You’ve just finished decorating and furnishing your room now you’re thinking about dressing the space and artwork is to play a role. How do you begin placing it? We know it can be nerve-wracking putting fixings in the wall for your first piece of painting. How do you get it right?

I’ve often seen artwork in homes that has been hung so high up the wall the viewer almost needs a step ladder to appreciate it, flat screen TVs also seem to occupy a similar position. Perhaps it’s a carryover from the days of picture rails, but if you’re not sure what height to hang art, here are some ideas to get you started.

Artwork is created to be viewed and enjoyed, so make it easy to see. I know it’s boring but it’s all in the preparation and planning. You may have heard that art should be hung so the centre of the picture is at eye level. Straight away this causes confusion because if you’re 5 feet something and other members of the household are taller, what’s eye level? Also, does this “eye level rule” apply to all art? What about a grouping of a collection? What if you’re hanging a painting over a piece of furniture?

The height of a standing man’s eye level is compared to that a standing woman. Hang your painting midpoint between the two eye levels.

The height of a standing man’s eye level is compared to that of a seated woman. Here the work has been hung too low for a standing man and too high for a seated woman. 

The size and orientation of a painting needs to be considered when deciding where to place it on the wall. If you’re planning to hang a sizeable picture, a good place to start is to think about how you generally use the room, is it the dining room or the bedroom where you spend most of your time seated or reclined, or is it a family room where there is a lot of activity and traffic? As a rule (and rules can be broken), centre your artwork between 1500mm to 1650mm from the floor. This may be perfect for you but if not, break the rule. If you’re seated and relaxing, the eye level range is lowered so lower the height of the artwork to correspond with your new “eye level”. A small piece of work will be lost on a feature wall so consider displaying it as part of a grouped collection or in smaller spaces found between doors, windows or architectural detailing. Think about the artwork in relation to its proposed surroundings. Your chosen picture could even be influenced by details in the room, but no matter where you hang it each space will have elements which will need consideration.

Image: Steven Ungermann: Unsplash

The two pieces of artwork in this contemporary room set have been deliberately positioned, one at average “eyelevel” and the second to be enjoyed from a reclined position. It’s also interesting that they’ve been displayed between two windows creating a “gallery wall”. The bedhead wall has been left empty and more calming, but you can bet there’s a black flat screen TV on the unseen wall at the foot of the bed.

To place larger portrait oriented artwork you may again need to break the rule. Always remember the work is there to be enjoyed so place it in a natural viewing position where the subject of the work sits as close to eye level as possible. Larger work will need more wall space and can benefit from higher ceilings, otherwise it can overpower the room. It will also need space to be viewed from a distance which has the effect of lowering the eye level. Again a small piece of work will be lost in a room with a high ceiling, but painting it in a darker colour will effectively lower the ceiling and optically correct the imbalance.

Image: Helen Thomas: Unsplash

The image shows the placing of two large paintings over a sofa. The top of the paintings align with the top of the windows either side. The size of the room accommodates the height of the tall paintings because they can be viewed from a distance.

Grouping work is a great way to tell a story or display a related collection. To position it correctly on the wall, view the whole collection as one piece of work and centre the middle of the collection using the “eye level rule”. Design your layout by cutting templates of each piece of work then play around with your design on the floor. When you’re happy with the arrangement take overall dimensions noting the position of the centre piece. You’re now ready to transfer your layout on to the wall. Alternatively, using a low tack tape attach your templates to the wall, move them around until you’re happy, remembering to step or sit back to check them from a “normal” viewing distance. Working with another person who can hold the work in place and move it around leaves you free to check positioning from a distance. It’s also good to have another opinion to give you confidence.

Image: Unsplash

Here, the three largest artworks take centre stage of the collection. Smaller images are placed apparently randomly around, but are actually carefully placed for a balanced display. Note the three primary pieces haven’t been centred over the sofa, the whole collection has been centred within the space above the sofa. Likewise the whole collection has been taken as one and hung slightly below “eyelevel” because viewers will generally be seated in this space.

