Amateur Linenbacking 101 by Pulpfixin

[Charlie]

I have also been looking into a natural fixative; spectra fix.  It would have to be applied with an airbursh because it is just in a squirt bottle. However, some of the complaints I read are that it changes the colors...  I haven't ordered this to play with it yet...  Just thought I would throw a natural fixative out there...

http://www.spectrafix.com/

I e-mailed the company about its reversibility and the response I got was:

Hi Charlie,

Yes, I believe it could be removed by softening in water, but that might be hard on your poster. ;p
The casein does harden over time, and become water resistant, esp with exposure to UV light, but a nice soak ought to make it removeable. It is slightly on the alkaline side of pH neutral, which is good for conservation.

Of course, I've never tried the above.. so I would suggest you try it before committing a poster. The casein won't be as removable as watercolor, of course, since wc doesn't contain a real binder.. just gum arabic. Since casein is a glue I wonder if it would require a light 'encouragement' with a brush to let go entirely... and would this be okay for the poster? Would the ink come off?

It should work well for isolating layers though, and does get along well with watercolors. You can also use it to create your own paints with soft pastels and casein.

[Charlie]

So I love the new airbrush.  It is just plain awesome on old posters... Need to post some pictures...  Only way to get it working on the modern was to go over and over and over and over and over and over and over it until the colors built up enough....  Same with the older ones but they seemed to absorb it more rapidly...  White still sucks....  Well back at it... 

[erik1925]

OK to clarify the fixative use from poster mountain.  They used it on a piece of artwork to protect it during backing...  Not to finish off a poster.  But why would a backer actually admit to using it anyway.  I am sure they all do something...  But that is what is so tiresome about this art.  No one will tell you anything or tell you the whole truth; especially the turn key tip...  It may even just come down to quality of the watercolors for all I know...

I'm not sure what you are clarifying here. I wrote John and specifically asked him about PM using fixatives or sealers on movie posters. I didn't ask it a general blanket question, since other situations (like the art example you sited, could come into play). He said they never use any kind of sealer on movie posters, as part of their restoration and conservation efforts. Aside from the fact that it is not considered archival (in his view), he also said that the high quality water based color media they use don't require anything more, to "set" the color to the paper.

And why would you suggest he was being untruthful when he said his company doesnt use it?  If it was another material in their arsenal to use on posters, he would have said so. It's not like it is some controversial substance. He wrote and said many restorers/backers DO use it; Poster Mountain doesnt, and I have no reason to doubt that.  

I know John, and have used PM; they do great work and none of my posters were sprayed with anything (nor was I ever offered that option, when minor color touch-ups were done).  

[bigmike]

Sorry for any misconception. I didn't mean to start a fuss or anything. I was just trying to help Charlie find an answer.

When I seached Google for Linenbacking Fixative. One of the blogs came up, Hence I just stated ask Poster Mountain.

"We applied a fixative to the existing pigments before beginning the mounting procedure"

"Once the piece had been sprayed with fixative, the pastels pigments were stable enough for us to carefully  mount it."

Thats what came up in my Cache. That is why I stated what I had.

[erik1925]

Sorry for any misconception. I didn't mean to start a fuss or anything. I was just trying to help Charlie find an answer.

When I seached Google for Linenbacking Fixative. One of the blogs came up, Hence I just stated ask Poster Mountain.

"We applied a fixative to the existing pigments before beginning the mounting procedure"

"Once the piece had been sprayed with fixative, the pastels pigments were stable enough for us to carefully  mount it."

Thats what came up in my Cache. That is why I stated what I had.

Hey Mike..

it's no fuss.. I was only replying, too and asking because I emailed PM about this earlier this week. So it was like a 180º bit of info that was offered.

I'm curious about the blog entry, as you quoted it as saying that fixative was applied to stabilize the existing pigments PRIOR to mounting the piece.

Maybe this was the art piece that Charlie referred to.

It's all good.  

