This section covers:
ON THIS PAGE
ON SEPARATE PAGES
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COMING SOON (NEW PAGES) (when I've got a minute to finish them off!) You will find brief comments and links to more information on most of these topics in some of the sub-sections below
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a good painting deserves a frame, a bad painting needs one! |
A frame has four main purposes. It serves to:
In addition a frame says something about its owner. If the frame looks good and flatters the artwork, then the owner feels good. Framing can help you sell art for higher prices - but only if it's a good quality frame which matches the quality of the art |
Frames and framing are not cheap as any artist who has ever employed a framer to put a decent frame on a painting will know.
When framing for yourself anything goes - you can do what you like. When framing to sell you need to make sure that the frame matches the price category it is selling in - without eliminating your profit! REFERENCE:
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The market in images has no room for frames. Magazines, newspapers, exhibition catalogues and art books act as if they don't exist, cropping them out of reproductions even when the painters saw them as integral parts of their work. |
People who want the best won’t consider you the best unless your subtle clues are the clues that indicate quality, which includes the quality of your work, the frame quality, and even the back of the painting — which won’t impact the initial sale of the work but will impact the buyer’s perceptions once the painting is in their hands ready to hang. |
A good framer is a bit like gold dust - and should be highly valued.
A bad framer can ruin all the effort you have employed to create your art! |
I RECOMMEND you:
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My List of Recommended Framers in the UK page - on a separate dedicated page on this site - provides details of Framers RECOMMENDED by artists, as follows:
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OTHER LISTS OF FRAMERS:
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FACEBOOK PAGES ABOUT FRAMERS
You can find professional framers who have Facebook Pages on Facebook. Most are sensible and indicate their location so this shows up in the listing I recommend you do NOT deal with anybody who is operating off an FB account rather than a proper Facebook Page. They don't get how FB works and do not understand the difference between personal and professional/commercial, |
FACEBOOK GROUPS OF FRAMERS
There are lots of PRIVATE Facebook Groups for framers. I'm bemused as to how they think the average artists can find out about them.
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How can a frame help sell your art? If you aim is to sell your art, you need to understand what type of frames might help sell your artwork - and which might act as a deterrent!
Different styles of frames go in and out of fashion. Particular styles of frames are favoured more in some locations and less in others. Unusual frames - Never be afraid to try an unusual frame if it adds value to the finished piece. It might get you noticed - and you might get selected for a prestigious exhibition as a result - as Leslie Watts was (see image below) |
Framing is culturally oriented. Frames which the American market seems to think are absolutely splendid can be regarded as totally OTT in London where the totally neutral frames with very little gilt in plain view is the dominant type of frame seen in galleries.
How framing can help your bank balance. I'm currently all in favour of the painted and distressed frame, due to the fact I'm perfectly capable of doing that for myself after I've bought a basic frame. This approach also helps to cut down on the costs of framing which can be very significant if you are framing a lot of pictures. |
John Jones has a number of helpful webpages about:
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Below you can access videos which show you many of the tips you'll find in this section. More will be added as this section is developed further.
Plus I've also started to highlight conservation products
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Exhibition frames in London
The frames I typically see in exhibitions in London fall into four categories:
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REFERENCE
All types of frames can be 'finished' with a suitable conservation wax polish. See Product Review - Renaissance micro-crystalline wax polish.
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Throughout most of the modern (that is, post medieval) era, original frames were discarded whenever a painting changed ownership, and a new frame more suitable to the work of art's new surroundings was provided.
Metropolitan Museum of Art | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
The trends in framing in recent years in the UK have been:
PLUS good quality mats which help focus on the artwork |
Frames change for four reasons:
REFERENCE
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This chart indicates all the different sorts of mouldings which are available for a picture frame.
A framer is often the best person to advise on which type of moulding will work best with a particular painting. The choice of moulding can be dictated by:
REFERENCE:
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courtesy of FW Holroyd Framing Supplies Ltd - a leading UK supplier
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There are a number of concerns when choosing wood for a frame
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Types of wood typically are characterised as either Hardwood or Softwood
Hardwoods are "angiosperms" - these are trees that have seeds which have an outer casing. Deciduous trees (which lose their leaves) are very often hardwoods. Hardwoods grow more slowly. The types of wood used for picture frames include species such as Cherry, Walnut, Ash and Birch. Softwoods typically come "gymnosperm" trees e.g. conifers where the seeds do not have an outer casing and fall to the ground. Softwoods grow faster and are 'softer' and easier to work with. Most evergreen trees are softwoods, including Fir, Cedar, Pine and Spruce. REFERENCE:
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The Backing Board is the surface behind the painting which is visible from the rear.