Hanging a good sized painting or print above furniture is a nice design idea especially if there’s a relationship in style or colour between the two. Hanging artwork so the bottom of the frame or canvas sits about 150-300mm above furniture enhances the relationship and grounds the artwork.

Image: Unsplash

A painting occupying the entire space over a sofa makes a real statement. Although large, it can be hung at a lower level because the occupants of the room are generally seated. This creates a spatial relationship grounding the painting with the sofa. Hung higher on the wall would create a detachment and the painting would appear to be floating away.

Remember, the “eye level rule” is purely a guide to get you started and will help you avoid obvious mistakes whilst you gain confidence. Initially it may seem like hard work, but it’s far better to try out placing and positioning of art before putting fixings in your beautifully decorated wall. The more artwork you collect and hang the more naturally you will eventually place work almost without really thinking about it. Honest.

This large portrait orientated painting occupies a small space. It’s successful because its style and colouring is very close in character to its surroundings. It has effectively become part of the room decoration. It’s a tall painting much of which is well above “eye level”. It works because the room is deep and spacious, allowing the viewer to stand far enough back for the distance to effectively lower the centre of the painting. Also the angle of the occupant’s eye who is about to use the stairs is already able to take in much of what the painting has to offer.

and why do harlequins often look so whimsical and sad? This poor little chap sure had reason to be.

He’s an original design for a stained glass window from the 1960s and I was asked to reframe him.

He arrived squashed in the original frame, much too small for his scale. The minute moulding was too small having no strength to adequately accommodate the weight of the painting, backing and glass. The corners were dangerously loose, at risk of falling apart. The design was directly in contact with the glass and there was no protective undermount. When I opened up the frame the result of his “mistreatment” was clear to see. He had suffered. Let’s look at what happened.

ACTIVATED ACIDS

If you look closely you will see a shadow of the harlequin on the left hand board (the original backing board). This has been caused by light penetrating the paper around the image activating acids in the backing board. The image has acted as a stencil, so the board is darker where there is no image, the darker areas and outlining of the design has blocked the light.

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ACID DAMAGE

As a consequence, activated acids have started to attack the artwork, the reverse of which is shown on the right. The stained area surrounding a white negative image is evidence of this. The paper is being weakened and the artwork is being damaged. Simply using a quality undermount would have protected the work from acids which have now leached into it.

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REFRAMED

Although there is nothing to compare it’s highly likely the colours of this piece of work have faded significantly, so we can only imagine what might have been. Working with what is left, I mounted using museum quality board in a soft “aged” colour. A conservation quality undermount protects the work from the backing board and will slow down any further acidic deterioration. Acids already present could possibly be flushed out by a professional paper conservator, but my client didn’t want to go that far.
Conservation Clear glass gives our little harlequin the best possible protection against the effects of UV light and is held above the image by the mount. Constant changes in humidity and temperature speeds up the process of deterioration, to protect against this the package is sealed ensuring a stable environment within the frame.

As this is the original design for a stained glass window a simple flat, matt black cushion moulding emulates the lead work.

Our little harlequin is now happy and safe in his new suit.

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If reading this blog has raised other questions for you or you’ve noticed something you would like explained, call Bev on 01303 268618 or 07833 350815.

Framing your children’s creations sends a positive message of encouragement to your little Van Gogh.  It marks their work out as being particularly extraordinary and worthy of this special attention, but drawing and creating provides so many benefits in itself. Creativity is an important part of a child’s development. It’s a critical form of communication when they haven’t yet fully developed verbal skills. When drawing there are so many decisions to be made, which paints to use, or should it be crayons, how do I draw this and what colour should be, is it too big or too small. Already they’re starting to make decisions and solve problems. Hand/eye coordination and dexterity develop. Creating in school or nursery teaches sharing and consideration. Creativity allows your child’s imagination to run free and explore, developing an open mind and emotional intelligence.

