Framing Watercolor: Expert Tips and Tricks

Framing Watercolor: Expert Tips and Tricks

Some artists are nervous about framing their watercolors. As the paint dries, it can leave ripples in the paper, making it difficult to work with.

So, we talked with three professional artists for their tips on framing watercolor paintings.

How do you mount a watercolor when matting?

It all depends on the paper, says Tom Sorrell, watercolorist and president of the Toledo Artists’ Club. He prefers 140-pound paper, and stretches it before he paints to prevent ripples. He then uses high-quality framers tape or linen hinging tape to attach the painting to the mat.

Sometimes, Tom chooses Yupo, a water-resistant synthetic paper favored by watercolorists because of the textures it allows after the paint dries. When mounting Yupo, he sticks with Lineco mounting strips.

“Yupo tends to expand and contract more than other papers with changes in the temperature, so it's important to leave 1/16 to 1/8" between the edge of the Yupo painting and the adhesive portion of the mounting strip,” Tom said. “With Yupo, the painting is mounted to the backing board instead of the mat.”

 

When mounting watercolor art, Toledo-based Aaron Bivins often uses double-sided acid-free cloth tape for a more secure hold. His technique:

1.   Place a two-inch piece of tape on the back of the painting. Half the length of the tape should be on the paper and half should rise above the top of it.

2.   Flip the paper over and position it on the foam core. Press the remaining 1" of tape

      to secure on the board.

3.   Secure another two-inch piece of cloth tape over the other piece of tape to form a

      T shape. Press to secure.

How do you flatten a watercolor painting that has rippled before framing it?

If your painting does ripple, there are several ways to fix it. Aaron lays his painting face down on a piece of cardboard, spritzes it with water, and irons the back until it dries.

Tom follows a similar system, but substitutes a stack of heavy books for the iron.

Laurin McCracken, president of the Watercolor USA Honor Society, also opts for books, but prefers not to wet his paintings.

First, he stacks at least 30 pieces of watercolor paper on top of the art. He then places a piece of Masonite or Plexiglas on top, followed by the books. This helps evenly distribute the weight over the painting.

“If you’re using anything other than paper for weight, be sure to put a piece of paper over the painting to protect it,” Laurin said. “Also, the surface under the painting must be smooth and clean.”

If the rippling on the painting is severe, then Laurin will mist the back of the painting with water before placing it under weights. He cautions to use only a light mist so the painting doesn’t get too soggy.

 

How do you float a watercolor with a deckled edge?

Laurin uses Lineco self-adhesive linen hinging tape. Here’s his technique:

1.       First, mount the painting to 1/8” or 1/4” foamcore or mounting board. Leave a 1/2” border. That will give the illusion of the painting “floating” above the mat.

2.       To attach the painting to the foamcore, first attach the linen hinge to the back of the painting and run the tape through a slice in the foamcore. Use a second piece of linen tape to affix the first piece of tape to the back of the board. Attach the painting to at least two places at the top of the board.

3.       Add additional loops of linen tape in the same manner to prevent slipping, especially during shipping.

 

For these three artists, the benefits of framing their own work far outweigh the risk of a tear or a ripple.

Some like the flexibility to reuse frames. They say they’re more inclined to take a piece apart if they’ve framed it themselves and know exactly how it’s been mounted. Others said they like the control of framing their own art, and that they can ensure that dust and other contaminants don’t wind up behind the glass.

But the biggest reason so many watercolorists frame their own work is financial.

“The reason I frame my own paintings is the cost related to framing,” Laurin said. “It’s just basic element of managing the funds I have to support my art business.”

Have more framing questions? Contact us.

 

 

Ohio Watercolor Society Permanent Collection

OWS Permanent Collection

    When someone mentions watercolor paintings the general thought is the very simple, pastel landscape that you might find in your grandmother’s house. Usually a bright pigmented, photo realistic, painting on plastic paper doesn’t come to mind. Luckily we have The Ohio Watercolor Society Permanent Collection to break all of those stereotypes for us. This collection is described “as a way to encourage the advancement, understanding, appreciation, and awareness of the broad scope of watercolor paintings.”

  

   “The Ohio Watercolor Society’s Permanent Collection comprises 37 paintings that reflect the quality, scope and evolution of watermedia painting during the Society’s first 25 years and include categories of abstract, collage, figurative, landscape, portraiture, and still-life paintings,” mentioned  Thomas Sorrell President of the Ohio Watercolor Society (OWS). Pushing the boundaries of watercolor media is something OWS strives for. Tom explained that the board is considering enhancing the collection and trying to find new criteria to use for this expansion “It would make sense to have some painted with egg tempera or casein and to have some paintings that were done on surfaces such as Yupo in order to show the breadth and diversity of watermedia painting.”

