I have an original watercolor that is rippled. How do I flatten it out?
A certain amount of waving is normal for a watercolor, and usually framing the work behind a mat will help to keep the surface as flat as can be expected. Although you should never expect a watercolor to be completely flat, if the buckling is extremely severe due to damage, you might consider taking the painting to a paper conservator.
A conservator is often able to use pressure and humidification to relax the fibers and smooth out major ripples, but since watercolors remain soluble, it is not the sort of thing you would want to attempt on your own. You can often locate a local conservator in the yellow pages under "art restoration", or you can get a free referral from the AIC at http://aic.stanford.edu/public/select.html.
