How to Frame Canvas Artwork

Types of Art on Canvas

Typically, art on canvases were oil paintings; these days, acrylic paintings on canvas are equally popular. Another modern alternative is paintings printed on canvas, where the artwork is printed directly onto canvas (referred to as a giclee), or printed off separately and then mounted onto canvas (this actually allows the texture of the canvas to show through the print).

An important aspect of the appeal of artwork on canvas is definitely the visual brushstrokes, which can be smooth or thick and dimensional. In some cases, artists will add additional brushstrokes to the art print, which can actually make it hard to tell the real paintings from the art prints if the job is done skillfully. If you take a close-up look, you'll be able to tell if the brushstrokes are see-through or actually colored paints (though occasionally, rarely, colored paints are used to embellish prints on canvas). The kinds of decorative picture frames which should be applied to canvas art can vary.

What You Should Frame a Canvas With

In times past, golden ornate picture frames were the classic frame for any oil painting. Today, there's such a wide variety of styles that pretty much any frame that goes with the art would be appropriate. Since the sides of the canvas are made from such thick wood, you ought to make sure that you choose a frame that is deep enough for your picture, or at least one that is wide enough to hide the fact that it is sticking out so far from the wall. If you can see the canvas extending too far behind the frame, then it isn't very attractive when installed on a wall.

A floater frame is one made especially for artwork on canvas; it has a recessed ledge which is made to hold a stretched canvas. The entire painting can be seen from the front view, and the sides of the canvas may be somewhat visible. You can simply use small strips of hook-and-loop tape with adhesive backing to attach the canvas material to the back ledge.

What You Can Use as a Border on Canvas Art

There are occasions when the space between the frame and the piece of artwork should be filled up with a border. In this instance, a liner is typically used instead of an ordinary paper mat. In most cases, the liners you will find will be roughly 1 inch wide wooden molding that is either flat or sloped, and wrapped with white or off-white linen.

You can find ready-made frames in most standard sizes for art on canvas and the majority of them will come with a liner.

Glass Installed on a Framed Canvas Painting?

In the industry of framing, there are several topics that professionals debate over- one of which is whether or not glazing (using plastic or glass to cover the artwork) ought to be used with canvas art.

The classic canvas painting, as we saw earlier, was an oil painting. An oil painting, when completely dry, would be covered with a clear varnish which would safeguard it from any dirt that landed on the painting. When the painting started to look dirty, the varnish would be removed and replaced with a new layer of varnish, making the canvas look like it was new. Because the varnish shielded the painting, there was no need to install glass when framing it, and this allowed the people viewing the art to be able to enjoy the texture and brushstrokes of the painting.

Nowadays, museums are utilizing glass to prevent damage to paintings, but most contend that it is not necessary in the home environment. However, art on canvas today may include many things besides oil paints (such as acrylic or mixed media) and if they have a protective varnish, it may not be removable. Today's art on canvas can be fragile and challenging to clean, so some people choose to put it behind protective glazing.

Should I use glaze or shouldn't I? That is the question you must answer on your own as it ultimately comes down to personal preference.

So don't be discouraged when you think of all that must be taken into consideration when framing art on canvas, because you now know what those things are!

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