Looking After Your Artwork

With a little of the right care your artwork can stay in excellent condition for several life times. So, here's my two cents on taking care of your artwork.

SUNLIGHT

Your artwork wants to be seen not glared at, so keep it out of the suns direct gaze.

The UV rays react with the paint pigments, bleaching the colours and making them fade. Over time the increased heat can also cause slow drying mediums like oil paint to dry too quickly, resulting in lap marks or in the paint not adhering to the canvas properly, causing cracks.

Reduce your artworks exposure to sunlight by;

1. Rotating its location with other artworks

2. Using high quality framing materials (museum glass, acrylic with UV protection)

3. Pulling curtains and closing blinds when convenient during high summer

4. Adding a UV protective layer to your windows

TEMPERATURE & HUMIDITY

Its not only sunlight that can create temperature and humidity fluctuations. Hanging your artwork near radiators, open windows or air vents can create uneven temperatures which cause damage to the paint, fading your artwork overtime and can even warp artwork surfaces.

DUST & DIRT

Naturally anything still is going to collect dust and debris, which can be abrasive and acidic. It penetrates the varnish layers degrading and fading the paint.

A glass or acrylic cover will shield your artwork (particularly necessary for more vulnerable mediums like watercolour, pastels or charcoal) from the worst of the dust and debris. Regular cleaning with a microfiber cloth to remove any dust will limit the effects, but never directly on the artwork itself.

If you have any questions on how to look after your artwork get in touch.

As yet, I have found very little to combat the random, and sometimes devastating, effects of little ones on artwork over time. Let me know if you can help me on that one. Apparently, "no football in the house" means only play football occasionally in the house.