{"id":2191,"date":"2019-11-28T13:43:54","date_gmt":"2019-11-28T13:43:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/?p=2191"},"modified":"2026-03-14T09:21:43","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T09:21:43","slug":"how-to-get-a-dent-out-of-a-painting-canvas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/how-to-get-a-dent-out-of-a-painting-canvas\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Get A Dent Out Of A Painting Canvas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\">No matter how careful we are with our canvases it&#8217;s all too easy to hit or knock them and dent them. As as much you then try to push the dent back out from the underside, it won&#8217;t work, because the fine canvas threads have now been stretched in that area. Even if you then fit the canvas tightening wedges, that come with most canvases, into the corners to tighten the canvas, it still won&#8217;t work, you&#8217;ll still have a dent in your canvas painting. So let me show you what does work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\">NOTE: If your canvas painting has a <strong>tear<\/strong> in it, read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/how-to-repair-a-damaged-or-torn-canvas-painting\/\">how to repair a damaged or torn canvas painting here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"845\" height=\"622\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"get dent out of painting\" class=\"wp-image-3234\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-1-1.jpg 845w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-1-1-300x221.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-1-1-768x565.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 845px) 100vw, 845px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\">Here is my dented canvas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"845\" height=\"634\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-2.jpg\" alt=\"Dent in a canvas painting.\" class=\"wp-image-2193\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-2.jpg 845w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-2-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 845px) 100vw, 845px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\">You can see in this close-up the dent it quite deep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"845\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-3.jpg\" alt=\"Dent in back of canvas painting.\" class=\"wp-image-2194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-3.jpg 845w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-3-300x213.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-3-768x545.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 845px) 100vw, 845px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\">If I were to try and push the dent out from this side it would simply not work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"845\" height=\"634\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-6-1.jpg\" alt=\"Wet rag in sink.\" class=\"wp-image-2205\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-6-1.jpg 845w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-6-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-6-1-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 845px) 100vw, 845px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\">So what you need is a clean rag or sponge and make it wet, ..very wet. You can&#8217;t damage your canvas by making it too wet (avoid getting too much water on the wooden stretchers though).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"845\" height=\"634\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-4.jpg\" alt=\"Rubbing wet rag on canvas painting.\" class=\"wp-image-2195\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-4.jpg 845w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-4-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-4-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 845px) 100vw, 845px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\">Turn your canvas over and place it on a clean flat surface, then with your wet rag\/sponge wet the back of the canvas all around the dented area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"845\" height=\"634\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-5.jpg\" alt=\"Rub wet rag on painting.\" class=\"wp-image-2196\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-5.jpg 845w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-5-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-5-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 845px) 100vw, 845px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\">Rub your rag or sponge up, down, back and fore until the weave of the canvas it good and wet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"845\" height=\"634\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-7.jpg\" alt=\"Put water on canvas painting.\" class=\"wp-image-2198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-7.jpg 845w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-7-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-7-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 845px) 100vw, 845px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\">Once the canvas is sodden, apply some pressure to the dented area and push it down flat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"845\" height=\"634\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-8.jpg\" alt=\"Leave wet rag on painting.\" class=\"wp-image-2199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-8.jpg 845w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-8-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-8-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 845px) 100vw, 845px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\">It will do no harm to leave the soaked rag\/sponge on the effected area for a minute of so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"845\" height=\"634\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-9.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of dent in canvas painting.\" class=\"wp-image-2200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-9.jpg 845w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-9-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-9-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 845px) 100vw, 845px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\">After a couple of minutes rubbing the back of the canvas this is what the dented area looked like on my canvas. The brush handle is pointing at the dent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"845\" height=\"634\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-10-1.jpg\" alt=\"Damaged canvas.\" class=\"wp-image-2215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-10-1.jpg 845w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-10-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-10-1-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 845px) 100vw, 845px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\">All that remains of the damage to my canvas is a small impression left where the dent was at it&#8217;s sharpest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"845\" height=\"604\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-11.jpg\" alt=\"Fixed canvas painting. \" class=\"wp-image-2202\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-11.jpg 845w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-11-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-11-768x549.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 845px) 100vw, 845px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\">This is the canvas after going through the process above, no more dent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"845\" height=\"626\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-12.jpg\" alt=\"Artists Cat.\" class=\"wp-image-2203\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-12.jpg 845w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-12-300x222.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canvas-dent-12-768x569.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 845px) 100vw, 845px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\">This beautiful girl (Her name is Pusspuss) is the reason my canvas had a dent in it in the first place, she denies responsibility obviously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\">* If your canvas painting has a <strong>tear<\/strong> in it, read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chrischalkart.com\/painting_blog\/how-to-repair-a-damaged-or-torn-canvas-painting\/\">how to repair a damaged or torn canvas painting here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\">If you found this post about how to get a dent out of a canvas painting useful please consider sharing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\">Happy painting!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-block-paragraph\">Chris<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>No matter how careful we are with our canvases it&#8217;s all too easy to hit or knock them and dent [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5669,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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