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Blog Category: Framing

Step 6 - Framing the Artwork

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic my framer has been closed and I haven't been able to frame "Good Vibrations" yet. Because of its complexity and size, this artwork needs a very simple floater frame. I'm thinking of ordering one online if I can't contact my framer soon.

Step 1: before varnishing

Step 2: sealing the artwork

Step 3: mounting the artwork on a panel

Step 4: digital capture of the artwork

Step 5: applying the final varnish

Step 6: framing the artwork 

Check this link http://www.esterroi.com/blog/post/2017/04/how-i-frame-my-artwork to see how I frame smaller artworks.

 

Step 5 - Applying the Final Varnish

As a final varnish I use Golden Polymer Varnish with UVLS ((UltraViolet Light Stabilizers). I prefer the gloss type because it really brings out the colors in a painting. It makes the surface shiny which works great with my subject.

This is a waterborne acrylic polymer varnish that dries to a protective, flexible, dust-resistant surface. I always thin it with water, 3 part varnish to 1 part water. For this artwork I applied nine coats, waiting 3 hours between coats. The varnish cures completely in one week. 

 

Here you can see my varnishing tools:
- a wide, great quality brush for the top surface
- a smaller one for the sides
- a plastic container for the varnish
- a measuring cup for mixing varnish and water

I work in a dust free room and place the painting on top of boxes to elevate it from the table. I alternate between horizontal strokes in one session and vertical ones in the next.

 

My varnished artwork (upside down) by a window after been sealed with 12 layers of Golden Archival Spray Varnish and nine coats of Golden Polymer Varnish.

I feel very confident to frame my art without glass. I've verified on my own that the UV protection these varnishes provide is outstanding. I did a rigorous lightfastness test using the Blue Wool Reference cards and following strict ASTM standards. Even the pigments with the lowest lightfastness ratings performed amazingly well when protected by these varnishes.

 

On my next and final post in this series I will talk about framing.

Step 1before varnishing

Step 2sealing the artwork

Step 3mounting the artwork on a panel

Step 4digital capture of the artwork

Step 5: applying the final varnish

Step 6: framing the artwork

 

Step 4 - Digital Capture of the Artwork

One of the most important steps in the art reproduction process is the creation of a digital file. A high-resolution, properly lit, color-managed capture is critical to getting the sharpness, detail and color accuracy needed. Even though I have a good quality camera, I let a professional do the work.

The company I use, DaVinci Digitale, not only assists with art scanning, photo capturing and digital color correction, but offers many other services such as giclee printing on different surfaces, art stretching and mounting, custom framing and art packaging and shipping.

I take my artwork to be professionally photographed always before applying the final gloss varnish to minimize the glare of a glossy canvas.

Below is the color corrected image of “Good Vibrations”. The original file is 677MB and measures 18830 x 12562 pixels at 300ppi resolution.

 

On my next post I will talk about the process of applying the final varnish.

 

Step 1before varnishing

Step 2sealing the artwork

Step 3: mounting the artwork on a panel

Step 4: digital capture of the artwork

Step 5: applying the final varnish

Step 6: framing the artwork

 

Step 3 - Mounting the Artwork on a Panel

At the beginning of the mounting process I realized that I didn't have a table big enough for the arwork so I had to be creative and decided to place a mirror closet door on top of the smaller table I had available.

 

First I carefully trimmed the extra canvas around my piece. The trimmed canvas at this point is a bit larger than the cradled panel to account for possible misalignments during mounting. The wood panel I always use for mounting my art is an Ampersand Claybord

 

My favorite mounting adhesive is Gudy 831, a very aggressive double-stick adhesive film especially suitable for applications on rough or textured surfaces. It's acid free (pH 7), it passed the photo activity test (PAT), and will not dry out or discolor with age. It's available on rolls with a single release liner. Gudy 831 can be purchased online from Talas in different size rolls. However, if you don't use a large quantity of adhesive as I do or are just experimenting, I suggest you buy Grafix Double Tack Mounting Film which comes in sheets of different sizes. This is also acid free and archival. 

