Is it safe to use dyed linen?ApproveRejectUn-ApproveSubscribeUn-Unsubscribe
Question asked 2023-04-26 05:10:43 ...
Most recent comment 2023-05-01 15:47:03
Oil Paint
Flexible Supports
Hello!
I found some large fragments of rather quality, thick, dyed (ochre-colored), Italian linen for a good price. I did not purchase it yet.
Is it safe to use dyed linen to create a larger stretched canvas?
Even if primed and gessoed adequately, what risks are there with the dye in the linen, in terms of long-term degradation?
It is far thicker than the raw linen available to me at present, so I thought I would ask.
Thank you very much!
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Moderator Answer
(mkinsey)
Depending on the artist's objectives, it might be an interesting and possibly fruitful experiment but I don't think it would be easy to know for sure if it would perform well without actually trying it.
There is a wide range of fabric sold as 'linen" and not all meets the standard for use as an artist's canvas. Linen offered as top-quality artist's canvas typically contains what is graded as "line" fiber, the longest, most lustrous bast (stem-derived) fibers from flax cultivated to reduce branching and yield a long, strong stem. Lower quality fiber can be separated from that harvest, or can be derived from a crop grown for seed and fiber. That fiber will be shorter and will produce a slubby, irregular fabric that's not as strong. The lowest quality flax cloth, "sacking" is a rough utility cloth used for feed sacks, insulation, and building material filler. Fabric that is dyed for wearable textiles and upholstery may be coated or otherwise treated in a way that would make it less receptive to painting grounds. Dyes may migrate through top coatings, and could persist through paint layers.
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Moderator Answer
(mkinsey)
I'm not a conservation professional, so please don't accept this as authoritative, but to the best of my knowledge, dye migration can occur over time, not just in the early phases of painting. I think it's a good decision to look for something without an unknown colorant.
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