How A Moldy Watercolor Painting Is Professionally Restored

Coming up is the restoration of a fine art landscape watercolor painting from the 20th century called Black Tor by the artist Ben Graham. Let's dive into the delicate, intricate process of fine art restoration on a watercolor painting that is moldy due to flood damage.
Restorer credit: Emily O'Reilly ACR and emilyoreilly.co.uk ([e-mail])

[@oneshotme]

Where can we find this person???

[@MastersOfCraftOfficial]

Here: Emily O'Reilly ACR and emilyoreilly.co.uk ([e-mail])

[@oneshotme]

@@MastersOfCraftOfficial Thank you!!

[@MollySato]

Absolutely wonderful work, Emily!! 🤗🙏🏼🤗

[@bicivelo]

Amazing! Art and science are coming together, but mostly art! 😊😊

[@atruceforbruce5388]

Amazing craftsmanship.

[@drasiella]

_Baumgartner fans entered the chat_

[@katarinajanoskova]

Silently looking for faults but leaving impressed 😄

[@ChaoticBad]

“Japanese paper” Me: (whispering) Washi Kozo

[@migukmystic3940]

It feels kind of like cheating

[@wombleofwimbledon5442]

Here.

[@owlblue42]

Don't tell Julian we are moonlighting

[@ChocolatTeapot]

After watching a lot of Baumgartner, I always wondered how a watercolour painting would be restored. What a lovely treat to watch someone so skillfull do it!

[@tbnalfaro]

same, Baumgartner fan here as well

[@cassandrafischer3065]

@@tbnalfaro Also Baumgartner fan!

[@ginismoja2459]

I am also a fan of Baumgartner, been following him since the beginning. I recently discovered that conservators don't really like his practices.

[@davidgibson5756]

As IC Weld’s Isaac says, this is not the only way to do it, it’s just how I do it. Another artist in a different medium.

[@caledoniansmurf3691]

@@ginismoja2459Conservationists might moan about some restoration methods but his clients know what they want and if art isnt restored to allow it to be enjoyed and appreciated whats the point, have it stored away?

[@tidus_1135]

Wow! I didn’t even know it was possible to restore watercolour paintings that were this far gone!

[@jarlsoars1150]

Fine prints can be restored too. I've seen demonstrations of restorers literally giving a print a bath in order to deacidify them and so forth. You probably couldn't do that unless the ink was oil-based though. They use many of the same techniques shown here as well such as fixing tears and missing pieces etc. I've seen them clean works on paper with some kind of powder as well...they use it dry and it gently scours the dirt from the fibers. All very intriguing stuff!

[@Kattycha]

Me Too!

[@picassomooon]

Clearly not watercolors.

[@Fruity_lexia]

@@picassomooon It is possible to bathe, and even bleach, watercolours. You have to be trained, educated and experienced, though.

[@e.h.5849]

of course it is. You can also leave the half of the mushroom culture on it and put it in the frame...

[@sarahyates6055]

Whoever owns this painting must really love it and appreciate it to go to all the trouble of getting something so far gone restored. Well done to the restoration artist it could have been easy to say it was too far gone to try and save but it’s amazing what can be done when you know what to do.

[@susanfender307]

What I find absolutely gorgeous is where it could not be fully restored, they integrated the damage into the painting as a whole- Yes, you can tell it was restored, but in a way that gives the painting more character

[@SmallwoodHomestead]

I used to work in the Preservation Lab of a university library. We used many of the same techniques shown in this video. Once, our storage of older books had a leaky roof, causing to books to mold and become damaged. I remember using washi kozo to repair the books am maps that came out of that building. It took nearly a year and a half to repair everything that came out of that storage hold.

[@conscience-commenter]

Hats off to Emily O'Reilly for transforming that moldy mess back to original . I honestly thought it wasn't fixable .

[@markjaycox7524]

Except it didn't look "back to original" to me. It still looks like it has significant staining from the mold, as well as missing sections.

[@4.1132]

@@markjaycox7524 That’s because watercolor is transparent, so it only goes darker not lighter. Anything that was added to the original is also pretty much irreversible because watercolor soaks into the fibers of the paper and a lot of the pigments are staining. Messing with the original could also run the risk of disturbing the original paint.

[@frank-t6857]

I haven't seen Julian restoring a water color painting with mold and water stain damage

[@mundanepants]

Gorgeous work, both the original painting and the restoration, but that's not "watercolor paper". It was warercolor paper attached to (possibly) masonite board. Watercolor paper is not layered, it's just a pressed plant fiber pulp, so as thick and heavy as some high quality papers are, they don't flake apart like a croissant if damaged

[@dawnchesbro4189]

That's what I was going to comment. They must not know much about watercolor to get the paper description wrong.

