The Influence of Fillers on the Chromatic Reintegration Process on Easel Paintings: Analytical Study for Skin Color

Abstract

[EN] Mimetic chromatic reintegration in easel paintings is usually achieved by levelling the surface of losses (lacunae) with a white filler, followed by its retouching with an appropriate paint. This investigation aimed to understand how different formulations of fillers (colored fillers and white fillers covered with three kinds of paints: watercolor, gouache, and mastic resin) influence mimetic reintegration. Colorimetry, using a smartphone with a color measurement application, and Fiber Optics Reflectance Spectroscopy (FORS) measurements were made on 29 samples of fillers and on the surface of the pictorial layer of our case study - a painting by Veloso Salgado.The combined use of these techniques allowed us to choose the most similar material filler system. The pigmented fillers gave us the best results to perform a safer and faster chromatic reintegration procedure. This procedure appears to be suitable for contemporary art as which usually do not present a protective layer. Also, the use of pigmented fillers simplifies the color achievement.