Framed and Unframed Painting Tips

These directions should be followed to prevent damages and maintain the painting’s brilliance

Handling	Placement	Lighting
Cleaning	Storage	Transport

Handling

When moving a piece of art:

It is always a good idea to wear white cotton gloves or have clean hands when handling a piece of art, framed or not. This helps to prevent the piece from getting tarnished by destructive oils.

1. Carry with both hands placed on either side of the piece. This is a safer alternative to carrying with one hand.
2. Always have a clear visual path to avoid bumping the piece against walls, door frames, or furniture.
3. When setting down, slowly place on the floor against a wall with the painted side outward.
4. Pencil drawings on paper: Keep flat and away from anything that might smear the drawing.

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Placement

When choosing a place to display your art, keep these things in mind:

• The art must be placed in an environment with a relatively unchanging room temperature and low humidity level.
• If the humidity rises or the temperature changes, it can cause damage to the piece (extremely low temperatures will crack acrylic).
• Avoid hanging art in rooms with high humidity such as bathrooms and saunas.
• Refrain from hanging pieces near or above heat sources such as stoves and radiators.

When placing art behind glass it is helpful to understand what types of art can and cannot be placed behind glass:

• If it is an oil painting, the oil must be allowed to “breathe.” Glass encasement is not recommended as it prevents this occurrence.
• It is optional to place acrylic paintings behind glass because of their non-porous surface, which keeps them from absorbing toxins that may be in the air.
• Pencil drawings or art on paper should always be placed behind glass because of their susceptibility to many sources of air pollution (copy machines, new carpets, paint fumes, wooden cabinet emissions, etc.) UV-protected glass is recommended as an option for works on paper.

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Lighting

Art and light hold a unique, complimentary relationship. Allowing them to work together will bring forth the true beauty of your piece.

• Paintings and works on paper are very susceptible to the UV rays from natural light. It is a good idea to keep artworks out of direct sunlight for the reason that overtime the colors will fade and severe damage is more likely to occur.
• UV blocking glass can be purchased for use in the framing of photographs, pencil drawings and other works on paper.

Choosing the proper lighting is an important step in showcasing and complimenting your artwork.

• Fluorescent light emits a high amount of UV rays which can severely damage your artwork.
• Because it does not emit light across the full color spectrum, many colors in the piece may be lost
• In relation to the emission of heat, keep the painting safe from "heat spots" (spots that may occur when directly shining lights onto certain parts of the piece).
• Incandescent lights are very good at bringing out warm colors of the spectrum, such as orange, yellow, brown and red tones, but in turn drowns out the cooler colors such as blues and greens.
• A low watt halogen bulb has proven to be the best choice for displaying works of art. This light can redirect the damaging rays of UV and infrared lights, however it is still unproven that halogen lights are completely safe on artwork.
• If at all possible, keep light from directly shining on works of art, especially works on paper, because the light has a tendency to fade colors and dry out the paper over time.

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Cleaning

Displayed artwork does not need to be cleaned on a regular basis, but when you feel that the time comes make sure to keep this in mind:

• When cleaning glass covering a piece of art, spray glass cleaner on a soft cloth or chamois (sheep skin) and then apply to the glass. Glass cleaners that contain ammonia are not recommended.
• When dusting, it is a good idea to stay away from feather dusters because they have a tendency to scratch paint. Use brushes with soft bristles such as Japanese brushes, badger-hair brushes or sable brushes (makeup brush).
• When cleaning the frame of a painting, do not use water or chemicals as it will remove any gold leaf, if present. Use a soft, dry cloth and gently apply to the surface of the frame.

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Storage

Because it will be out of sight for some time, the following steps should be carefully taken to insure that the artwork retains the same quality as it did before storage:

• Storage area should be clean and properly ventilated so the artwork does not dry out or become damp.
• For the safety of oil and acrylic paintings, low humidity and a constant temperature (not too cold) should be maintained.
• When storing pastel or charcoal drawings on paper, it is wise to use a special transparent or semitransparent paper called "glassine" which is highly resistant to air and grease concurrently passing through it.
• Framed art should be wrapped in paper. If pieces are being stacked against each other, lean the smallest piece against the wall with the larger to follow. This reduces stretching of the canvas. If pieces are of the same relative size, then set the frames one against the other never letting two sides with paint touch.

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Transport

When transporting works of art, follow these steps:

1. Always carry with two hands, using white cotton gloves or freshly cleaned hands.
2. Wrap the art in either paper or bubble wrap.
3. If traveling by car, place the piece flat and face up in the trunk of the car making sure there is nothing else in the trunk that could puncture or damage the art.
4. If transporting by a truck of some type (moving van, pick-up, etc…) vertically place pieces against the wall facing outward. Fasten securely so there is little to no movement.
5. Take care

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