  

   A little bit of background regarding these paintings . . . the collection is comprised of artists that are members of OWS and some eminent jurors of its annual exhibition. Each year from 1978-2001 paintings were added to the collection with money raised by OWS, mainly through donations from members and friends. Some paintings were donated to the collection by past or present members or their estates.  The purchasing of paintings stopped in 2001 mainly due to lack of funds so the collection was then held in storage until last year when the Board of Trustees made a decision to refurbish the paintings and to display them. “As it turned out, this was a good decision . . .” Tom said, “The place where they had been stored was flooded recently by several thousand gallons of water and mud from a nearby construction project.”  Tom mentioned their current home is in a climate-controlled, secure storage facility (on the second floor!).

  

   American Frame had the honor of refurbishing the collection in 2016 and currently have the paintings displayed in the showroom gallery after almost a decade in storage. It was last shown in Columbus in 2008 and this is the first time it has been displayed in Northwest Ohio! Later this year the OWS Board has plans to use the Permanent Collection to encourage and support watermedia painting in Ohio. “Perhaps portions [of the collection] will be loaned to corporate donors for several months at a time. It might be exhibited in whole or in part at various galleries or museums around the State. Several paintings could be displayed on a rotating basis with the opening of the Annual Exhibition,” Tom speculated.  Whatever plans the OWS Board has for their permanent collection we all know it will challenge the way we look at watercolor paintings.

Tips for Framing Americana: Maps, Flags, and Documents

The 4^th of July: it's a patriotic time of year. So, if you’re thinking of framing a flag or maybe a few historical documents, follow these tips from American Frame's Commercial Department Manager Jennifer Teachout.

When working with any historical item, take steps to handle it carefully. Make sure your work area is clean and dry. And consider wearing gloves to avoid leaving any dirt or oils from your fingertips on the piece.

When framing maps, documents or flags, you’ll probably need to use some kind of insulation to support the weight of the piece or help it lay flat. If you need to support a heavy piece, foam mounting board is your answer. For extra protection, choose archival foam board.

Flags
When wrapped tightly, flags are relatively heavy, so they need extra support to stay put. Sew the flag to the mat or backing board. Consider the weight of the flag when deciding how many stitches to use and where to place them.

Maps
If your map is printed on both sides, mount it on black foam board so the text on the back won’t be visible through the thin map paper.

Historical Documents

Never slather the back of a rare document with glue. Instead, Teachout advises attaching archival strips or corner mounts to archival mounting board. You can then use a custom-cut mat with a window opening to attach your document to the mounting board.

After you’ve selected the right mat, choose a wood or metal frame that complements your item. Consider our American Hardwoods collection to complete your all-American look. And to keep dust and fingerprints off your memorabilia, mount it under an acrylic sheet.

 

 

The Art of the Selfie

Unless you’ve spent the last decade in a particularly deep coma, you’re familiar with selfies. They populate your social media pages, exhaust your cellphone’s data allowance, and are taken everywhere you can imagine: in cars, at museums, in lines, and famously, at the 2014 Oscars.

But they’re mostly pretty boring.

The average selfie you see countless times a day is just a person standing there. Maybe she’s making a face, or he’s enhanced with a fancy filter, but there’s usually nothing special about the shot. If the people behind the cameras want us to look at these images, shouldn’t they make them more interesting?

The good news is you can help. Here are some ways to “level up” your cell phone self-portraits.

Mind Your Angles
You probably know which is your “good side”: so keep that in mind when you take your photo. Shoot from slightly above to slim your face. And angle your body away from the camera instead of straight towards it. You’ll look thinner without having to skip dessert.

Use Good Light

The flash on your cell phone camera can wash you out. So whenever possible, use natural light.  Stand near a window or go outside. A beautifully lit photo will stand out in a sea of overly bright or way-too-dark shots.

Think of the Whole Picture

No one wants to see your dirty laundry, or the trash you should have taken out last week. Stage your selfie against a beautiful background. Find a funky mural or a picturesque park, so the entire photo is something your audience will love looking at.

Display It

You might take a ton of selfies to get a great one. But that doesn’t mean you should post them all. No one wants to scroll through 17 images of you in the exact same pose. So choose the photos with the best composition, lighting, and visual interest.

And while you’re at it, think beyond Facebook and Instagram. Pair your perfect selfie with a great frame so it can be a focal point in your home or office. American Frame makes it easy to print and custom-frame your photo to elevate it from ordinary to artistic.

 

 

 

 

 

Ben Derkin Through His Camera Lens

 

You know you are in good hands when a photographer jokes about taking just pictures. Ben Derkin puts the “Derk” in Derk’s Works, which is the name of his photography business. Derkin describes how looking through a camera lens is not about clicking a button. Taking “just a photo” does not exist with the Derk’s Works passion. Having the right person in the right setting, taking a photo that shows emotion and true personality makes for a meaningful photo.

