How you mat and frame your art has a major impact on how it looks
- and whether it gets into exhibitions and sells

How you hang a picture determines whether it looks good - and stays on the wall!
This section covers:
ON THIS PAGE
  • How to frame art 
  • General tips about framers
  • General tips and frames 
  • What sort of frame design / moulding / wood? - Different styles and types of frames
  • Framing for open exhibitions and art competitions (summary) - also see dedicated page
  • Framing for gallery exhibitions
  • Framing for commissions (summary)
  • ​Protecting your frames
  • How to store finished artwork
ON SEPARATE PAGES​​

​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
  • Framing for Gallery Exhibitions (detailed version)
  • Framing for Commissions (detailed version)
  • How to cut a Mount
  • Pros and Cons of Glazing for Framing Art - The Different Types of Picture Framing Glass​

ALL ABOUT FRAMES
​

How to frame art

A frame has four main purposes. It serves to:
  • support and protect the artwork
  • make it easier to hang
  • separates - and connects - the painting from its surroundings 
  • enhance its presentation - and avoids our attention being distracted from the painting​
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.
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.
Edge trimming | The Guardian
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My article in the March 2016 edition of "The Artist" Magazine
When you are framing for other audiences - open exhibitions, galleries and commissions - there's a different set of considerations.
  • How you frame depends on who you are framing for
  • How you frame dictates the kit you need to hang a frame or artwork
  • PLUS you need to avoid pitfalls in framing and hanging art
  • PLUS tips and techniques which can help you save money and increase profit.
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Analysis: Types of frames on sold paintings by price range (based on a snapshot on one day of the 2015 Annual Exhibition of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters
REFERENCE:
This section is a work in progress - the contents below demonstrate what the section will cover.

General Tips about Framers
​

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!
  • Research your framers before you need one. They vary a lot in terms of quality and cost
  • Ask other artists about who they would recommend as a framer
  • Book a framer in good time - otherwise they're not always available when you need them
LISTS OF FRAMERS:
Recommended framers
If you have a tip about a framer I'll add him to the list of framers recommended by artists that I'm developing. ​
See button below.

General Tips about Framing
​

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. ​
REFERENCE:
Picture
Charlotte and Emily by Leslie Watts - Egg Tempera on clapboard - in a hinged diptych which folds up. Selected for the BP Portrait Award 2015 Exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. Who wouldn't choose paintings framed like these?
John Jones has a number of helpful webpages about:
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

What sort of frame?

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Traditional frames - with a touch of gilt
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Contemporary wood frame
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Traditional gilt frame
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Contemporary painted frame
Exhibition frames in London

The frames I typically see in exhibitions in London fall into four categories:
  • traditional frames - often have a complex profile - and may include a slim gilt slip
  • traditional with gilt - Gilt is associated with museums and auction rooms and people with lots of money - or so people think! However you won't find many gilt frames in contemporary galleries in the UK.
  • contemporary wood - it's the fashion to use wood which is not polished or finished in an obvious way. However wood can also be limed or stained.
  • contemporary painted - cheaper wood can look great when painted. Contemporary tastes dictate that the paint used is neutral i.e. black, white, cream or shades of taupe or grey.
REFERENCE
All types of frames can be 'finished' with a suitable conservation wax polish. See Product Review - Renaissance micro-crystalline wax polish.

Framing Design Trends

The trends in framing in recent years in the UK have been:
  • consumers ordering framed artwork from online retailers (i.e. the artist chooses the frame)
  • canvas wrap artwork - which does not need a frame - particularly for oversized art
  • online ordering of of multiple frames - rather than visits to the more traditional "chop shops" which create bespoke frames. This works well for artists who know how to cut a mat and assemble and artwork in a frame.
  • simpler, less complex frames - putting the emphasis on the artwork and not the frame
  • lighter, more neutral frames - which can fit into homes with either contemporary or traditional styling without artwork needing to be reframed.
  • painted and slightly distressed frames - making the new look a little bit older.

PLUS good quality mats which help focus on the artwork

What sort of moulding?