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Backing boards are usually:
REFERENCE:
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The purpose of finishing the back of a frame is to:
- Seal it to prevent dust, mites and damp from entering the mount/artwork/under the glass
- Make it appear professional and neat to the eye
- Provide hanging points to hang the picture
- Provide stability from motion and wall protection
Picture Framing : How to finish the back of a picture frame
If you don't seal the back of your frame, you'll find that lots of dust mites and tiny insects will make their way in - and they do love to eat the paint!
There are various ways you can seal the back of your framed artwork. The only one that works long term and is suitable for conservation is gummed paper tape which you wet and seal when you make the final seal at the back of the frame Gummed paper tape
REFERENCE:
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48mm x 50M Framer's Kraft Paper Tape
(Not available in USA - this is an alternative)
BUY Self Adhesive Picture Frame Backing Tape Rolls Kraft Brown 2'' Wide x 55 Yd from Amazon.com |
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Make sure you can get your work framed correctly.
Book your framer well in advance. Do not assume that they can turn around your frames in the time you've allowed. Remember that framers do have holidays! I'll never forget the August that I couldn't find a framer who could do my framing in time for exhibition deadlines!
20 tips for entering art competitions
It's critical when framing for art competitions and open art exhibitions that:
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It's absolutely essential that you frame without using frames which will get your artwork eliminated e.g.
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I've looked previously at how much people spend on exhibition frames - see the charts from How much do you spend on exhibition frames on average? (Poll results) below.
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The charts below relate to the different results from artists based in the UK and USA (based on prices in 2011).
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The thing is - not everybody who likes a painting likes the frame.
This means you're much more likely to sell a painting if the purchaser doesn't have to factor in the cost of replacing the frame. |
when I was starting to choose frames for exhibitions, one of my framers told me that he does an awful lot of reframing work for people who have bought art but don't like the frame. That taught me a lot about making frames as neutral as possible to be as least offensive to the maximum number of people. It also made me think very hard about spending a lot of money on a frame which might not sell the picture at the end of the day! |
Artwork for exhibitions gets handled a lot and is also frequently stacked - by galleries, art competitions and art societies.
It's in your interests to make sure that:
A tip from my framer about Protecting your frames - cling filming the edges protects them from dirty paw prints! Brian always cling films the framed picture so that the frame edges are covered when they are stacked. This provides good protection and helps to prevents marks being made on the frame during the stacking process. It also means I can avoid using cardboard corner protectors which (a) add to the space required and (b) results in exhibitors normally asking for them to be removed prior to stacking if space is limited! more tips coming soon
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RUST-OLEUM SS9093 Metallic Leafing Pen-Gold, 10ml
Rust-Oleum Metallic Leafing Pens add a premium metallic finish to most surfaces including wood, metal, paperboard, glass, unglazed ceramic and some plastics.. Durable formula applies with special chisel tip for broad or narrow lines. Rust-Oleum SS9093 Paint Pen - Gold by Rustoleum
RUST-OLEUM SS9093 Metallic Leafing Pen-Gold, 10ml
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Framing for commissions
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Finished artwork needs clean, dry and secure storage which doesn't warp the frame or cause the artwork to deteriorate or disappear!
One professional artist I spoke to recently was going to use his major cash prize to build a secure shed in his garden to store all his paintings which were swamping his home! Basic recommendations from the Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute on storing art work of all kinds: Art Materials
Start by making sure your art materials are stored properly.
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Completed artwork
Museums tend to use art storage racks - however these are probably not feasible within a domestic or studio context. Here are some thoughts about what you need to think about when storing artwork
These are some practical solutions suitable for studios
Artwork for a solo exhibition tends to cause a problem in terms of needing to find new places to store your art. One option is to hire a temporary storage module. more tips coming soon
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Copyright: 2015-2021 Katherine Tyrrell | Making A Mark Publications
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