Original art is a significant investment for most of us. It is also one-of-a-kind, original work that can't be easily reproduced, if at all. In this guide, we'll go over professional recommendations to protect your investment in art.
Preventing physical damage
Hanging Artwork
Probably the first thing to consider when protecting your artwork is where to hang it?
According to the Smithsonian:
"The best place to hang a painting is on a wall which has a wall stud where you can securely anchor the wall hooks, away from any heat source, in a place of relatively stable and reasonable humidity and not in direct sunlight."
So that means avoiding places close to windows, above a fireplace if you use it often, or a place with high humidity.
You also want to secure it well with a proper hanging hook and hanging wires. We have an entire guide dedicated to it.
Humidity and temperature
Canvas vs. Paper vs. Wood vs. Metal
Artwork comes on a variety of surfaces. Acrylic and oil paintings are usually painted on stretched linen or cotton duck canvases. Some artists work on wood panels. Art reproductions and prints are often printed on paper or metal.
The artwork on metal or acrylic glass can typically handle humidity and temperature variations. They're well suited for bathrooms and kitchens.
Paintings on canvas and wood are not very fragile, but they don't like very warm or humid environments. Their ideal conditions are 55% humidity and a room temperature around 68 F.
Paintings on paper are the most fragile: heat, direct sunlight, and moisture should be avoided as much as possible. That's why they're most often covered with UV-protective glass.
Cats love it, Paintings...
Direct Sunlight
Direct sunlight, in general, should be avoided. However, there're a few caveats.
Most original oil paintings are varnished as the last step. The varnish will protect the artwork from dust, yellowing, and UV rays. It is still possible for it to crack or fade if subjected to bright sunlight for long periods of time, but oil paintings typically handle indirect Sun better than other mediums.
For works on paper, especially watercolors, direct sunlight is the worst enemy. The paper itself becomes brittle and the painting will quickly fade.
High-quality work on paper, therefore, is typically placed under UV protective glass or plexiglass. The non-glare, UV protection glass not only protects your artwork from sunlight, but the non-glare glass also makes it easier to see the artwork surface when it is displayed.
Kids love it, Paintings...
Fingerprints
Finger painting is a real painting technique used by many artists, including very young ones.
Yet, your paintings don't like to be touched. Our hands and fingers have a lot of dirt and natural oils that, combined, would leave a lot of residue on the painting's surface. So the first rule of thumb is, avoid touching a painting with bare hands.
Professionals typically wash their hands before working with artwork, hold it by the frame only, and use simple white cotton gloves for art handling.
natural-hair brush only
Dusting
If your painting is dusty, the best recommendation we found is from the Smithsonian:
"Provided that there are no signs of loose or flaking paint, a painting may be safely dusted using a clean, soft, natural-hair artists' brush (3.5cm to 5cm tip). The painting should be positioned on a clean padded surface and held upright at a forward angle so the dust falls away from the face of the painting. Brushing is carried out slowly and gently in one direction across or down the painting followed by a second brushing in the opposite direction.
For matte surface paintings [...] brushing should be avoided.
Never use dry or moist dust cloths, stiff bristle brushes, or feather dusters to dust a painting."
Long and short-term
Artwork Storage
At times, you need to take your artwork off the walls and store it temporarily somewhere. Maybe during remodeling or moving. A few of our personal recommendations for storing art:
1. Paintings on canvas need to breathe, so avoid covering them with glass.
2. Similarly, covering artwork tightly with plastic isn't the best idea since humidity can get to it, and mold might start growing
3. Cotton sheets are actually a good option: they stop direct sunlight, let the painting breathe, and don't scratch its surface.
4. My favorite option is to use non-abrasive polyethylene foam pouches. They're lightweight, breathable, stop UV light, economical, and provide some protection from physical damages as well.
Loose Stretched Canvas
Tight'n'Up
Canvas for stretched paintings can become loose over time. This can be due to high humidity, changes in the frame tension, or simply due to the age of the artwork. This is totally natural and happens all the time.
There's an easy and safe fix, however. Tight'n'Up spray made with acrylic binders can be applied on the back of the painting. In my experience, spray the back of the painting generously and let it sit for 24 hours. You might have to "air out" the work too for a few days. And problem solved.
This spray also helps with sagging canvases, wrinkles, and ripples on the canvas surface as well.
This spray contains water and acrylic binder, acid free and archival so I find it fairly safe to use on artwork.
Plexiglas/Acrylic Cleaner and Polish
Brilianize
If you have acrylic/plexiglass prints, or artwork covered with plexiglass, then you might want to get this spray.
Plexiglass is lighter and safer at home than glass. For this reason, Art House SF prefers framing our paper artwork with glare-free museum-quality plexiglass. However, plexiglass is less scratch-resistant than regular glass. Over time, if you notice small scratches or just want to refresh your plexiglass surface, this spray by Brillianize is your best friend.
And by the way, New York MOMA, Smithsonian, National Park Service, and Disneyland are using it too. I've been using it for almost 5 years, and never put up an exhibit with underglass artwork without it.
For works on paper
Glass Types
Works on paper or other sensitive media must be framed under glass. Yet, which one is the best?
First, let's consider sample pricing for glass/acrylic for 16''x20''artwork:
- Regular 2.5mm glass, $6.17
- Regular 2.5mm acrylic glass, $14.54
- ArtGlass w/ UV protection, $16.94
- Non-glare acrylic, $25.47
- Non-glare, UV-filter acrylic, $36.70
- Anti-reflective, UV-filter ArtGlass, $72.28
- Tru Vue, Museum-quality acrylic, $105.41
In our experience, non-glare makes a big difference as shown in the photo. We also prefer acrylic (plexiglass) over glass. Glass can shatter and ruin artwork, a non-starter.
So the "best value" is option #4 or #5 (non-glare acrylic w/ or w/o UV filter). And if you have the budget, go for #6 or #7, museum-quality glass or plexiglass.
The weakest part of a frame...
Corner Protectors
Besides glass the next weakest part of a picture frame is its corners. Whenever you move, ship or store your artwork, these inexpensive corner protectors can make a huge difference.
One good choice is these blue foam polyethylene corner protectors that come in a variety of sizes. They're non-abrasive, soft and have a nice profile that stays on the frame. Yet, they'll ensure your artwork is off the ground, and absorb bumps and shocks.
I tried other (not blue) foam corners, and wasn't as satisfied with them. The foam is not as soft, not as flexible, and not shaped as well. These blue ones are the best in my humble opinion. I order them from the UK all the time.
Professional Art Restoration
For major art repairs or for expensive paintings, I'd recommend reaching out to professional art conservation and restoration services. They can clean your paintings, revarnish them, or touch them up. For old or damaged canvases, they can line, patch or re-stretch them.
In my experience, professional art restoration is relatively expensive with $200-$300 rates per hour not unheard of. Yet, these are totally worth it for serious repairs and expensive artworks.
Review our other guides:
What is a Giclee print? | How to Hang a Painting | How to Afford Art | Art Installment Plans | Preserving Artwork | Art Framing Guide
Have a specific issue we can help with?
References
A list of reference materials used for this guide:
1. 6 effective ways to preserve your artwork
2. How To Store Your Art Collection Like an Expert
3. Brillianize, #1 rated plastic cleaner
4. Preserving the value of a painting collection
6. The Best Ways to Care for, Clean and Store Art
7. Oil paintings are tricky things to clean on your own
