Framing for the Future: The Starving Artist’s Guide to Framing

michellearnold

Story by michellearnold

Published on Sept 21, 2009 in Seller Handbook

Photo by DAcustomframes

If you are a 2-D artist like myself, you probably have more artwork than you know what to do with (that’s why we are here on Etsy, right?). The question is, how to put it all on the wall looking smart and professional without breaking the bank? Appearance makes a difference in how your artwork is perceived, so it is well worth the effort to make the highest quality presentation.

The main factors to consider when framing are conservation, aesthetics, and cost. I’ve discussed conservation in a previous Storque article. lauratrevey wrote a great article about making good aesthetic decisions when framing. Here are a few more pointers on how, with a little forethought and planning, you can present art beautifully without the costliness of custom framing.

The most important thing I’ve learned over the last few years is to think about framing options when (or even before) I am beginning a piece. This tip may seem restrictive to your artistic muse, but if you are running a business, muse and profit margin have to find a way to compromise. It pays to think about the size and proportions of your artwork in advance.

Get to know the common standard frame sizes  (11×14, 12×16, 16×20, 18×24, etc.), and make images of suitable proportions. I try not to make drawings that are of unusual proportions (for example: very long and skinny), and I now build my canvases to these standard sizes so that if I don’t have time to build a frame or money for custom framing I can easily and inexpensively put them in a pre-made frame.

For canvases, you can often get away without framing them at all, but again, thinking ahead can help you as you choose materials and begin work.

You can staple the canvas on the back, use gallery wrap canvases (deeper stretcher bars with staples on the back), or tape the edges to keep them a clean white.  If you decide to forgo a frame, make sure the sides of the canvas are clean, without staples or paint blobs.

My favorite way to present canvases is in floater frames so that every millimeter of my painting is visible. Because there isn’t a mat as with works on paper, sometimes regular frames seem to crowd an image on canvas.

Whether you work on paper or on canvas (stretched or unstretched), here is an important message: Make sure your images/canvases are square! Checking to see if your canvas is square is easy: simply measure diagonally from opposite corners, then measure diagonally across the other two corners; those two numbers should be exactly the same. If they aren’t, take the extra time NOW to make them square; you run the risk of your painting not being able to fit into a square frame, and having to be re-stretched. Even if you aren’t planning on framing now — someone else may decide to frame your work later, and you wouldn’t want a collector to grumble over your shoddy craftsmanship!

If you stretch or build your own canvases, it only takes a few minutes to knock your stretcher bars into place so that your canvas is made of four 90-degree angles.

Some painters stretch their canvases after painting the image — or even sell their canvases unstretched. Painting on an unstretched canvas has a lot of advantages, especially when it comes to transporting the art for shipping, etc. But once again, take the time to measure out a perfect right-angled rectangle on your canvas or paper. It may seem “limiting” to your “artistic expression” now to be so precise and take those extra minutes before diving into the work, but if you have to crop large portions of your painting in order to make it fit on a stretcher or under a mat because of its funny angles, that will be TRULY limiting.

Last but not least, if you work small, ask your local frame store for their scraps of matboard and foamcore. They are often happy to help out local artists or teachers with their small unusable pieces. As well as using scraps of 100% cotton ragboard (100% acid-free) for mats, I also draw and paint on them! Frame stores are also a great source for large cardboard and artwork-shaped boxes for storage and shipping.

Michelle Arnold Paine is a painter and art teacher living in Massachusetts. Her part-time job as a custom framer has given her valuable experience to share with her fellow artists. She takes great care in crafting her artworks from creation to presentation.

Read Michelle’s Previous Post | Artistic Endeavors Series

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