[@erbigimbi9903]

@@dawnchesbro4189 Lot 308 - Ben Graham, 'FUR TOR, DARTMOOR' appears to be another in this series sold for 50 pound in ireland 5 years ago. Described as a watercolour drawing.

[@dawnchesbro4189]

@@erbigimbi9903 I’m not debating if it’s a watercolor painting. What myself and OP are saying is the canvas isn’t solely watercolor paper. It appears to be paper mounted on a board or another substrate. Watercolor paper doesn’t peel apart In layers like that.

[@TooleyPeter]

Thankfully we have you here to set these novices straight. @@dawnchesbro4189

[@erbigimbi9903]

@@dawnchesbro4189 I get that, everyone is commenting on it, they said it was watercolour, not that it was actually on traditional watercolour paper or the usual mounting. I love that there is such a lively interest in this video.

[@christineingram55]

I did not realise a watercolour could be saved from such a poor condition without spoiling the actual painting.This was a real learning curve.i think this was done so well and the integrity of the painting was saved.A lot more work I think than some oil paint restorations.But when you see how vibrant the painting is at the end,as only watercolours can be .You did an amazing job. I have never seen a watercolour restored before and I hope the client was delighted and it will be enjoyed for many more years to come.Thank you for showing this 🥰

[@mosha3007]

I like that little heated spatula tool. I have no idea what I’d use it for, but I feel like I need one. 😀

[@chaitralimagare1173]

To iron tiny clothes ofc

[@tigq1430]

​@@chaitralimagare1173🤭

[@Laceylunai]

Search for tacking iron

[@theshmoo560]

a wee grilled cheese

[@monpayscanada]

@@theshmoo560 you must be my soul mate, first thing I thought of as well

[@happyeyes83]

To me, this person loves their job and appreciates fine arts so very much. I see this and think, “well, it’s effed. There’s no going back from this. It’s effed all the way through. Take a pic for your memory sake’s and toss it.” ✋🏼😳🤚🏼

[@Ginger51]

I lol’d at this comment. Because that’s what I would’ve said. Thank goodness there are others who have the patience and passion to conserve and restore!

[@McMallister]

😂

[@chlorophyllheart]

I think that, then think I wish I had the money to pay for restoration as I chuck it.

[@The-Ward]

This is an enormous amout of skilled work but well worth it considering the original watercolor. Many don't realize how difficult it is to achieve such detail with watercolor art. One of the best examples of a master watercolorist and an equally master restorer.

[@paintspirationsunlimited]

not watercolor, sadly.

[@LantanaLiz]

@@paintspirationsunlimited Yeah, this looks like an acrylic wash to me. If it was true watercolour, unsealed, it'd have been rinsed out of the painting by flooding.

[@crystalrichards779]

All I can say is that the restorer must have a good deal of patience to do such detailed work. Bravo, on making the painting beautiful again.

[@carolwilkerson-fp6hg]

This is amazing, but I’m wondering why more of the damage in the sky wasn’t able to be corrected.

[@jomercer21113]

Interesting process, but not enough explanation about what's happening. I wonder how they prevent future mold growth from the remaining spores in the paper.

[@tamesinpagett391]

I found it fascinating and inspiring and instead of criticising the talent of this conservation expert with many years experience… I’d like to see you try! It’s not possible to get such a damaged painting looking brand new. That’s not the purpose of sympathetic conservation

[@whirligigwarbler]

i agree entirely! thank you for saying all this. :•)

[@chocolatefrenzieya]

If II tried, it would look like ecce mono.

[@tinovanderzwanphonocave544]

there are people who do this type of stuff as a hobby like me this is a difficult one personally I would be very unsatisfied with the foxing left at the top of the painting this type of foxing is minerals left by the flooding an easy fix normally but this is a watercolor which complicates things and makes this damage impossible to remove. with a print or etching, I would dunk it in hot water for a short time and the foxing will be extracted into the water like the tanning of tea leaves leaving the sheet completely clean with watercolors that's impossible to do for the paint would also be extracted. great job but I'm sure the expert was probably very irritated with this type of foxing.

[@SherryRector]

I so agree. People are critical on everything these days. Only because they can hide their faces.

[@noeraldinkabam]

@@tinovanderzwanphonocave544you do know the memes they make of hobby restorers’ work?

