Artwork Care

Oil Paintings

Oil paintings need to be closed off from light, heat and humidity on a regular basis to help prevent fading, cracking, shrinkage, expansion or the risk of the canvas rotting. When you have a break and go on holidays, give your paintings a rest too. Take them down and store them in a dark, fairly dry and stable closet or room. You can put a blanket or towel over them to help with this. Keep them off the floor just in case minor flooding occurs in your area/home.

When hanging in your home try not to hang your purchase with light streaming in from a window directly on to the work or over an open fireplace or heater.

Select a room with stable temperature and humidity away from direct sunlight.

Do not to spray inspect spray directly on to the painting as the chemicals will affect the pigments in the paint.

Works on Paper (Pastels, Charcoals, Pencil Drawings, Photographs)

Anything on paper needs more “rest” from sunlight than paintings. Rotate your artworks on paper so that you have one resting whilst one is on the wall, this is more important with paper and if possible needs to be done on a 3:1 ratio (1 month hanging to 3 months resting, for example). Regular storage out of UV light, moisture, heat, cold and away from pollutants will ensure a long life time for your artwork when it is made on good quality paper and in a quality frame.

As with paintings try to hang your artwork away from direct sunlight and not over an open fireplace or heater.

When you go on holidays store these the same as you would your painting but also keep vermin in mind such as mice, ants, silverfish etc as they will permanently damage a work on paper.