Your colored pencil drawing is made with high quality pencils on high quality, acid free paper. Colored pencil artworks on paper should always be framed behind glass if they are to be displayed. It’s highly recommended to frame the artwork with a mount / passe-partout preferably done by a professional framer. It is essential that the artwork does not touch the glass! (The used materials are oil or wax based and will stick to the glass and leave a mark eventually.)
Colored pencil artworks don’t fare well when placed in bright sunlight. Where possible, try to hang your artwork in shadier spots (or if you really can’t avoid hanging your pieces in a sunny corner, chat to a specialist framer about placing your artworks behind UV-protected glass).
Frequent or large changes in temperature can be damaging to colored pencil artworks, as can high levels of humidity or damp. When selecting where to hang your new artworks, consider how the requirements of the medium match up with the room in which you’re placing it. Likewise, in kitchens or rooms with open fires or radiators, bear in mind that strong sources of heat can cause warping or discoloration.
We love the idea of having art in the bathroom, but bear in mind that works on paper may not fare well. Good ventilation is a must to avoid mildew and surface damage, and I’d recommend chatting to a framer about how best to protect your artworks by properly sealing the frames to prevent moisture getting in.
Your new pastel painting is a hand-painted work of fine art. I use the best archival materials for its creation. If properly taken care of, your painting will last for many lifetimes. Pastel is one of the most permanent art mediums in existence. Many pastels painted over 200 years ago are still as bright and fresh as the day they were created.
The artist’s pigments in my pastels are the same as those used in fine oil paints. The only difference is that with pastel the pigments are not mixed with a liquid binder which may degrade over time. The pure, bright hues will not change or yellow.
Your pastel painting may shed a few particles of pigment when new. This is normal and will not damage the image. The surface will become more solid with time and shedding will stop. Please do not attempt to rub or brush away fallen particles, as you may mar the surface of your painting. Lightly shake them off and store your unframed painting flat in its case until you take it to your framer.
Framing: To protect and preserve your painting while it is on display, you should have it professionally framed behind glass. Please choose your framer carefully. Discount framers may charge less, but they often save money and cut corners by using non-archival, non-acid-free framing materials. These materials may harm your painting. It’s worth choosing the best quality framing materials so that your family can enjoy your painting for many years to come.
What to tell your framer
You want acid-free, archival framing materials. The backing board and mats, if any, should be museum quality. 100% rag board and acid-free foamcore is best. Cheap mat board or brown cardboard backings will stain and yellow your portrait within a few years.
Do not spray any sort of fixative or coating on your painting in the framing process or allow your framer to do so. Your portrait has already been fixed with an archival spray. Further coating or fixing may change the colors in your painting, damage the paper or dislodge the pastel particles from the surface. Careful handling is a must. Do not touch the painted surface. Putting fingers or other items on top of the painting or allowing it to be rubbed or flexed will damage the surface. Keep it flat, supported from underneath and facing upwards to protect the pastel surface.
Choose a framer who is experienced in working with fine art pastels. A framer who works mostly with posters and printed reproductions or oil paintings may not realize that pastels take special handling. Do not risk the welfare of your portrait in the hands of an inexperienced framer.
Do not use Plexiglas™ or non-glare glass to frame your painting. Plexiglas™ holds a static charge that may pull pastel particles from the paper and in time create a “ghost” image on the underside of the glass. This will probably not seriously harm your painting, but it will obscure your view of it! Non-glare glass makes your painting appear blurry and dull in color, and it is best avoided.
One good approach for framing your pastel is to use a reversed double mat, with the larger window underneath. This creates a gap behind the mat where any fallen particles will be invisible. Another is to use a spacer strip between the glass and the painting so that no mat is necessary.
Hanging your pastel:
Choose a dry place indoors out of direct sunlight. Sunlight, even filtered through a window, is the enemy of all fine artwork. It degrades paper and canvas and may fade pigments. Dampness may damage paper and even allow mold to grow on paintings. Outside walls, basement walls and stone or concrete walls may transmit dampness, so avoid hanging art on them. An interior wall without nearby windows is ideal. Bedrooms, sitting rooms and hallways are often the best places for fine artworks. Bathrooms and kitchens may have very damp air, so please avoid hanging your fine artworks near showers, tubs and stoves.
Watercolor paintings are delicate and are easily damaged, buckled and discolored, and can even crumple if not cared for properly. Watercolors are best off when you frame them under glass.