[@thealaris]

Couldn't even imagine that you can restore a watercolour painting after flooding 🤯

[@4.1132]

It’s honestly surprising that the overall painting and colors remained intact given the damage. Thanks for restoring such a beauty. Love watercolors, there aren’t many paints that have that gorgeous luminosity ❤ Also hats off for the color matching, as watercolor tends to shift when it dries that must be an insanely difficult skill to learn.

[@FlameRat_YehLon]

Pigment paint is often very resistant and it's usually the base material (paper) that got damaged, which could affect the look of the color. Molding and bonding damaging is another story though. I'm pretty sure the color is still there, it's just that re-exposing them can be very tricky. (It might be better to imagine the damaged painting to be a hidden gem, just that they are only a few microns in thickness and is extremely fragile when trying to be exposed.)

[@Fruity_lexia]

Nice to see a fellow paper conservator out here on KZbin showing people how it's really done (as opposed to shonky operators doing it for the "wow factor"). Thanks for showcasing a really under-rated, under-acknowledged profession!

[@missgurlyteengurl]

you better not be shading baumgartner restoration (Julian, my luv) 😠

[@Fruity_lexia]

@@missgurlyteengurl Interesting that you saw "shonky operators" and went there...

[@sava-smth]

​@@Fruity_lexiawow shade

[@Misscaitimac]

@@missgurlyteengurl You just insulted him by assuming this comment was about him, soooo…

[@portobeIIa]

​@@Misscaitimac i dont know man, there arent really others well known, well known enough to have dislikers, art conservators on youtube. What is this middle school argument.

[@dzenitainajetovic3850]

I just wish someone like Julian could have narrated and explained her process in more detail ❤️

[@Kevin-xi6ts]

If Julian and this guy got into a street fight Julian would smash him!!!

[@BlazingsNL]

@@Kevin-xi6ts I think this is a woman and not a guy haha

[@rickvaiBBB]

If Baumgartner was involved it would be three parts long and the same process over and over again. At least this woman just does it without the endless yapping.

[@fionam7768]

@@dr.hankins4682 not at all - the craftsperson herself has it featured on her site also, which appears v authentic

[@YanosProductions]

@@rickvaiBBBnope. You have the wrong opinion.

[@noeraldinkabam]

It’s a beautiful work to begin with. I would not have guessed it was a watercolor had I seen it restored (or before the damage) on a photo or video.

[@Mike-rm1vw]

Stunning work, I was so engrossed that I found the separation of the layers by spatula quite tense. Good job 👍👍👍

[@wandapease-gi8yo]

What a gorgeous work! No wonder the owner was determined to salvage it! So wonderful he found a very capable person to do the owner was ready to do whatever it took to bring it back to life!

[@theempath8244]

Truly a remarkable piece of restoration by a professional. I have never seen anything like this before and it was a great pleasure to see the work of this Lady. Thank you so much for showing this.

[@Done975]

Meticulous attention to conservation and the importance of keeping it as original as possible. Bravo 👏

[@ahuehuehue3346]

Interesting to see a different approach as I'm used to watching Baumgartner.

[@nicolasfiore]

yes... this one is less... I don't want be mean, but the results are just not the same. Julian is a perfectionist really.

[@stormmoster]

Oilpaints and watercolours are two very different materials.

[@nicolasfiore]

@@stormmoster He does all sorts of techniques, and materials! He has even restored scupltures, pieces made out of wax, painted on glass (from behind), repaired frames, paper, canvas... You think he wouldn't be able to paint with water colour? Plus, the retouching is only a part of the restoration.

[@stormmoster]

@@nicolasfiore My point is that ou can't clean a watercolour painting the same way you clean an oilpainting. I couldn't find an video where Baumgartner cleaned a watercolour painting, can ou put up a link to one? Cancel Reply

[@nicolasfiore]

@@stormmoster Even if so, I don't think the aspect ratio of the original and the restored one would be different. It literally lost half of the sky. There other problems too that Julian wouldn't have made, IMHO.

[@stevegriffith4164]

This is amazing. I didn't think this was possible. Big applause.

[@JG-jk3yl]

Imagine someone going to this much time and trouble to restore and protect something you’ve created… beautiful 💕

[@rooneyjagoboo]

I get t get tingles watching someone do something exuding care and immense talent . I couldn’t see what he obviously could at the start .Artisns , restorators like this are my favourite watch atm ✨ Thankyou ✨

[@TarotLadyLissa]

Straining the wheat starch glue was very satisfying!

[@mele4827]

As a watercolor artist, this is fascinating.

[@elliot_rat]

watching these kinds of videos makes me even more aware of how many jobs i could not do from my ocd

[@donnamorgantiderossette3693]

It takes so much patience to do this type of work. It is an art as much as the piece being restored!

