Caring for Oil Paintings

For your famous oil painting reproductions and original artwork to retain their beauty for many years to come, The World's Artist (TWA) http://theworldsartist.com provides the following simple guide for the care of your oil painting reproductions, portraiture or fine art original oil painting.

Handling your oil paintings: Unframed oil painting reproductions or original oil painting should be handled as little as possible and when oil painting reproductions or oil paintings must be handled, ensure that your hands are washed beforehand and are free of grease or lotions. Never lift your unframed oil painting reproduction (not on a stretcher frame) with bare fingers by the edges or touch the surface. Wear gloves, use tissue paper, or lift from beneath using cardboard to support and hold the cardboard, not the oil painting.

Framing your oil paintings: Framing should be done to the highest quality affordable, using acid free materials that will not interact with the hand painted oil painting to enable it to be displayed for optimum visual effect. Quality framing is not expensive and well worth it.

Hanging your oil paintings: Your oil painting reproduction or original oil painting should be hung using high quality multi strand, braided picture wire, attached to the frame (or stretcher frame) via swivel jointed eyes and suspended from heavy duty wall hooks. Heavy framed fine art should always be hung from two hooks, each capable of supporting double the weight of the frame for safety reasons.

Lighting: Avoid direct sunlight. Fading due to UV rays is cumulative and irreversible. If possible, display in a room with blinds or curtains.

Climate: Avoid locating oil painting reproductions, portraits in oil or original oil paintings in an area of sudden temperature changes from hot to cold. The room temperature and relative humidity should remain reasonably constant, as large temperature changes cause expansion and contraction of both the oil painting and frame, which can lead to structural damage in hand painted canvas oil paintings and cause a small rippling effect. Temperature should be between 50F/10c to 77F/25c and between 40% to 60% relative humidity. Do not locate directly in the field of any forced ventilation. If you are located in a humid or coastal area, consider the use of a de-humidifier.

Cleaning oil paintings copies: Oil paintings should be gently dusted, if anything sticks to the paintings, have it professionally cleaned.

Accidents: If the oil painting reproduction or portrait painting gets wet, seek repair advice from a professional immediately. It is important to dry the 100% hand painted canvas oil painting right away before mold starts. Your home insurance should cover such accidents.

Varnishing oil paintings: All 100% hand painted canvas oil paintings and portraiture are provided unvarnished by default. Varnishing is not essential. It can undertaken by an experienced buyer or a restorer: in order to be protect the fine art for display, to give it a desired matte, semi-gloss, or gloss surface finish or to simply enhance the surface luster after a period of time. Varnishing also gives a uniform surface appearance to your paintings, as different oil paints and colors can harden with a slightly different surface 'sheen', especially at areas of overlapping between sessions. Do not varnish for at least 6 months to allow sufficient hardening of the oil paint.

About The Author

Al Mansour is the founder of The World's Artist and a oil painter and watercolor artist, having had many exhibits in the USA.

http://www.theworldsartist.com