Canvas

[elemenope]

I recently found a bunch of large canvas paintings that somebody was going to throw away. I took them home in the hopes that I would be able to use them. I am wondering if I could just paint over them with white and then use them as blank canvas. Any answers are greatly appreciated. P. S. What about scrubbing them with some terpanitne...? (sp?)

[gen2]

Yes, you can overpaint an old painting with a new one. Many old masters did just that as has been revealed by x-ray.

Be aware though that if the old paint has been laid on rather thickly, then any relief will show through your new painting.

You don't say if they are oils or acrylics, but in either case I would only overpaint with the same medium.

Turpentine will have little effect on old oilpaint once it is well dried and it is not worth the effort or expense trying to remove it - it would be cheaper to buy a fresh canvas.
Nothing readily available will dissolve acrylics.

So, in summary, If the paint surface is fairly flat, then go ahead and overpaint with the same medium.

[Quizmonster]

I myself would make very sure that none of them was a Picasso, Rembrandt etc before doing anything to them at all!

[Clanad]

When you paint over an old painting you run the risk that what was underneath will show through, as gen2 intimates. either as texture, or as color if you're using transparent colors or glazing. It's important, in re-using canvas to know what medium was used. You can use oil over acrylic but not acrylic over oil.
If it's oil and has been "retired" for several years, it should be thoroughly dried and the cracking should be ended. I would sand it with very fine sandpaper to remove unevensess and thorughly remove all dust. Cover the painting with two or three coats of titanium white, and proceed.
If the original medium was acrylic, just wipe thorougly to removed dust, gesso as usual and proceed.
One thing you could consider is to remove the canvas from the stretcher and turn it inside out presenting you with a new canvas...

Excuse me while I diverge for just a moment...
Q... when are going to see a report of the latest gastronomical outing to the continent?

Thanks, elemenope...

[Quizmonster]

My regrets, too, Elemenope, but I must respond to C. Been there...done that a couple of weeksa ago and mean to do exactly the same in another two weeks and then six weeks later!
The routine never changes and we never fail to have a wonderful time. Not for us the 'normal' booze-cruise, which just involves a drab process of going to France and bringing alcohol back with you. Oh, no...we go with the intention of getting as much booze and French food inside us as we can reasonably cope with. Marvellous! Cheers for asking.

[boogieboogie]

I have previously painted white household emulsion onto a canvas painting then painted with acrylics on top of that, It was fine and I sold it. (This was a painting)

What I can also recommend is to be adventurous, experimental and use mixed media. I use to mix up some tile grout (�1 shop) and sculpt it onto the canvas to give it texture. Can paint the grout once dried but if using metallics I recommend a layer of pva glue to revent absorbsion.

[lajohn]

From your post I gathered the canvases are painted. Did you research the painting? You never know, they might be something rare and valuable. Yeah I know wishful thinking :-)