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

The painting was beautiful under all the damage, well worth preserving, such use of colour! 😍 But I felt like there were a lot of stages missing in the explanation...? For example, presumably a solution of oxalic acid or similar was applied front & back to prevent mould regrowth, before re-backing the work? And was there a rationale behind using wheat-based adhesive on a work which may harbour potential residual mould spores in the fibres...? It'd be great to hear a more technical breakdown of the work in progress!

[@jmicaha2655]

Im fascinated as to why the color matching wasnt done to the top of the piece? Would painting over not conceal the black, and therefore not preserve the originality while also being a pointless measure? Im very impressed by the final product. A huge improvement over how it came to him.

[@helenkeller9182]

Perhaps, the owner did not want to fully remove this "page" from the history of the artwork. It has suffered serious damage but survived, and this dark spot at the top is a reminder of this event. I see some similarities to the japanese kintsugi technique, where the aim is not to fully hide the damage, but to acknowledge it as a part of an item.

[@stormmoster]

Watercolours are tranparent, so you can't paint over dark colurs with light ones since the dark will be visible through the light colurs.

[@nachojones1]

I was wondering the same. The damage from the mold is clearly visible. Leaving it does makes sense. Thank you for clarifying.

[@ashoalcraft4404]

I assumed it was because this sort of painting doors not provide for an isolation layer, so there would be no way to reverse the work later if someone in the future wanted to. That combined with the difficulty of getting a light watercolor to work over the dark seems like it would have had to cross the line between preservation and repainting.

[@dawnchesbro4189]

Because watercolors are a transparent medium, any painting over the stains would still show the stains. They would have to use gouache for the opacity, but it'd be imminently obvious since gouache and watercolor have different optical properties.

[@deannapritchard6660]

Well done! I've not seen a watercolor restoration before. Very interesting!

[@samberger3346]

It seems more like a piece of watercolor paper attached to particle board than multilayered watercolor paper, but oh well haha.

[@2degucitas]

Now that you mention it, I agreed. Edit: I got to the end and suspect it was previously mounted on similar board as the new mounting.

[@nicolalewis-qx7gu]

Wow - such delicate work and amazing skill. I wish I had that sort of patience and attention to detail.

[@butterfliesandtape]

This is a superb documentary for which I thank the producers immensely. I did however find it frustrating when around 12 minutes in, the person mixing up the wheatpaste seemed to only just be able to incorporate the full contents of the bowl at the end of the mixing process. I'm sure this is just down to editing but as a baker I found this deeply deeply frustrating. Many Thanks!! This video rocks!!!

[@johncopeland3826]

Good lord ! The finished restoration work makes the watercolour look like it was painted 2 weeks ago ! You just can't beat true honest to god experience and talent , can you ? What a thrill to see ! As an over enthusiastic amateur painter myself , at least i now know that i have some way to go to reach the bottom rung after watching this superb video . Great fun ...

[@irenemeno3585]

This and Baumgartner Resoration (Julian)...........magnifique 😘

[@jilliancrawford7577]

My adoptive mother is a watercolor artist and got me into the medium a few years ago. It brings me so much joy and peaceof mind to know that her work could be preserved and restored one day should it ever be needed.

[@brunahamabata1]

What lovely work, I'm mesmerised. Thank you for sharing.

[@kathywillis7459]

Incredible skills! Must be a very satisfying job. I got a fine arts degree and never even thought of restoration. I think I would have loved it. Nothing but admiration!

[@elizabethlevister579]

You did a very great job restoring the painting.They really had the best person to do this work.And it turned out beautifully.

[@deeannamorrison8587]

An exquisite watercolor restoration. It was my pleasure to watch you. Thank you.

[@junebrilly5302]

I am completely blown away by the incredible artistry and skill in this video! Im a new viewer so who is this?!? Accolades and RESPECT!!❤

[@TeaAndTankControls]

That was a really great restoration! And the colour matching for filling in the edges is a skill in itself. I'm only worried, since mold continues to grow if there are any spores left, would this be a risk here as well? I would imagine further care along the way would be needed for this painting.

[@crystaledwards8854]

She might have treated it with something to kill any more spores during the process? Or maybe now the painting is dry and clean, the mould won’t come back?

[@ginistewart9636]

Speechless! Absolutely amazing!

[@EricMadWolf]

Meticulous attention to detail should not just be appreciated but admire as well. I would love to have steady hands for fine work like this.

[@Jamafly]

One day I'd love to have my grandfather's oil paintings restored.

