Pastel Paintings Care, Matting, and Framing

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The pastel medium is a pure pigment. In my paintings, pastel is applied to high quality acid free or ph neutral papers. Some of history’s most noted painters used pastels with lasting results. Pastels created more than 200 years ago, receiving proper care, are as fresh and bright as the day they were painted. Pastel paintings and their color brilliance are very resilient over time, as long as the surface is protected. In order to prevent damage, the surface of a pastel painting should never be touched and should be protected from water. Displaying pastel paintings framed under glass, with archival matting materials, provides the protection necessary. Hang all valuable paintings and photographs in a place that avoids direct sunlight, extreme heat, or high humidity.

Prevent damage when storing unframed pastel paintings by covering each with slick glassine interleaving.  This prevents damage to the surface and paintings can then be stacked in a portfolio.  To ship unframed pastel paintings make a sandwich.  First mount painting by its edges with removable artists tape to an acid free board slightly larger than the piece.  Then cover with a sheet of glassine, larger than the painting but smaller than the board, and tape down flat with drafting tape.  Cover this with another board the size of the first and tape the edges shut.  Your enemy is friction, that is why it is important to prevent any movement against the surface of the painting.  Finally put the sandwich in a larger box and pad on both sides to prevent punctures wounds during shipping.

One of the reasons pastel paintings are so beautiful is the quality of the pure color particles and how these catch and refract light. Because the use of heavy layers of fixative destroy this refractive quality, I don’t use them in the final stage of painting. For this reason, in the process of moving or shipping a painting you may find a small amount of pastel particles become dislodged from the surface of the painting. This is typical and in no way affects the quality of the painting.

 

The following are my suggestions for matting, framing and glazing your pastel painting:

• First, it is strongly suggested one work with a professional framer first until familiar with the pastel framing process.  Having a great attention to detail and patience are good qualities to have when framing pastels.

• It is suggested one mount and mat paintings with acid free or rag mat museum boards. Using acid free boards is more expensive but worth it, because it will prevent acidic damage and yellowing found over time with other boards. For framing, I use an acid free foam core board as a mounting board, and a single bevel acid free window mat in a neutral color.  There are several options for mounting the painting to the board.  I use reversible acid free artist’s tape in a T formation that attaches to the back of the painting.  Mat color and frame choices are quite personal.  I like to keep things simple.

• A 4 inch mat on larger paintings is recommended and a 2.5 to 3 inch minimum mat on smaller paintings. I also add an acid free foam core spacer to the underside of the beveled mat. This unseen spacer lifts the mat off the painting and allows any pastel dust to fall behind the mat.

• In some cases, particularly when the support has a deckle (rough) edge such as in my mixed media paintings, I prefer to mount the piece without a mat.  In these cases, first the painting is float mounted or dry mounted (by my framer) to acid free fome core board, and then a plastic spacer is used between the glass and painting. Spacers can also be constructed of strips of fome core by creating a sort of box that is then hidden by the top face of the frame.  The air space is important because the glass should never touch the painting.

• Single strength glass is recommended for framing, however, should unacceptable levels of glare be encountered where the painting is hung, anti-reflective UV glass (not non glare) can be substituted.  I find non glare glass deadens the image.  Plexiglas is also not suggested for use with pastel paintings because of static which can lift pastel particles off the painting.  When cleaning glass after framing, rather than spraying the glass, it is suggested a damp cloth be used with a light touch.

• Framing is dependent on your aesthetic choice and interior design of your home. I generally use a flat faced gallery style wood frame, because these show the paintings well in a gallery setting.  However, many other types of wood and metal frames are also quite lovely when used on a pastel painting, and come in a variety of profiles from the simplest to very ornate. One concern in choice of frame is the rabbet depth can accommodate the package of glass, boards, and spacers. A rabbet depth of about three quarters of an inch is the minimum required.

• Framing without a mat is also possible using “plein aire” wood frames.  Originally produced for oil painters, but now commonly used by pastel painters.  These frames have a wide front face, about 3 inches, which provide “breathing space” for the painting.  Use something like Econospace plastic spacers under the glass.  These are hidden by the frame and hold the glazing off the painting.

• Rubber bumpers on the back of the frame allows air circulation, helps keep the painting level once hung, and prevents marring of your walls.

• If one has a problem keeping the painting straight once hung, use two hangers about 2 inches apart.