Choosing The Right Frame}

Choosing the Right Frame

by

Manu Geol

Paintings are more than mere decorative items, we have paintings in our homes because they allow us to express ourselves and represent who we are. Like music paintings create atmosphere and add colour to our daily lives.

The frame is an integral part of the painting, used to enhance its beauty. A frame must carefully chosen because it can affect the overall appearance in a dramatic way.

Generally, frame colours are classified into two groups, contrasted and blended. Contrasted frames are used to achieve a dynamic colour combination between the painting and the frame. Here, the frame is playing a significant role in the overall outcome of painting. Blended style frames use colours similar to the more prominent colours of the painting, so that the observer focuses on the painting more than the frame.

In recent years, Gallery wrap frames have become quite popular, and are often chosen over classic style. Gallery wrapping is when the canvas is stretched and wrapped around a simple wooden frame, covering the entire frame creating a 3D appearance. The thickness of the wood changes the ‘feeling’ of the painting thus, choosing a thick or thin frame makes a difference. Although it may sound strange, research has shown that a thicker wooden frame makes the painting look more expensive.

A classical frame is actually two separate frames. An inner frame, which the canvas will be stretched on and an outer frame for decoration. The two frames are connected by screws or pins that together form a strong structure for the painting. The stretching of a canvas is very important because if it isn’t done properly ,the canvas will be loose and the painting will lose some of its effect.

A gallery wrap is usually chosen by young people and it is often used for modern and post-modern paintings rather than classic style painting. There are two major benefits for using a gallery wrap, weight and cost. A Gallery wrap is cheaper than a classical frame because it uses less materials, and is the lightest of all frame styles. Since gallery wrapped paintings require canvas, it can only be used only for oil and acrylic paintings. Watercolour paintings, charcoal, pencil and pastel drawings are usually done on different kinds of papers.

Watercolour paintings, Charcoal, pencil and pastel drawings have to be framed with a protecting glass because these four mediums are more sensitive to sunlight, oxygen and human touch. Even though the painting is coated with a layer sealant for protection, they must be covered with glass and cared for more delicately than other mediums.Thanks to technology, we are now able to frame the paintings with imitation glass. The benefits of using such material are lower prices and also avoiding the danger of glass breaking and damaging the painting. Another benefit is that imitation glass weighs less than actual glass and it has almost no reflection.

However, there are two drawbacks to using imitation glass. First, it is easily scratched, and second, on large paintings (over 24”x36”) it causes the surface to appear wavy because it is not as flat as glass. There are few companies in the market who offer custom made paintings. This unique service enables us to create our own original masterpieces by painting whatever subjects our clients would like us to paint. The process is very simple, you only need to send us a digital photo to our website. We then, send it to an artist who will paint it according to your requirements. Once the painting is done you will get it by post (with or without a frame). This service is called “painting from photo”. Our service enables our clients to paint their lifestyles in any way that they choose.

Paintings bring colour and joy into our lives. Sometimes we choose a portrait of our family, sometimes of our pets, sometimes of a beautiful landscape and sometimes an abstract. However, the frame must be chosen carefully. We need to consider the overall outcome of the combination of the frame and the painting. A well framed painting allows us to enjoy it for years to come. Remember, real art is not only for rich people, It belongs to each and every one of us!

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