Image: Vlada Karpovich: pexels

Framing their work demonstrates your pleasure which is so motivating for the child inspiring them to create again. Involve them in the framing process. Use a framer who will work at their level of understanding and will consider their preferences and opinions. Mastering creative skills and seeing projects through to completion, even at a young age develops self- belief, confidence and perseverance, building resilience for their futures.

Image: Larson Juhl

Kids love colour and interesting combinations of colour!!! There are some great coloured mouldings just crying out to be selected for kids work. One of my favourites is “Confetti” by Larson Juhl available in a huge range of brights, pastels and a few good old faithfuls.  But then we might all be surprised by a sophisticated decision made by your little artist.

One really important element of framing for children, particularly if the work is to be hung in their own space, is glazing; more particularly if they happen to be exuberant little individuals. Ask us about acrylic glazing; it’s light weight and shatterproof, hugely reassuring to know that if disaster happens the kids are reasonably safe.

If we can help you display and preserve that special piece of work just give Bev a call on 01303 268618 or 07833 350815.

You never know, you might have the next budding Tracey Emin in your family.

What difference does it make which glass you use? A question frequently asked, but if you consider there are about 54 glazing options, then that suggests there must be some significant and subtle differences.

Glazing technology in the picture framing industry has massively improved over recent years and it can seem like a minefield. Certainly when I returned to picture framing it completely blew my mind. Could all of these options really by necessary and why?

You can start to narrow the field by deciding on your priorities and setting a budget. All good picture framers will want to do the best for the artwork, particularly if it’s unique, original or a limited edition print; but you may have other personal considerations to throw into the mix.

A good place to start is to consider the value of the piece to be framed, its financial, sentimental and even its historic value. If your artwork falls into any of these categories you may want to consider significant protection. Good old 2mm float picture framing glass was once the mainstay of the framing industry, a high quality and keenly priced product, still available today. Although it offers great protection against physical damage it provides little protection from Ultra Violet (UV) light and is highly reflective. Without going into the science, UV represents only 5% of the visual spectrum, but accounts for 90% of damage to artwork. So one of your glazing decisions will be how much UV protection to provide your work, 40%, 50%, 70% or the maximum 99%? This answers another question, we picture framers can’t protect your work 100% from fading, but we can slow it down.

Here you can clearly see damage caused by UV radiation.   
The border is the original colour of the paper.

Another really exciting development in picture framing glass is low reflectance coatings. A technology developed for the ophthalmic industry which has been harnessed for the art world. Specialist coatings reduce reflection from the surface of the glass from 8% to an incredible 1%, providing near invisible glazing, which means you see your image, before your own reflection. There are certain lighting conditions where this glass isn’t appropriate, but it’s great for high contrast, dark work, box frames, detailed work and black & white photography, but it isn’t cheap. Despite this, when clients see what it can do for their work, it’s pretty compelling, and increasing in popularity over traditional etched diffused glass.

Low-iron or water white glass is another option providing clarity and accurate colour. It absorbs less light than standard float glass; light transmission is significantly improved so you view a clearer image and enjoy more accurate colours.

Last but not least there is still the option of diffused glass. Great for reducing glare particularly in harsh lighting conditions. However because the surface of the glass has been etched there is a substantial loss of definition. The greater the distance between the glass and the work, the more “fuzzy” the image becomes.

Are you ever likely to display largescale artwork in public spaces like hospitals, hotels or a child’s room? If you are then you have health and safety considerations and you have two options. If for the sake of clarity the glazing must be glass then laminated safety glass is your product. The other option which has the added advantage of huge weight reduction is one of the “plastic” glazing products, styrene or the more expensive acrylic. The plastics present their own challenges, static and being easily scratched; having said that, even in plastics there are varying degrees of quality and technical advantage right through to museum quality.