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:
  • the subject matter
  • the nature of the painting eg do you want people to feel as if they are travelling into the picture?
  • the size of the picture - larger pictures need larger frames or ones made of wood which is very robust.​
REFERENCE:
Picture
The Best Ever Diagram of Picture Frame Mouldings
courtesy of FW Holroyd Framing Supplies Ltd - a leading UK supplier

What sort of wood for the frame?

There are a number of concerns when choosing wood for a frame
  • Is it strong and stable? In general hardwoods are more stable - particularly those (like oak) which are close grained. Oak is great for frames - apart from when you need to try and drill holes for the hanging tackle! That's when you find out robust wood fights back!  Some woods contain particular chemicals which helps protect them against rotting.
  • Is it easy to work with? Complex mouldings are more likely to be made from softer woods which are much easier to work with.
  • Is it seasoned or green? It's possible that green timber will shrink, warp and split. Ask whether the timber used for the mouldings has been properly cured and seasoned.
  • Is it expensive or cheap? The woods which tend to be the most expensive either look fabulous in terms of colour and grain, or are difficult to get hold if or tend to be the most stable and strong. (I have one painting framed in a fabulous but very expensive walnut frame!) Woods that look less good when on show - and hence are cheaper - can be fine when painted.
  • Is it sustainable? Another major consideration for those concerned about use of inappropriate timber when using wood frames is sustainability.
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:

Framing for art competitions & open exhibitions
​

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
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This is how artwork is stacked and stored by the Royal Academy of Arts prior to the Summer Exhibition - the largest open art exhibition in the world.
It's critical when framing for art competitions and open art exhibitions that:
  • you observe all the stated requirements for framing
  • you don't eliminate your own work inadvertently (and I'll explain how that happens!)​
  • you book your framer in good time and make it clear the deadline for delivery
  • you aim to frame in a way which allows you to reuse a frame for other exhibitions.
I've learned to have frames which are robust enough to cope with reuse and to have extra backboards cut.  That's because there's a lot of time and effort and tedium involved in getting labels off the back when you want to swop artwork round!
It's absolutely essential that you frame without using frames which will get your artwork eliminated e.g.
  • any projections on the reverse will mark the frames of other artwork when stacked - so any previous hanging tackle needs to be removed
  • they can't screw into metal frames - so these are a complete non-starter

Framing for gallery exhibitions
​

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Groups of works by different pastel artists - with different 'signature' frames - at the Annual Exhibition of the Pastel Society in 2015
The important aspects of framing for solo or groups exhibitions are:
  • using your frames as another signature for your work - enabling people to identify easily more works by you
  • creating a coherent and impressive exhibition
  • containing the expense
  • ease of use re. hanging kit
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.
The charts below relate to the different results from artists based in the UK and USA (based on prices in 2011).
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!

Protecting your frames
​

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:
  • the wood you use is not so soft that it gets marked easily
  • both frames and glazing are protected from dirty fingers

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
Picture
This is one of mine! This is "Symonds Yat - blue green and gold" © Katherine Tyrrell coloured pencil, image 12" x 16"; American Oak frame 50cm x 60cm, ivory double mat - and then cling filmed for transport and handling
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This is how framed artwork is typically stacked when art is handed in for an open exhibition or art competition. It may stay like this for some time. This is also typical of some back rooms in some art galleries.

Framing for commissions
​
There are two main choices for framing commissions. Each has variations.
  • either the frame is determined by the artist and is counted as part of the cost of the commission
  • or the client chooses and pays for the frame separately after the artwork has been delivered and the final payment made to the artist.
It's a good idea to decide which is the preferred method at the beginning of the commission as it makes quite a lot of difference to the price you charge for your commission.
more tips coming soon

How to store finished artwork
​

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:
* In relative humidity of 45-55%
* In a temperature range of 65-70 d F
* And in darkness
Art Materials

Start by making sure your art materials are stored properly.
  • How to store fine art materials safely | John Jones -  simple guidelines to ensure your artwork stretcher bars, canvas rolls and other art materials stay in museum quality condition.
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
  • Art Storage System by Art Boards™ Archival Art - Supply - come with wheels and as single units or with additional modules
  • You can use flat files for drawings and fine art prints and all works on paper.  Either get a plan chest (but make sure you first can move it) or if your work is smaller consider the Alex (which I use) - see Review: IKEA Alex Drawer Unit for paper storage

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