Easy way to touch up nicks in varnished frames?

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

I normally pass up nicked frames. But I saw some Japanese style prints – a set of 4 - in a Goodwill shop. I know they aren’t “real” woodblock prints, but they are very convincing. I could not even see any dots. They are backed with wood, not cardboard, so seem to be high quality considering where I found them. Maybe not made here? Instead of being matted, each print is adhered to a white mounting sheet with a thin inked line (to show where it's supposed to be glued, I suppose).

They will be perfect for my Japanese themed bathroom.

The frames are a reddish mahogany colored wood. No grain at all. Little nicks I sometime touch up with acrylic craft or artist paint, but that is matte and the varnish is shiny.

I know there are colored wax sticks, but those aren’t shiny like the frame finish. As a matter of fact, I need to remove some of that stuff on another frame.

I could actually use stain, but most framing wood is soft and porous.

Thanks!

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Comments (5)

lindac92
8 years ago
I use artist's oils and tint a little bit of varnish or poly and a tiny brush (I buy those cheap make up brushes that come 6 or 8 for a little bit of money) and drip it on, when it's dry very carefully VERY carefully sand down your patch to match.....and if you need to add a little more gloss with some thinned varnish
I have done quite a few patch jobs on things....and another thing you could do is fill the chip with that wood powder you mix with water.....and again paint with artist's oils.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago) thanked lindac92
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you! Mixing a bit of oil with the varnish? I did that once when I needed to match an add-on to an antique china cabinet. I remember it took much longer to dry but a scratch has much smaller surface area. I'll have to see if I can still get the caps off my oil paints, LOL.

My first inclination was to use that scratch coat stuff but they don't have a reddish color. And I should really do the right thing.

I buy cheap brushes in bulk at Dick Blick.

The scratches aren't deep. I think coloring them would do the trick.
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lindac92
8 years ago
And if you can't get the caps off the oil paints, a pin will get you a little bit of color....ruins the rest of the tube...but what were you saving it for?
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Oh, my goodness. I laid them out to touch up the frames tonight, and got a good look at them in better light. They aren’t reproductions, but PAINTINGS! On rice paper. No wonder I couldn’t see any “dots.”

The outlines are done with black ink, and there are washes of water color. White tones like highlights have some dimensionality, which was my first indication. But the paper is also warped a little in spots from the watercolor.

I did sumi-e painting in high school and college. You cansee the texture of the rice paper at some angles.

I realized when I saw them all laid out that they are a “Four seasons” landscape series. Glad I didn’t stop at choosing just 2, as I was initially going to do!

I would take photos, but my camera can’t upload to the computer for now. (My hard drive is full, I have too many pictures). I’ll have to post again when that issue is resolved.
lindac92
8 years ago
So glad you bought them all!! Looking forward to pictures....get some of those pictures into the cloud!