Watercolors are usually done on paper which will deteriorate very fast if left in the open. Also, the paper is never given a water-resistant coating prior to being painted upon because it will make application of colors difficult. A protective varnish is applied over the completed work. But paintings are still quite vulnerable to environment damage.
Watercolors get reconstituted when they come into contact with moisture. Colors may shift, run or break, thereby ruining the painting. A glass front will protect the painting from dust and moisture damage.
Even dust has the potential to damage the painting permanently. The paper on which watercolors are done is a very delicate surface and will be easily damaged when you dust. A glass protective panel will protect your art from dust and moisture as well as from insects, mold and mildew.
Ensure the glass your framer uses is glazed. UV-coated Plexiglass or Denglass is quite apt for the job. Archival framing involves using materials that do not affect the painting adversely in any manner. The mat, the backing and the hinges used for attaching the painting to the mat are all 100% acid-free.
Never hang your painting opposite a window or on a wall where it is exposed to full sunlight for most part of the day. This will cause colors to fade and the paper to become brittle. The color pigments in watercolors are extremely sensitive and will quickly fade when exposed to the ultra-violet rays in sunlight. You should ideally hang the painting in a room with halogen or ncandescent lighting. A low-emission ceiling spotlight is the best to highlight the painting.
Keep the watercolor away from heat, oils, odors and moisture in the kitchen. Also do not hang them near heaters or other heat-emitting appliances because that will damage the color pigments permanently.
Dramatic fluctuations in the environment can also damage the painting. You feel colder in museums and art galleries because their temperatures are set below 20 degree Celsius and the humidity is maintained between 50%-65%.
Cleaning your acrylic painting:
A permanent gloss varnish is applied to all paintings to give a layer of protection from the elements. Acrylic paintings are very susceptible to gathering dust, which easily adheres to the acrylic paint. While we know that a glass barrier isn't necessary for protecting your art, in addition to preventive care, the question remains about the best way to clean your unframed canvas acrylic painting of surface dust.
Cleaning your acrylic paintings is another subject for which diligent research may result in the discovery of many differing opinions. Some say you should avoid dusting or cleaning your acrylic works altogether because there can be a negative impact on your paintings. Other art industry experts indicate that using a soft cloth to gently wipe your canvas painting shouldn't significantly affect its condition.
You should use care and be extremely cautious about cleaning your acrylic paintings, some processes will be more gentle than others. We are of the school of thought that advises against using most over-the-counter cleaning products, or any abrasive sponges or cleaning tools for cleaning your fine art. If your acrylic art is in dire need of a wipe-down, use a gentle A percloth with a small amount of a liquid mixture of water and olive oil-based soap to give it a light once over. Compressed air which can be purchased in cans from a local office supply store is another viable option for ridding your acrylic painting surfaces of dust.
Storage of acrylic paintings:
If for some reason you need to store your acrylic paintings for a period of time, keep them in a dry, cool environment. You should layer your individual acrylic paintings in glassine paper and store them vertically as opposed to laying flat. For the best protection, packaging your artwork in a box is an ideal solution.
Framing:
When it comes to whether or not to frame your acrylic painting, you may find differing opinions about the best approach. Unlike watercolors or pastels, framing acrylic paintings under glass isn't essential to protect the artwork because the acrylic medium is permanent once it dries and the paint surface cannot be easily damaged as compared to some art mediums. The fact that acrylic paint is usually applied to canvas surfaces which are then stretched and mounted also factors into the decision given that canvas is sturdier than the paper typically used for watercolor and pastel paintings.
Many experts agree that acrylic paintings do not require framing and mounting under glass given their more durable nature. Additionally, some art owners prefer the clean look of the unframed canvas for showcasing their acrylic paintings.
On the other hand, if your personal preference is to frame your acrylic painting, keep in mind a couple of considerations. Moisture becoming trapped under the glass is cause for concern with your acrylic paintings, which is one reason many people prefer leaving them unframed. Also, there may be a slightly distorted perception of the art given the reflective nature of the glass. As an alternative, if you appreciate the aesthetics of the solid frame, you can frame your acrylic artwork without a glass overlay. Float frames that encompass the outer edges of your canvas are a great option for providing a solid outline for your paintings that is visually pleasing without the unnecessary inclusion of glass.
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