Water Damage from Fire

[FraminGal]

A customer brought in a pencil sketch on a heavy stock arches paper of a dog. Unfortunately it has dark water rings from a house fire. Is there any way to lighten the dark water mark/ring? This print does have sentimental value but she doesn't want to bring it to a conservator. The sketch of the dog is very light as it is and there is a dark water mark going right up by the face. Any suggestions.

 

[Janet L]

Take it to a graphic designer/photo restorer. They can scan the original, touch it up by removing the water rigns and print it onto a thick, acid free paper and it'll look just about as good as the original. The graphic designer/artist I share space with does this all the time. When she does a child's portrait in pencils, she scans it and prints copies for the grandparents or dad's office.

 

[preservator]

Janet's idea is a good one. Getting the tidelines
out of a sheet of paper should only be done by
a conservator.

Hugh