More than ten years ago, I studied oil painting restoration in Florence, Italy. During my training, I was introduced to many traditional conservation materials such as dammar resin, rosin, beeswax, and natural resin-based systems. These materials have a long history of use and have proven their value through generations of conservation practice.
At that time, I assumed that if the same materials and methods were used correctly, similar results could be expected everywhere.
After returning to Malaysia, however, I began to notice that the situation was not always the same.
As my restoration work increased, I observed that some natural resin varnishes ...