Derkin started what he thought would be his career path, at Bowling Green State University. He graduated in 2008, but found out through attending various Owen’s Community College photography classes he had true talent for photography. As someone who finds great pride in excelling at something, he decided to pursue his passion.

He started his time at American Frame by interning and saw first-hand the expertise and passion American Frame puts into each product it delivers to every customer. Seeing how the quality of their work shows through in the artist’s product inspired him even more.

It was then he decided to take the chance and start his own photography business in 2008. It was not until 2014 Derkin saw the opportunity to truly succeed when he booked more weddings than he ever had before. Once he booked his record amount, his wife quit her corporate job and went all in on Derk’s Works. Their hard work paid off and Derk’s Works has become a go-to photography business that captures emotional and personal photos.

On a personal level, both Ben and his wife balance work and personal life with their sons, who are two years old and six months old. But some may argue their dog, Juno, is the official mascot of Derk’s Works, who holds the title of Official Welcoming Committee.

 

 

Derkin will admit the most important thing about what he does is being able to capture the emotion behind each photograph. Being able to connect people with ideas and emotions is the best way to create the connection among “model” and photograph. It is the intangible things in each photograph that make it a great photo.

 

Would you like to see more of Derkin’s work? Or perhaps you are interested in hiring a photographer with such passion. Learn more about Derk’s Works online.

Speaking of Community

 

Bowling Green State University (BGSU) Associate Professor Lynn Whitney provides her students with thinking about and seeing their lives through different perspectives. Students in her photography classes are exposed to how the camera sees. They consider the weight of assigning meaning to what they choose to include inside the camera’s frame. Through the camera, students find out what interests them; through class critiques they are pushed to find out why. Lynn Whitney subscribes to the notion that making a picture is an invitation to learn something new and is a beautiful medium for creating empathy in this contemporary climate. Her intermediate class, Community Projects in Photography, introduces students to the challenge of going beyond what they think they already know and to broaden their ideas of what they think possible. In this class students engage with exploring the lives of people with disabilities in the Bowling Green community.  

Project origins

“Having a passion for an aspect of the world and related issues often finds an aesthetic expression through art. Photography is powerful for, through it, is the ability to bring about awareness, sometimes, even, significant change. Aesthetics and the ability that art has, especially photography, to make change in the world — is why this project with Wood Lane is incredibly important to me,” Whitney said. Wood Lane in is an organization which, since 1955, has provided children, youth, and adults with developmental disabilities a community of their own in Bowling Green. 

Whitney began to consider Speaking OF in 2012 through the BGSU Service Learning Community, directed at that time by V. Jane Rosser, PhD. In developing her community engagement course, Whitney met with her former student, Dianna Temple who, after earning her BFA in Photography went on to the University of Toledo for her doctorate in Occupational Therapy and now works for Wood Lane as a Health Supports Coordinator. Along side a friendship that has gone far beyond student/professor relationship, “I felt I had the absolute best connection in Dianna and, with her, the best opportunity to open up students’ minds and hearts to others,” Whitney said.

 

 

Whitney discovered that Wood Lane would be an opportunity to reimagine people living at the so - called “margins” and provide her students with a way to connect with people in the community.  In the beginning, Whitney said some of her students were a bit shy to take part in this project. However, in time, they began to accept the challenges involved. Whitney noticed that shift in her students. “They find they have a lot more to give than they thought they had in the first place,” Whitney said. “They get very energized … by interacting outside of what they wouldn’t normally been exposed to in their lifetime.”  This year we added a new component – that of placing the camera in the hands of our partners. We are Speaking Of and Speaking With rather than speaking for our friends at Wood Lane.

American Frame Founder Ron Mickel Announces Retirement

After 44 years, American Frame Founder Ron Mickel announced his retirement today.

The announcement marks the completion of the transition of ownership to Mickel’s daughters, Laura Jajko and Dana Dunbar.

“Although he has not been involved with the day to day operations for quite some time now, his presence will be truly missed,” Jajko said. “Because of him and his unwavering commitment to this company, we are privileged to be who and what we are today”

Mickel began American Frame in 1973, as a mail-order https://www.americanframe.com/american-frame-story.aspx expansion of a custom picture framing service he had run out of his Toledo-area hardware store. He posted an ad for the custom-cut aluminum frames in American Artist magazine but forgot about it until the post office called to ask that he come and collect the orders overflowing from his P.O. box. 

“Little did we know he had created a new industry, transforming what was once an expensive ‘professionals only’ task to an easy and affordable ‘do-it-yourself’ project for all types of picture framers- artists, photographers and DIY decorators,” Jajko said.

Today, American Frame is the country’s premier supplier of custom picture frames, mat boards, DIY framing supplies, and fine art printing services. 

 

American Frame plans to remain in Maumee, Ohio and continue their commitment to their customers and employees.