An artists tips on framing your artwork
An art wall showing how different frames can work beautifully.
How do I frame my artwork?
You’ve had your eye on a beautiful piece of art for a while and you’ve decided to take the plunge and buy it.
Congratulations!
You now have something beautiful to look at, treasure for many years and you even have the perfect place for it.
So it needs framing? This is part of the delight and beauty of not buying a ready made piece which often is framed in a style that doesn’t fit your decor, your taste or even the actual artwork.
You get to decide exactly what colour, material, profile and size you want.
A good framer will help with this, but a little research first will help enormously. Too often framers suggest boring mat-boards or frames that are ‘safe’ and their taste is different to yours.
I’ve framed many pieces of artwork, some better than others, and learned valuable lessons through trial and error, all of which has cost money.
So here’s a few tips to make your ‘framing’ journey a little easier.
Mat-boards.
Mat-boards create a visually attractive resting space around your artwork within the frame and will make your piece really pop. It doesn’t have to be white or light colored. Consider the frame, the colors in the art and even the wall you’ll be hanging it on, and go from there.
Double mats can make a thin simple frame look very expensive. This is where the top mat’s cut-out is slightly larger than the bottom which provides a more elaborate look. The photo below is a triple mat which created brilliant focus on the small artwork.
Also consider having the mat deeper at the bottom so all sides are not uniform. This looks especially nice with smaller work.
Mats are usually used for prints, works on paper, photographs and items such as embroidered art. They can make a small artwork much bigger and more impactful, especially when the frame is added.
Screen print from my private collection by Erin Brady showing double mat-boards with a heavier bottom section giving the piece beautiful weight.
Frames.
Consider your decorating aesthetic, along with the style of the artwork when selecting a frame.
If you’re planning on an ‘art wall’ where you may have many pieces of different styles and genres close to each other, a uniform style of frame will connect them and create cohesiveness. They could be all black for instance, but different widths.
Generally the frame needs to be skinnier than the mat-board so it’s more aesthetic.
If your artwork is sharing a space with other pieces, and not an ‘art wall’ select the best frame to suit that work, trying to ensure your frames play nicely with each other and are cohesive.
If it’s a feature piece, consider the size of the work and how large you’d like it to look on the wall. The frame can make a painting fill a space better and with great impact.
Take a few photos of your room, where the art will be hung and even take a sample of the wall colour to the framers so your choices will be well informed. You want your finished artwork to work with its surroundings.
Canvas paintings can be framed in many ways. They can also be hung directly with no frame required. All my canvas artworks are delivered with a hanging system so they’re ready to hang straightaway.
Tray or floater frames are very popular at present and with good reason. They’re minimal and don’t require glass. They’re available online from many art supply stores, are inexpensive and I can fit them, so that means it must be a pretty simple procedure. (YouTube has several videos on this.) There is a small gap between the sides of canvas and the frame giving the illusion of the artwork ‘floating’. You can get them in different widths and colors. They’re great for framing a canvas painting on an inner frame simply and beautifully.
‘Seafoam’ in a timber floater frame.
Consider online framing services if your budget is restricted. You can send the artwork to them and they return it framed and ready to hang, sometimes at less expense than a local framer. However, you don’t get to see the frame up close and personal before you buy, but you should get a good idea. A good framer can make a floater frame in any size, with different profiles if ready-to-made don’t fit your bill.
Aluminum frames are an alternative to wood and although not hugely popular at present, they can look pretty cool with the right artwork.
Colored aluminum frames can be exciting and fresh.
Glass for frames.
Acrylic and oil paintings on canvas don’t require glass.
Works on paper, or three dimensional artworks are much better with glass as it protects the art from dust, dirt and moisture. I like to use non reflective glass so I don’t have to worry about sunlight reflecting directly on them or even off the floor, and restricting the visibility of the artwork. It’s a little more costly, but worth it if strong light is an issue in your intended location.
There are different types of glass:
Clear Glass. Highly reflective. Ideal for standard custom and ready-made framing
Non-Reflective Glass . Perfect for artwork to be displayed in brightly lit areas. Non-reflective (anti-glare) glass contains a clear film designed to diffuse reflection.
UV Glass. Best for mid-expensive artwork displayed in areas with direct exposure to sunlight
Conservation Glass . Ideal for prints, memorabilia, photos, etc needing protection
Museum Glass . Expensive artwork or requiring glass with maximum UV protection-usually 99 % blockage of UV rays
Clear Acrylic. Suitable for oversized frames as it’s lighter.
UV Low Reflective Acrylic. Sensitive artwork such as pastels or charcoal drawings requiring protection from sunlight if hung in brightly lit areas
Artwork using non reflective glass. There’s very minimal reflection allowing the art to be seen clearly from all angles.
Tips:
Bold framing can make an artwork look a lot more commanding. Research styles and take snaps of samples at your framers before making the final decision.
Think outside the square.
Most importantly, discuss budget with your framer before you go too far into the selection process. I neglected to do this once and the finished piece was very expensive but as it was a piece of my own art and had sentimental value, I relented and went for it. Had I thought about it more I could’ve saved some money along the way.