  

After carefully unrolling the adhesive onto the surface of the Claybord, I burnished it with a brayer and trimmed the excess around the edges. I punctured the air bubbles with an X-Acto knife and burnished the area until the air was gone.

 

Next I created a fold on the release liner to expose a 1" wide section of the tacky area of the mounting adhesive.

 

I positioned the canvas over the Claybord and, when perfectly centered, I pressed the canvas on the exposed 1" section of adhesive. 

 

Then I slowly pulled away the release liner while unrolling the canvas over the adhesive. With a sheet of tracing paper covering the canvas, I gently rubbed the surface with a rag until all the release liner was pulled out. As I forgot to take a picture of this step, I'm using a reference from an older artwork. 

 

I turned the board upside down on the mirror to trim the extra canvas with an X-Acto knife.

 

Trimming the extra canvas.

 

Here's the canvas mounted and trimmed.

 

I rolled a rubber brayer all over the surface protected by tracing paper.

 

Then I placed the board under weights overnight. Heavy books will do especially with smaller pieces. 

 

Finally I painted the sides of the cradled board with acrylic.

 

On my next post I will talk about the process of getting my artwork professionally photographed.

 

Step 1: before varnishing

Step 2: sealing the artwork

Step 3: mounting the artwork on a panel

Step 4: digital capture of the artwork

Step 5: applying the final varnish

Step 6: framing the artwork

 

Step 2 - Sealing the Artwork

After cleaning up the artwork from debris and cat hair, as explained in Step 1, I taped the canvas on a piece of gatorboard. Any rigid surface like cardboard or foamboard can also work for this purpose. Then I took it outside to begin the sealing process.

Sealing the piece creates a separation layer between the painting and the final varnish. Because the final varnish ages and collects dust and grime through the years, it needs to be removable for conservation purposes; if it sticks to the painting it would be impossible to replace. 

However, there's another very important reason for sealing. In my technique, beside colored pencils, I use wax pastels (Neocolor), both the water-soluble and water-resistant ones, and blend them with heat . If I were to apply the final varnish without sealing, the water-soluble pastels would get wet and possibly smeared by the brush during the painting process. I use a final varnish because I frame my art without glass.  

I sealed the artwork with Golden Archival Spray Varnish, gloss. This sealing varnish contains ultraviolet light filters and stabilizers (UVLS) to provide archival protection and inhibit light damage. It's a mineral spirit varnish and therefore I apply it outside while wearing a dust mask on a non-windy day. I lean the artwork on a wall so that big droplets fall onto the pavement and not on the painting. 

Golden Archival Spray Varnish can be used in place of fixative by colored pencil artists who frame their work under glass. It not only protects from UV damage but it also completely suppresses wax bloom formation, a problem that occurs with some wax-based colored pencils. For this purpose, 5 or 6 light layers are sufficient.

Considering that my piece is very large and needs complete sealing, I sprayed a total of 12 light layers, waiting at least 30 minutes in between. After each layer I bring the artwork inside the garage and let it dry away from sun and moving air. I rotate the artwork from a horizontal to a vertical position at each spraying session and always spray from side to side at about 10" distance. When the sealing process is finished I let the artwork rest inside for a few days. 

On my next post I will show you how I mount the canvas on a 40" x 60" x 2" Claybord.

Step 1: before varnishing

Step 2: sealing the artwork

Step 3: mounting the artwork on a panel

Step 4: digital capture of the artwork

Step 5: applying the final varnish

Step 6: framing the artwork

 

Step 1- Before Varnishing

I've finally finished my 40" x 60" piece and now I'm preparing the surface for varnishing.

Step 1: I begin by going over the highlights that lost their brightness with a white Neocolor. I will then examine every single square inch of canvas (in this case 2,400 sq inches) with my strongest magnifiers. If you work with colored pencils and wax pastels like Neocolors, you know how easily tiny debris of pigment can become embedded in the surface. The goal is to lightly scrape off the debris and the occasional cat hair using a small X-ACTO knife. This takes some patience of course but it's a worthwhile effort; it's very disappointing to notice debris after varnishing because, at that point, there's nothing one can do. 

