Cleaning oil paintings

Yup. Take a housepainter's brush - the black-bristled things - make sure it's clean and dry, and brush off as much of the dust as you can, not neglecting the corners of the frame. Also dust the back of the picture. If you use a duster or cloth, flick the dust away, don't rub the painting (dry oil paint is hard and prickly - wiping cloths or paper towels over it gets them covered in lint, which you then have to pick off). You could also use a hair dryer, on the cool setting. If it's just dust, you might not need to do any more. If the painting has been dulled, if it's not been varnished, pour a little oil painting medium into a saucer, take another large, clean brush, and very, very sparingly "oil out" the picture - ie, apply an extremely thin coat of medium (at a pinch you could use a half and half mix of Linseed oil and solvent), then go over it again with a dry brush to remove any excess. If it HAS been varnished, and you don't want to remove the old varnish - you can, with solvent, usually; but better that a conservator does it if the painting is worth anything - many swear by a clean rag, and ...... spit. If that's too disgusting, a dilute mix of white vinegar, ie much more water than vinegar, usually works. Or even a little washing up liquid, much diluted, on cotton buds for stubborn smears of dirt. Also see: https://www.painters-online.co.uk/forum/Topic46356.aspx https://www.artsupplies.co.uk/info-tips-&-techniques-211.htm http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Oil-Paintings-to-Preserve-It-for-Years There are many methods of doing this, as you'll see, but with any luck all you'll need is the dusting with a brush or flicked with a cloth. In one of those links, it suggests using a soft brush rather than a housepainter's brush, but the latter's OK provided you don't dig the bristles into the canvas but use a light touch: whatever you do - a light touch. And if any paint comes off, stop and get professional help. http://www.isleofwightlandscapes.net http://www.wightpaint.blogspot.co.uk

Can't add much to Robert's advice, for oiling out I use a 50:50 mix of Glkyd (Gamblin's oil painting medium) and Gamsol (Gamblin's version of Odorless Mineral Spirit) and find that works well and is more workable than medium alone.

You taking the p..... ?? There are many examples of 'orrible things used in art: even leaving aside those cutting-edge souls who use human or animal waste products in order to be, yawn, shocking or interesting. For example, a mix of horse manure and, I believe, urine was involved in the manufacture of lead white oil paint: I haven't asked how they make it now - might put me off. I presume it was the uric acid which acted as a cleaning agent - I'd have thought you could use citric acid, e.g. lemons, instead: with a rather pleasanter perfume. But on the whole, I suspect conservators stick to products made for the purpose these days - though what you'd see if you took a peek round the door when they weren't expecting you (a dangerous thing to do in any workplace) might be a bit of a shock. Spitting at a painting to remove dirt is one thing, but ..... no; no, I don't want to think about this any further! http://www.isleofwightlandscapes.net http://www.wightpaint.blogspot.co.uk

Hence the term caput mortuum - some have suggested that they didn't really use actual mummified bodies, but that spoils the story so I refuse to give them credence. And certainly, crushed beetles made cochineal, which made crimson - it wasn't lightfast, unfortunately; that's the trouble with body parts - they don't last. http://www.isleofwightlandscapes.net http://www.wightpaint.blogspot.co.uk