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Tarting up old paintings

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Moi 17

Linda Wilson

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I was looking through a pile of my old acrylic paintings, and feeling very disappointed, when I thought "Why don't I touch them up?".  My acrylics look dull to me or the colours too garish.  Does anyone have any tips  or is it now worth the bother?
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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You can always zhoosh up an old acrylic - dangerous to do that with oils after a certain period of time has elapsed (though actually - you still can, especially if the paint isn't on a flexible support) but acrylic can take a good deal of over-working; you can even paint a white "gesso" over old work, and treat the board as a new painting exercise - but you will find bits that stick up and catch your brush or knife, if you don't sand down the old painting first.  If your paintings are on paper, I might be a little less keen to bother with them; rather, just start again on a new sheet.  But if they're on board, or even stretched canvas, you should have no real problems in either short or long term. 
Moi 17

Linda Wilson

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Thanks for your reply Robert.  I'm intrigued as to what happens if you do it with oils on a flexible surface.  (I was hoping to use oils so that I can do more glazing and blending             rid of the acrylic flat look.)