I will post five more steps to explore and update the intricacies of my method of glassless framing. After more than 10 years of experience with this method I have developed a reliable technique that I'm always happy to share. 

Step 2: sealing the artwork to create a separation layer before the final varnish

Step 3: mounting the artwork on a panel

Step 4: digital capture of the artwork

Step 5: applying the final varnish

Step 6: framing the artwork

 

How I Frame My Artwork

After mounting my artwork on 3/4" Ampersand Claybord, painting the sides in acrylic, and varnishing it, I place it in the exact middle of a fabric covered, 3/16" thick Gatorboard which functions as a mat. I insert four very thin sewing pins at the corners of the artwork and make sure they come out on the other side of the Gatorboard to mark the position of the four corners on the back.
 

I use screws with large washers to mount the Claybord onto the Gatorboard. The screws need to be inserted in the exact middle of the Claybord's stretch bars.
 

After inserting the artwork mounted on the Gatorboard mat into the frame, I secure it with framers points.
 

Details of framers points, screws and washers.
 

I mount the backing paper with double stick adhesive and trim the edges.
 

I screw in the D-rings, insert the plastic coated stainless wire, and twist it at both ends.
 

I wrap self-fusing silicone tape around the ends of the wire to prevent it from scratching the wall. For the same reason I staple some paper, folded four times, over the d-rings and screws.
 

Rubber bumper pads always come off so I make my own with a hot glue gun; these never come off.
 

Last step is to secure my signed certificate of authenticity with double stick adhesive on the lower center of the back.
 

This is how my artwork looks in the frame. I developed this concept myself and I've been framing all my artwork in this manner for years.
 

A different angle that better shows the 3D effect of my presentation.
 


I always try to take a good photo for social media with me by my work. This personalizes the art while giving a better view of its actual size.
 

Other blog posts on framing:
http://www.esterroi.com/blog/post/2013/02/how-to-mount-paper-on-board
http://www.esterroi.com/blog/post/2014/09/how-to-mount-canvas-on-board
http://www.esterroi.com/blog/post/2010/04/glassless-framing
 

 

Commission Ready to Ship

"Everlasting", my 24" x 48" commission, is now framed and ready to ship. In the photo below, with myself by the artwork, you can better appreciate its size.  

 

How to Mount Canvas on Board

I used to mount canvas on board with Frank's PH Fabric Adhesive. I demonstrated how to do it on a previous blog post: Canvas and the Icarus Board: Final PostAlthough this method worked pretty well, the glue would always moisten the canvas which would take a long time to dry before I could varnish it. I finally found a double-stick adhesive that is suitable for rough surfaces like canvas.


Above are my finished canvas and a roll of adhesive on top of a 24" x 48" Claybord.


Gudy 831 is a very aggressive double-stick adhesive especially suitable for application on rough or textured surfaces. It's acid free (pH 7), passed the photo activity test (PAT), and will not dry out or discolor with age. It's available on rolls with a single release liner. Easily applied by hand, it will never dry out or discolor with age. Gudy 831 can be purchased online from Talas in different size rolls.


After carefully unrolling the adhesive onto the surface of the Claybord (sticky side toward the board), I burnished it with a brayer and trimmed the excess around the edges. I punctured the air bubbles with an X-Acto knife and burnished until the air was all gone. 


Here's a close-up of a seam where I had to join two separate sheets of adhesive because the roll wasn't wide enough. Again, I pressed the seam with a burnisher.


This is the canvas ready to be mounted, after I trimmed the white edges. At this point my piece measures 24.5" x 48.5", half an inch larger than the board, to account for possible misalignment during mounting. 


I created a fold on the release liner to expose a 1" wide section of the tacky area.


I positioned the canvas over the board and, when perfectly centered, I pressed down on the canvas over the exposed 1" section of adhesive.