[@CatRaven]

I'm glad that paintings this badly damaged can still be restored. Amazing work❤

[@blackvulture7999]

Beautifully done both artwork and the restoration of it. 👏🏻

[@pauljmchenevier7581]

Splendid. Outstanding finesse. A true resurrection of vivid emotions. Bravo

[@Mouse73]

I understand why the owner wanted this painting restored. It is a gorgeous piece of art. What an incredible restoration.

[@user-xi6fr4wo5b]

such a beautiful painting~

[@japhyryder66]

Wow. I’m beyond impressed with this woman’s skill. This was a fascinating and joyful thing to watch.

[@xxxqwertxxx]

Wow. Incredible. Excellent work!!!

[@RaminTork]

Wow. An incredible restoration!

[@pptthe1st]

That's so clever! You must have a huge amount of patience. Would never have thought that the painting was salvageable.

[@mariaceciliafazolin2034]

Trabalho maravilhoso de preservação de uma peça de arte.

[@silvialittlewolf]

Interesting! I'm also following a different restorater's channel, and it's interesting to see the different techniques. 🙂

[@jilldavies7094]

Superb work. Congratulations to the restorer.

[@SnowTiger45]

That is a pretty incredible transformation. At ton of patience and skill required to do this work. Very interesting process.

[@icreatedanaccountforthis1852]

It is so tedious and caring. I love it.

[@agendreygrec3695]

It's so relaxing to see every little steps with just the sound of it

[@KatiaBurlesk]

That’s really impressive! The painting itself looks like a photo, so detailed

[@feralbluee]

incredible restoration work!! a beautiful watercolor. glad it could be so beautifully restored. 🎨

[@ongoingawakening4257]

Phenomenal! Rescuing a watercolor. I didn’t even think it was possible, after seeing it.

[@galtenoble]

I think i could watch a whole video of the process of removing the mold. Idk why i found that part in particular so satisfying to watch 😅

[@user-tc4zf7qt6b]

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.

[@chocolatefrenzieya]

Oh that poor, poor painting! Glad you could help it!

[@Absolutely_puck_fakestine]

The more damaged a painting is, the more satisfying the video is.

[@sylviekoenig9960]

Absolutely amazing. I am in awe.

[@texasred2702]

I'm surprised they would use an organic material like wheat paste in this scenario. I'm no art preservationist but I know a thing or 2 about old houses...one I worked on, the homeowner got sick because the old wallpaper had been installed using flour paste and moisture from condensation in the ac system had caused mold to grow in the paste. Maybe that's different?

[@teresamariaserratapias798]

Gran trabajo en esta restauración es muy bonito todo el trabajo que hace el restaurador , tengo ganas de de verlo enmarcado

[@NutyRiver]

The damage and discoloration almost make it feel like a disaster has happened on the landscape, like a wildfire causing smog in the air. Weirdly, I feel like it adds to the story of the piece.

[@davegadge1]

The effect and the skill is incredible!

[@ginismoja2459]

Amazing, she did an outstanding job.

[@kahutochishisumi9056]

Simply amazing

[@Therealarsenio]

This put a massive smile on my face 😌 what an amazing job! Incredible patience!

[@artgeometrix6346]

Wow. Such a restoration. Excellent video here. Great process

[@latinsb4u]

I find it soothing 😌 watching the process

[@Auroraswolfpack]

Amazing, such a great work!

[@swyveu]

Remarkable dexterity and patience!

[@Teakip]

The fact humans will go to such great lengths to not only want to keep a possession as “impractical” as this, but to spend the years necessary to perfect such methods so others can enjoy art for longer is something I adore

[@impermanent-being]

Incredible skills and patience.

[@mariegrace1476]

Watching such an expert was very inspiring.

[@princequestly2218]

What a phenomenal job when I first saw it, I was like I would’ve threw that thing out. I’m glad they didn’t, it came out amazing. 😍

[@hannahl4108]

Absolutely incredible work! 👏👏👏💖💖💖

[@recruitlife5842]

Amazing skills and patience

[@redstoneactive6589]

Quite the skilled restoration. And a very beautiful painting.

[@Ketara99111]

Incredible work!

[@robingillespie4467]

Outstanding work!❤

[@Bartyron]

It is gorgeous.

[@CampingforCool41]

I never would have even thought it possible to restore it that much, it looked completely wrecked

[@ivanawilliams4068]

Beautiful work

[@lysegauthier2304]

Magnifique et magique restauration . Madame vous êtes une grande Artisane d' Arts . Lysarts

[@sinlokemp]

Beautiful

[@catherineel641]

Spectacular restoration