[bigmike]

Which brings us.
How can we even tell a fixative was applied to the poster?

[Charlie]

I'm not sure what you are clarifying here. I wrote John and specifically asked him about PM using fixatives or sealers on movie posters. I didn't ask it a general blanket question, since other situations (like the art example you sited, could come into play). He said they never use any kind of sealer on movie posters, as part of their restoration and conservation efforts. Aside from the fact that it is not considered archival (in his view), he also said that the high quality water based color media they use don't require anything more, to "set" the color to the paper.

And why would you suggest he was being untruthful when he said his company doesnt use it?  If it was another material in their arsenal to use on posters, he would have said so. It's not like it is some controversial substance. He wrote and said many restorers/backers DO use it; Poster Mountain doesnt, and I have no reason to doubt that.  

I know John, and have used PM; they do great work and none of my posters were sprayed with anything (nor was I ever offered that option, when minor color touch-ups were done).  

I was trying to cover Mike's quote here.  No controversy...  I think that you can get away without it on older matte posters.  And I think with enough experience you can get away without it on modern posters using the airbrush and adding gum arabic.  I was able to match sheen on the Lost Boys which is half way between Matte and modern gloss...  On the Heartbreak Ridge it was too glossy...  But one interesting thing did happen last night.  I had just finished a fold line with the airbrush and I raised may hand up and one single drop fell on a previously dried area. It ran just a tad and messed up the look of the touchup...  Un-protected work seems dangerous.  On drop or a swipe of a wet hand and oops...

I also was not implying John from PM was a "liar"...  There just never seems to be an A+B=C in this process.  A mystery wrapped in an enigma.  Ok, so either I am just too much of a perfectionist, am doing it completely wrong, others are just that awesome, or there is there is a simple answer.  The simple answer always seems to be the case in most situations...

[Ari]

I thiunk it will always come down to the fact pro's don't want to give away what they have had to learn themselves. Which is fair enough, its their living.

[Charlie]

I thiunk it will always come down to the fact pro's don't want to give away what they have had to learn themselves. Which is fair enough, its their living.

Yes. I agree.

[Charlie]

OK I promised Pictures:

First here is what I am talking about and contrast between the actual poster and the watercolors...











So I went to town fixed my airbrush; built an easel because you can't paint down...



First to try black on an older poster.  The matte finish isn't an issue here.  The black does come out darker though.


Before airbrush:


After Airbrush:  (there was some overspray cause I was careful but not too careful - just testing things out)


Regular water color leaving a matte finish:



Added Gum Arabic to the mix:




Point Break All Finish Up....


Now to the Lost Boys.  Remember all the matte finish issues.  The airbrush and a little Gum Arabic eliminated this concern.

Remember the head.  This was a huge issue with a dark line running across.  I am no expert at the airbrush but I figured if I could make a base color opaque to eliminate the line I could come back aver and get it close.  Also notice the stain in the orange flame area.  This didn't come off in washing...



Here is the base coat of white.


Then a darker coat of the yellow.


A final darker coat and a few sprits of black to take it back...


Now to the stain.  We saturated the stain with a lighter yellow and let dry.


Then came back with the main color.


Finished!


Man I was ready to give up yesterday...  The restoration and color matching stuff is the meat of the art.  As Rich and Bruce (and others) said slapping a poster on linen is something that can be done all day...

[Harry Caul]

I had a poster that was already mounted to linen that needed to be re-backed.  PM did the work.  John said if it didn't look like it would come off the old backing easily (or if for instance it had been dry mounted to foam core) he had a product that he could put on the front of the poster to protect the artwork.  That way when he was scraping the paper off the old backing -- which as I understand it is a very rough process -- he would be much less likely to damage the artwork from the back.  Then when the poster had been removed, he had an enzyme that would dissolve what he applied to the front.  Maybe that is what PM was referring too... something applied during the restoration process (to 'fix' the artwork), but then removed before linen backing it.  

