How to Remove Oil Paint From Canvas

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Things You'll Need

  • Palette knife

  • Turpentine

  • Rag

It is easy to make a mistake when working on a painting. Perhaps a tube of paint has blown out on you when you were squeezing some on to the palette, or a child has decided to "help" you with your art piece. But all is not lost: You can remove oil paint from the canvas by following these tips.

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Step 1

Check to see if the oil paint is still wet. Most oil paints take a few days to solidly dry.

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Step 2

Place the painting on a flat work surface. Take a palette knife or non serrated craft knife and slowly scrape the wet oil paint away.

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Step 3

Take a x-acto knife and scrape partially dried oil paint away slowly and carefully so as not to tear into the fabric of the canvas.

Step 4

Dip the end of a rag in turpentine and gently rub at the area to clean away oil paint excess after scraping the bulk of it with the knife.

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Step 5

If you feel solidly dried on paint you must decide if it is easier to paint over the area with a solid color. When it is dry then repaint the section to your satisfaction.

Tip

Make sure the turpentine is used in a well-ventilated area.

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