Conservation & Restoration
The heart of S/R Labs is our conservation laboratory. Treatments and procedures are based on traditional conservation practice and have been developed expressly to meet the exacting and particular needs of animation art. Using the newest technologies, we have reconstructed the methods used in the creation of animated films from all periods and apply them in the traditional manner to preserve the integrity and longevity of your art.
Consultation
Proper, informed care by you, the art owner, is the best way to assure the preservation of your art in the years to come. The most important long-term service we can provide is accurate information. We invite you to bring your art, questions, and concerns to the lab 9:00 to 5:00, Monday through Friday, on an appointment basis. If a visit to the lab isn’t possible, we provide on-site consultation as well. And, of course, we are always pleased to make our expertise available by phone, fax, and email. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it is there for you 24/7.
Three Dimensional Restoration
In addition to cels and artwork on paper, we provide restoration for most three-dimensional objects, including Walt Disney Classics Collection© figurines, fine porcelain sculptures, ceramic artifacts, composition and wooden items-in fact, oil and acrylic paintings too. We service almost any collectible. The breadth of our ability to put your treasures back the way you remember them will astonish and delight you.
Paint & Color Laboratory
Within the lab is a color and research core featuring an ink-and-paint-making facility where rainbows of colors are made and matched. Paints are custom-made in small quantities to the exacting specifications of the art, following traditional formulas and using pigments and ingredients especially researched and gathered to meet historical standards. Formulas and techniques for the complete range of special effects, from “blend” to transparent paints, have been recreated to restore the full richness of vintage art. We have been making Disney paint for more than 30 years and converted the entire Disney color system to a digital format for the Walt Disney Company!
Research & Development
Almost all of the procedures we perform were developed in our lab. We have an on-going program of research to meet new demands as art continues to age and to continually create new methodologies for its preservation. We maintain memberships in the Western Association for Art Conservation, the Los Angeles Society for Paint and Coatings Technology, the Professional Picture Framers Association, and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers.
Photo & Research Library
In addition to maintaining a complete reference and video library, we photograph each piece of art that comes into the lab before and after treatment, not only to keep a record of our work, but to compile reference on art represented in the collecting community. The Walt Disney Company’s publicity for Snow White’s 50th anniversary wouldn’t have been as complete without rare slides provided from our files. We have built a comprehensive database on the filmographies, styles, and practices of various studios, and continue to compile in-depth information detailing the composition and condition of art from each period in the history of animation.
Studio Services
In order to properly restore art from the classic period of animation, we have had to recreate the techniques and skills used in their production. Today, we are the only existing source of many of these “lost secrets,” and we are proud to have been able to essentially return them to their source by assisting many studios in creating special inks and paints for commercials, feature films, and limited editions, as well as developing new special effects techniques to answer contemporary production needs.