IMO, I would prefer no fixtative.  All of my linen-backed posters look great from the front, but when you look at it (way) off axis you can see that the restoration lines have a matte finish while the paper is usually more of a satin.  I've never found it bothersome in the least.
 
I absolutely don't mean this to come off as flip, but how often are you looking at a poster from that angle and from that close? 

[erik1925]

I had a poster that was already mounted to linen that needed to be re-backed.  PM did the work.  John said if it didn't look like it would come off the old backing easily (or if for instance it had been dry mounted to foam core) he had a product that he could put on the front of the poster to protect the artwork.  That way when he was scraping the paper off the old backing -- which as I understand it is a very rough process -- he would be much less likely to damage the artwork from the back.  Then when the poster had been removed, he had an enzyme that would dissolve what he applied to the front.  Maybe that is what PM was referring too... something applied during the restoration process (to 'fix' the artwork), but then removed before linen backing it.  

IMO, I would prefer no fixtative.  All of my linen-backed posters look great from the front, but when you look at it (way) off axis you can see that the restoration lines have a matte finish while the paper is usually more of a satin.  I've never found it bothersome in the least.
 
I absolutely don't mean this to come off as flip, but how often are you looking at a poster from that angle and from that close? 

Matt.. I can see them using a product like that when removing a poster from old linen, or (heaven forbid) having to get a poster off of foam core or some other type of board. That makes sense, since the poster will have to be submersed in water again (or be subjected to harsher solvents, if the glue was not water based  ).

But as far as PM using any fixatives like this for a first time backing job of a poster (a finishing process, so to speak), John's answer was a definite no. 

The posters i have had backed by PM are from the '20s and '30s, so the paper is not glossy. And as you mentioned, up close or from certain angles, the slight fold touch ups will be seen. But no one stands inches away from a poster to view them (unless one is checking out the restoration work for the first time). 

[bigmike]

I think Charlies concern is with the paper in the 80s, 90s posters with the glossier type of paper that he can't get the touch ups right on. And that the touch up areas are easily seen or quite noticeable. That he is trying to figure out what technique there is to help reduce the touched up areas on those glossier type sheets. Am I right on that assumption Charlie?

[Bruce]

I had a poster that was already mounted to linen that needed to be re-backed.  PM did the work.  John said if it didn't look like it would come off the old backing easily (or if for instance it had been dry mounted to foam core) he had a product that he could put on the front of the poster to protect the artwork.  That way when he was scraping the paper off the old backing -- which as I understand it is a very rough process -- he would be much less likely to damage the artwork from the back.  Then when the poster had been removed, he had an enzyme that would dissolve what he applied to the front.  Maybe that is what PM was referring too... something applied during the restoration process (to 'fix' the artwork), but then removed before linen backing it.  

IMO, I would prefer no fixtative.  All of my linen-backed posters look great from the front, but when you look at it (way) off axis you can see that the restoration lines have a matte finish while the paper is usually more of a satin.  I've never found it bothersome in the least.
 
I absolutely don't mean this to come off as flip, but how often are you looking at a poster from that angle and from that close? 

I know I have seen as many or more linen posters than almost anyone else (maybe everyone else).

Personally, I much prefer seeing the slight traces of restoration than seeing NO traces of restoration, and knowing the poster was airbrushed and sprayed with fixative. If I wanted it to "look perfect" I would just buy a repro, or try to find a mint unrestored one.

I worry what all that paint and spray will do over many years. Also in most hobbies there is eventually a huge backlash against heavy restoration.

But each person makes their own choices. Auctions (other than mine) prefer the "perfect" look, because they can say "fine on linen with minor touch-up" even if that is not true.

Bruce

P.S. On the spray that they use and remove, I believe you will find that it is mostly only used on SIGNED posters (only on the signed part), so they can mount it without fear of the autograph "running" or washing away completely.

[Charlie]

@ Mike - yes that is my concern.