So you can see we have one or two things to think about when deciding which glass to use on your work, but there’s more.

Combine one or all of the above, and whilst moving up the price scale, you really start to benefit from developments in glazing technology, enhanced protection and improved experience of your artwork.

But, there’s even more. Apply any of these qualities to Acrylic with the added option of antistatic treatment, and you have a light weight shatter proof glazing perfect for large work, or anything going into public areas or children’s rooms.

A simple demonstration of:
Standard float glass – Low-reflectance glass -Traditional diffused glass.

Yes there is a piece of glass in the middle!!!

The options are vast, and there is no single solution, which is why we framers really do need to see your work and have that chat with you.

Why not give me a call (07833 350815) to chat about your project. If you would like some advice on an appropriate solution, and even take a look at some glazing options for yourself I would be pleased to help.

Lesley Samms interviewed me in Autumn 2020 asking about my earliest memories, my journey and how I came to be a picture framer.

Having experienced the isolation of the first Covid 19 lockdown, I joined PURE Arts Group. A well-established, professionally run organisation founded by marketing expert Lesley Samms. It’s no coincidence that Lesley has a passion for art and artists. She revels in encouraging them to tap into her experience helping them to succeed as professional creators.

Due to the impending first lockdown Lesley had a plan for the group’s 2020 “actual” exhibitions. They were re-presented as ART360, a virtual event which started as live interviews from artists’ studios, but has already grown into a diverse and international event.

Due to “IT” issues resulting in poor quality visuals my first interview with Lesley was published as a podcast. Here’s that interview.  If you have questions of your own, please do just drop me a line I would love to hear from you.

My question would be “Why wouldn’t you?” If you’ve bought a piece of artwork it’s obviously had an affect on you, enough to invest your hard earned cash in it. If you like it that much you should enjoy it for as long as possible. Not only does mounting and framing visually enhance your treasured image, it protects it from environmental and physical damage. From an artist’s point of view it finishes the work, raising it a level, adding value which makes it far more saleable than unframed work.

The “framing package” protects artwork from a number of notorious enemies; technical developments in framing materials and adopting good framing techniques means that the life of your work can be prolonged by years. However there are six main enemies of artwork: light, moisture, insects, airborne pollutants, heat and physical damage.

So how damaging can each of these be, and how does framing help?

Light

Light is possibly the most common source of damage to paper and textile based art. It destroys the cellulose in paper resulting in fading, embrittlement, and discolouration. This damage can be made worse by oxygen in the air and impurities in the base medium. Papers containing lignin and manufacturing additives yellow with exposure to light. Fabric and textile based art is particularly prone to fading and if kept in unfavourable conditions the outcome can be devastating.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the most destructive component of light. It represents only 5% of visible light, but causes 90% of damage. The major source of UV is natural daylight and fluorescent lighting, and contrary to the belief of many UV light is present every day and everywhere. Be it summer, winter, sunny, rainy, north, south, east or west facing, it strikes and bounces from one surface to another. It’s ironic, that which allows us to see our artwork, is its enemy.

There are a few things you can do to slow the rate of damage. Never hang art in direct sunlight or too close to a fluorescent light source. If sunlight is likely to fall directly on your artwork try to relocate it, or consider having it glazed with one of the specialist UV filtering products. UV control window film provides an additional level of protection and is a small price to pay to protect your investment.

Moisture

Moisture turns paper acidic due to a chemical reaction with elements in the paper itself, destroying it and the artwork. Paper absorbs moisture and will expand and contract as a result of changes in relative humidity and temperature. Framing artwork reduces the impact of excessive atmospheric changes and pollutants which may result in mould growth. Known as “foxing” it appears on paper as dull discolouring spots, and some mediums are more susceptible than others. Textiles suffering from mould develop a musty smell and a surface growth, but taking simple precautions can substantially reduce the likelihood of mould forming.

• Keep relative humidity below 65%.

