them for placement on the watercolor. To obtain finely divided fibers, the threads were immersed in liquid nitrogen and then cut while frozen. Admixtures of fibers can be made to approximate color tones, or successive overlapping of fibers can be done to build up color intensity. Methyl cellulose was used as the binder for both its' adhesive properties and surfactant action. Finely divided fibers tend to remain separated in methyl cellulose, a factor that helps in application. The stability of the fibers used was investigated. The removability of the fibers was assessed. Preliminary work indicates that this method has great potential for use with a variety of media where losses are small or linear. It has less potential for success over large areas, although the technique is evolving.

Cellulose powder has long been part of the inpainter's tool box and is indispensable for certain operations, such as in the concealment of foxing. The technique presented shows how cellulose powder can be made into a slurry with methyl cellulose and sprayed with an external mix airbrush to create consistent films of certain thickness and opacity. The dried films can then be shaped to the stained areas of the paper, then activated in situ with low moisture. The cellulose powder can be toned before or after application to refine the integration. A drawing by Nicholas-Touissant Charlet treated with this method will be discussed.