But in what I am reading is that changes in finish may no be as big of an issue as I originally thought.  Like I posted before, I haven't seen many backed and touched up posters in person so I may have been operating under a paradym that the Darios and PMs of the backing world "mint" a poster every time with out any hint of restoration. I just don't/didn't want to be satisfied with mediocre work...

[erik1925]

@ Mike - yes that is my concern.

But in what I am reading is that changes in finish may no be as big of an issue as I originally thought.  Like I posted before, I haven't seen many backed and touched up posters in person so I may have been operating under a paradym that the Darios and PMs of the backing world "mint" a poster every time with out any hint of restoration. I just don't/didn't want to be satisfied with mediocre work...

Dont get me wrong. There are owners of posters that want them to be made to look mint. And then there are some that want their posters conserved and lightly restored (fold splits, cross fold holes or borders mended) especially if the poster is many decades old, or was kept in conditions that have compromised its integrity (foxing, mold, deterioration from moisture, humidity etc).

But no poster is ever made to look "mint" as a matter of course. A poster owner will indicate how much or how little he/she will want done to a poster.

Like many others, I am of the thinking that "less is more." If a poster has survived, let's say, from the 1920s, 30s or 40s, (and if a foreign poster, made it thru the War, for example), I would not want every bit of its 'life' to be buried under a layers of added color. Small dings, "bumps and bruises" are part of that poster's history, IMO. There are those, however, that would prefer the opposite. It's all a matter of preference.

On newer, glossy posters that were issued folded, there are those collectors that want them backed simply to remove the fold creases and to diminish or hide breaks in the image, caused by the folding. Again, this is a personal, aesthetic choice and what the owner finds most appealing.

[jayn_j]

Like many others, I am of the thinking that "less is more." If a poster has survived, let's say, from the 1920s, 30s or 40s, (and if a foreign poster, made it thru the War, for example), I would not want every bit of its 'life' to be buried under a layers of added color. Small dings, "bumps and bruises" are part of that poster's history, IMO. There are those, however, that would prefer the opposite. It's all a matter of preference.

 
It has always seemed a shame to me that a poster with a rich display history be restored and that history removed.  I love posters with snipes, censor marks, and writing on the back with routing, location or date information.  Same thing with pinholes.  Pinholes mean it is real and was used for its purpose.  Now THOSE are classic posters.  You got one of those, feel free to send it to me, and I will help you find a 'better' example with no history.

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

Charlie really fixed up my Back to Eternity.  The fold lines were very distracting but - poof - they are gone....

Much obliged!

[Charlie]

Charlie really fixed up my Back to Eternity.  The fold lines were very distracting but - poof - they are gone....

Much obliged!

Glad you like it.  You should see it person.  It is laying here behind me all silky smooth...  I think I love backing older posters...

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

Glad you like it.  You should see it person.  It is laying here behind me all silky smooth...  I think I love backing older posters...

DON'T BE FONDLING MY GAL!   

[CSM]

Great work Charlie.  Looks like you are getting the handle on the older stuff

[Charlie]

Lost Boys...  For my first experiments with an airbrush I am pretty happy with how this turned out... The Lost Boys was good practice for Harry's Suspiria...

Before:



After:



Point Break... I officially hate modern shiny posters...

Before:



After:

[stewart boyle]

Pulpfixin,mate, the results you are achieving are to be applauded..there is no stopping you,keep it up.

Stew

[Charlie]

Pulpfixin,mate, the results you are achieving are to be applauded..there is no stopping you,keep it up.

Stew

Thanks Stew! The Lost Boys was a real learning experience...

[Hallucination Generation]

I cannot believe the results you've all been getting
That Lost Boys quad is astounding. I had no idea that such a feat was possible.
And to get rid of the fold lines and wear from the Point Break and Mel's poster is truly amazing.
I am in awe. I knew restoration would improve a poster but not to that degree.

Anyone care to tell how much that work costs?