• Don’t display pictures in damp situations, such as kitchens, bathrooms, basements or on cold external walls.

• Clean frames regularly, dust traps moisture and contains airborne mould spores.

• Encourage good air circulation both behind and within the frame. Use ‘bumpers’ on the back of the lower two corners, to hold the frame away from the wall. Mounts or spacers used during framing prevents the artwork coming in contact with the cold surface of the glass, preventing image transfer and condensation. Improved air circulation within the framing package equalises the humidity across the surface of the work.

• Avoid leaving pictures in closed unventilated rooms for long periods. When storing, good air circulation is key so raise the work off the floor.

• Have infected works professionally treated to kill mould, then rectify the conditions that caused it in the first place. However take care, any spores remaining can lay dormant for years and be reactivated when the conditions are right.

Insects & Airborne Pollutants

The most common source of insect damage to paper based art is from silverfish, and woodworm. However, paper isn’t the only option on the menu for woodworm, which will munch anything made of cellulose, and will stop at nothing to get to its delicacy, flour paste and glue size. Clothes moth and carpet beetle are the main enemies of textiles. Cockroaches tuck in to parchment, paper, leather, fabrics, and anything containing sugar. Ensuring the back of the framing package is fully sealed keeps out insects, dust and airborne pollutants and helps to maintain a stable environment within the frame.

Heat

High temperatures accelerate the deterioration of art, so avoid displaying it directly over radiators and all other heat sources. Equally, excessive variations in temperature should be avoided so where possible avoid hanging artwork on the chimney breast or cold external walls.

Physical Damage

Being completely enclosed behind glass within the framing package artwork is protected from knocks, nicks and abrasion.  In extreme circumstances such as fire or flood, protection has been known to prevent total destruction.

How does framing enhance your artwork?

There are three components which have the major impact on work being presented, the mount, the frame and the glass.

The mount has two main functions, to present your work and to protect it from the glass; it’s used to create space allowing the image room to “breathe” in both a practical and aesthetic sense. There are no hard and fast rules about the size of the mount and although you will often hear framers referring to “over or under” mounting it’s really a matter of personal preference, but the work should look balanced. Double, triple or “fancy” mounts add importance to a smaller piece of work; equally a large frame can make a small picture look amazing. Float mounting is a great way to present a piece of work when the edge is part of its character such as papyrus, a piece of fabric or handmade paper. Keeping the edges visible enhances unique qualities of this kind of work.

Ensuring the mount works with the frame highlights subtleties of colour within the artwork and creates a harmonious presentation. A well-chosen frame will enhance an image enormously; conversely a badly chosen frame can ruin a piece of work, render it unimportant and substantially affect its perceived value. Considering the image provides clues to suggest the style of frame, and attention to detail such as matching the frame to the right historical period respectfully lifts the work from average to stunning.

Allow the image to dictate the colour and style of presentation. It isn’t advisable to mount and frame artwork in isolation to suit your décor as it may not be the best solution for the artwork itself. Try not to choose a “red” painting for a “pink” room, choose a piece of work that suits your interior, the presentation will then compliment your space. Alternatively allow the artwork to influence how you decorate your room.

Finally the glass, here technology has made a major leap forward. For years picture framers used good old 2mm float glass, which is great, but it has its limitations. For example it’s very reflective, so you see your own reflection before you see the image. It has a green cast which can affect the colour of the artwork, and it provides minimal UV protection, just 50%, so your work is still vulnerable. Compare this with extra clear museum quality glass which provides 96% light transmission, a superb 99% UV filtration and less than 1% reflection. The glass is virtually invisible, which is why I’m constantly polishing fingerprints off my display selector, because customers just don’t believe there is a piece of glass there; but it goes to prove that you see the image before you notice the glass. Admittedly it is the glass of choice for valuable work and it comes at a cost, but there is a host of alternative glazing options between standard and museum, depending on your priorities.

I love presenting work beautifully, so if I can help, I’m just a phone call away.