Then I slowly pulled away the release paper while unrolling the canvas over the adhesive. With a sheet of tracing paper covering the canvas, I gently rubbed the surface with a rag until all the release paper was pulled out.


I rolled a rubber brayer all over the surface protected by tracing paper.


I turned the board upside down and trimmed the extra canvas with an X-Acto knife.


To achieve perfect cuts I used a fresh blade for each side of the artwork.


Finally I placed the board under heavy books overnight. Using Gudy 831 allowed me to begin varnishing the day after mounting the canvas.


Title: "Everlasting"
Size: 24" x 48"
Medium: Prismacolor and Caran d'Ache Luminance Colored Pencils, Neocolor Wax Pastels, Holbein Oil Pastels
Surface: Extra Fine Texture Canvas primed with two coats of clear Art Spectrum Colourfix Primer
Icarus Technique

 

 

How to Mount Paper on Board

Mounting paper on board using Grafix Double Tack Mounting Film can be challenging at first. This mounting film is permanent and accidents can happen, especially if one doesn't practice ahead.

I've being using this method for years and I'm quite comfortable with it. It takes me about 10 or 15 minutes to mount a piece, depending on the size.

Above is my finished artwork "In Between" which I will mount on a 12" x 24" x 3/4" thick Ampersand Claybord. At this point my piece measures 12.5" x 24.5", half an inch larger than the board, to account for possible misalignment during mounting. I've already trimmed the white paper edge that I normally leave around the drawing.

This is the back of my artwork which I wiped with a clean cotton rag to make sure there are no pencil debris left on the paper. I always use tracing paper to protect my piece from the cutting board.

Grafix Double Tack Mounting Film is acid free and archival. It has a coat of permanent adhesive on both sides of a thin film, sandwiched between two heavy release papers.

The image above shows the double tack mounting film which is cut a bit larger than the original artwork. I'm lifting the top release paper to expose part of the tacky area; this will be a section about an inch wide. It's always better to release more paper than necessary and then let it fall back into place up to the area that will need to be exposed.

Here I folded the top release paper back, exposing only an inch of the tacky film.

After placing my artwork over the double tack mounting sheet, I made sure it was centered inside the perimeter. At this point the artwork can still be moved because it's not making contact with the tacky film.

A close-up of the artwork positioned over the fold.

With a protective sheet of tracing paper over the artwork, I pressed down on the left side to make contact with the exposed tacky sheet. I then secured it onto the cutting board with tape.

Afterwards I lifted the right side of the artwork and slowly began pulling the release paper from underneath. At the same time, with my other hand, I rubbed the surface with a rag, moving back and forth from one side to the other, until all the release paper is out.

At this point I trimmed the edges of the double tack sheet (and tracing paper) with a sharp X-Acto knife.

I turned over the artwork and placed it face down on the cutting board, using the waxy release paper I just pulled from the tacky sheet as a protection layer. Then I rolled a rubber brayer all over the surface to reinforce the adhesion.

Here's my 12" x 24" Ampersand Claybord. I cleaned the surface with a rag and lightly sanded the sides with extra-fine sandpaper.

To pull out the other release paper from the back of the artwork I used the same method as before, exposing a 1.5" area of the tacky sheet.

Then I placed the Claybord over the mounting sheet and centered it. Again, I can still re-position it at this point because the board is not making contact with the tacky film.

Once the board is perfectly centered over my artwork, I pressed down on the left side to make contact with the exposed tacking sheet.

After placing a sheet of tracing paper over the artwork,  I lifted the right side and slowly began pulling the release paper from underneath. At the same time, with my other hand, I rubbed the surface with a rag, moving back and forth from one side to the other, until all the release paper is out.

Here you can see it from the opposite side.

Once the artwork is mounted onto the board, I pressed down first with a rag and then with a rubber brayer.

I turned the Claybord over.

I trimmed the extra with an X-Acto knife.

To achieve perfect cuts I used a fresh blade for each side of the artwork.

Finally I placed the board under heavy books overnight.

My artwork is now ready for varnishing and framing.

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