When people purchase paintings from me, they invariably ask for advice on how the art should be framed. This page sets out some of my ideas on the subject. To render further assistance I have digitally "framed" all my paintings to illustrate some of these concepts. If you are interested in receiving specs for any of the digitally framed paintings please contact me.

Original watercolors/acrylics on paper or illustration board are almost always matted and framed to help preserve the paintings and to provide an attractive presentation of the art. The purchase of an unframed painting allows you to add both real and aesthetic value to the art that will give you pleasure for years to come. It is important that you coordinate closely with a professional framer who can translate your ideas into a work of art.

I tend towards a minimalist approach to matting and framing which seems to agree with the opinions of most professionals. You don't want an eye-catching frame, but you don't want a thin metal frame with pure white matting either. A good balance should be struck between the look you want and what is visually complementary to the art.

MATS

The first criterion one should think about in matting is color. Most discerning jurors and professionals recommend off-white or greyed tones for mats. Garish and bright colors as well as deep tones should be avoided according to the collective wisdom as they tend to decrease the effectiveness of the work by overpowering it. White is seldom ever right, because it tends to flatten the picture and darken it by contrast. Also, a white mat makes your reserved "whites" in the painting look off-white by contrast. This is because most watercolor papers are actually light beige in color. However, white matting is most appropriate if the paper support is illustration board and if some whites have been reserved.

In general, it is a good idea to stay away from bright saturated colors. A major consideration in choosing a mat is the color dominance of the painting - warm or cool. Warm-colored paintings (reds, oranges, yellows, beiges, tans, browns and warm neutrals) are best matched with mats of warm off-whites, tans and beiges. Cool greys and off-white mats go well with cool-colored paintings (blues, greens, purples and grey variations thereof). Hundreds of choices are available from manufacturers of the two most popular matboards: Crescent and Alphamat .Both of these products can be obtained from most of the major distributors of framing products in North America.

In general, mats with lighter colors pull the eye into the picture. There is a difference of opinion whether the color of the mat should match a light color of the art. In any case, mats are usually chosen somewhat lighter than the art because people's walls are usually very light in color. If the mat is lighter than the art, the transition between the art and the wall is softened allowing the viewer to focus more on the art. Mats with darker colors become dominant and compete with the art for attention. They can also clash with the decor which may be dark as well. I usually use a darker color for the second mat or fillet that matches a dark color in the painting. Let the artwork dictate the color and not the decor!

For one-quarter and one-half sheets (i.e. 11X15 and 15X22), a mat width of 3 inches is recommended. However, the art can be outlined with a dark second mat (submat) to add depth and to pick up a color (usually darker than the topmat) in the painting. In the case of double-matting, the total width would remain at 3 inches comprising a topmat of 2.75 inches and a fillet 0.25 in. Framers often refer to the edge of a submat (the thin border that shows around the artwork) as a fillet. In my opinion, full sheet (30X22)paintings require at least a four-inch mat: 3.75 in. for the topmat and 0.25 in.for the fillet.

I find that a V-groove cut 0.25 in. from the window opening instead of a fillet works very well, especially with small paintings. A V-groove some 0.50-1.0 inches from the opening in larger paintings also leads the eye into the painting.

Drama and emphasis can often be accomplished by matting with very wide borders, especially for small paintings.

FRAMES

The frame must be coordinated with the mat in achieving the desired integrated and harmonious look. With so many styles, finishes and materials available today, choosing a frame is sometimes a daunting task. Contemporary works of almost any style go well in metal frames. Wood frames go well with natural, realistic subjects, especially if the paintings are dominantly warm in color. I usually avoid the ornate, baroque styles of wood frames which are better suited for oils or acrylics (on canvas). However, for acrylic paintings with warm dominance, I sometimes like thin wood frames in gold finishes.If you choose matting and framing that enhances the artwork, it will look good in any room.

The type of metal frame I am mostly familiar with is the Nielsen & Bainbridge anodized aluminum, which comes in various colors and finishes. Key the colorings in frames to hues in the picture. A general guide is that warmly toned pictures (in which reds, browns and yellows predominate) are most appropriate in warm-toned frames like gold; whereas cool colors (blues, greens, blue-blacks, whites) are likely to go best in frames that have silvery or similar cool tones like pewter. The height and width of moulding usually depends on the size of painting. For quarter sheets and smaller I use profile No. 11 with a depth of 13/16 in.; for half and full sheets I prefer profile 12 with a depth of one inch, which allows for multiple matting. For a more elegant look I opt for more substantial profiles such as 75. A good source for all types of aluminum and thin wood frames is American Frame.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

You invested time and money acquiring your artwork and you don't want to see it ruined in preparation for display. Watercolors and acrylics on paper are generally framed behind glass orPlexi-glass, which helps to preserve them. Plexi-glass costs about 25% more than regular glass.The use of U.V. filtering glass for paintings hung in rooms with strong light is recommended because it filters out almost all of the harmful ultraviolet light. Mount the painting on an acid-free back mat which in turn is backed with foam core with an acid-free surface.

I could'nt resist adding another paragraph to cover the hanging of framed art. Notwithstanding what you see in many homes, it is not wise to hang pictures over fireplaces because they stand a good chance of being smudged with smoke. Nor should those lovely pictures be leaned against the wall on table tops behind bric-a-brac and on buffets where they can be seen only by giraffes! In hanging a group of pictures keep level either the tops or bottoms of at least two or three of the frames for a professional look. Use picture hooks rather than nails to hang your art. Double hooks is a good safety measure and prevents the painting from tilting, especially near travelled areas. Back bumpers made of either rubber or cork also prevent sliding and mitigate the marring of that expensive wallpaper.

Art Gallery Online
215 Mallin Crescent
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7K7X3
Phone: 306-931-3156 Fax:306-242-8091
E-Mail:plafleur@sasktel.net