🏺 Restoration Commission: Green Ceramic Vase – From Damage to Reveal in One Video!

A Restoration Commission Worth Watching

Every now and then, a restoration commission project pushes your skills and creativity to the limit—and this green ceramic vase was definitely one of those moments.

After successfully restoring a heavily damaged ceramic Nativity icon for a client here in Malta, I was entrusted with this second challenge: a vintage green petal vase salvaged from the historic Villa Bronja. At first glance, it didn’t seem too intimidating, but as always, the devil was in the details.

From delicate drilling and pinning to tricky sculpting and even a near disaster involving my airbrush hose, this journey had it all—and I decided to capture the entire process in one short video tutorial for you to enjoy.

Full Gallery of this restoration Project can be found here.  Green Ceramic Vase Restoration Project.

The Full Journey in One Restoration Commission Video

To make the whole experience more accessible and easy to follow, I documented every stage of the green ceramic vase restoration in a short video—from the initial inspection all the way to the final reveal. 🎥

🎬 What You’ll See in the Video:

• Close-up look at the original damage—broken petals, chips, and wear
• Pinning and supporting the sculpted parts with metal rods
• Rough sculpting with air-dry clay to rebuild the missing petal structure
• Careful sanding and shaping of each petal to match the original form
• Custom color mixing to recreate the faded green tones of the original glaze
• Blending layers with airbrush and glazes for that soft watercolor fade
• Protective matte and gloss varnishing to mimic ceramic sheen

📺 You’ll find the video embedded below or on our YouTube channel. Don’t miss it!

Personal Lessons from This Restoration Commission

Even after more than 35 years of painting miniatures and working on custom commissions, I’m still learning every day. Here are a few highlights from this project:

Write Down Your Paint Mixes!

Midway through the project, I realized I had run out of the green tone I had painstakingly mixed. Thankfully, I had written down the ratio of my base green, black drops, and highlights, so I could recreate it almost exactly. A tip I recommend to all painters—write your mixes down!

Never Panic (Even When the Hose Melts!)

Just as I was airbrushing the final coats, I accidentally touched the rubber airbrush hose to the hot end of my hair dryer. Instant hole. Air hissing. Job on pause. But I took a breather—literally got on my bike for a short ride—and remembered an old electrician’s trick. A little medical tape and some super glue later, and I was back in business.

Green_Ceramic_Vase_Restoration tutorial @dressart3,com

Why I Love Taking On a Restoration Commission Like This

This vase restoration wasn’t just about fixing something old—it was about breathing life back into a piece of history. Each brushstroke, each sanding pass, and every sculpted curve was a tribute to the original craftsmanship.

And you know what? Seeing the client’s reaction made it all worth it. He was thrilled with the final result. So was I.

Green_Ceramic_Vase_Restoration@dressart3,com

Support Our Restoration Commissions & Creative Work at DressArt3D

If you enjoy seeing these types of projects come to life, there’s a simple way to support more of them:

🎨 Browse our exclusive, hand-painted miniatures
👕 Grab a custom-designed t-shirt or print
🛍️ Pick up a unique collectible for your tabletop gaming setup

Every piece at dressart3D.com – Unique 3dPrinted Painted Miniatures & merch is original, designed by me, and painted with the same attention to detail that I bring to every restoration commission.

💬 Got a project in mind? We’re always open for custom restoration commissions! Reach out directly at contact@dressart3d.com.

Final Thoughts – From Fractured to Fantastic

This restoration commission took roughly 20 hours of work from start to finish—but the end result speaks for itself. The newly rebuilt and repainted green ceramic vase now looks like it never skipped a beat.

If you’re into miniature painting, art restoration, or just love the art of transformation, I hope you found this project as inspiring as I did.

📩 Don’t forget to subscribe, follow along, and share your thoughts in the comments.
💡 And if you’re looking for beautifully painted models for your tabletop or display, you know where to go:
👉 m – Unique 3dPrinted Painted Miniatures & merch

See you in the next project update!

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Thanks with a Gift!

Thanks for sticking with this long read.  If you managed to arrive to this point I sincerely think that you found this reading an interesting one and I really appreciate it.  As a small token for your interest, may I remind you that if you simply create an account with our online show you will be instantly given a one time, no expiry 10% Discount Coupon.  You will be able to find it in the coupon section of the My Account Section in the links section above.

Thanks for appreciating our Art!