Monday 22 June 2009

Why Proper Framing And Storing Of Pastels Is Achieved!...

By Anna Meenaghan

This, you will find, is not always easy to do as you will soon realise. They tend to smudge with the best will in the world as they pick up specks of dirt and are quite delicate in themselves

Therefore it is quite hard to protect your work. Pastels can be harmful in fact, as the pigment in them is quite loose. You need to be careful not to inhale from the specks of these dust pigments.

Some people do use a daily newspaper to store their work, but with this you stand the risk of spoiling your work with the newsprint or acidity of the paper. Another way out of this would be to use a tissue paper that is acid free.

So, for instance, you want to store your work for sometime to come. In this case I would buy an acid free board. Personally, I would cover it with greaseproof paper and tape it down firmly with masking tape.

You may decide to make changes to your work at the framing stage. A picture sometimes may take on an improved look by having second thoughts and eliminating some part of the painting.

Most artists, you will find, probably have a frame of card to put over their work at different angles and decide what they think is best. Does the painting look better with less at the sides for instance? You have to make a considered choice.

Really you do not want your pastel next to the glass or you will see that you get condensation and then nasty spots appear on your work. If you intend to keep your pastel under glass, you would have to make sure that you have a thick card mat round the picture first.

If you frame it with the mat no problems should occur in the years to come, even without fixing it. This does not mean that you cannot fix it! Spray it with an aerosol by all means, but be careful not to inhale some of the strong fumes.

I cannot stress enough how dangerous these fumes can be to your health. Care is needed when spraying. Take your work outside if the weather will allow it. Failing this, fling open all your windows, if you must do it inside.

Pastels can be quite messy and tend to create dust. This is not too good if you suffer from allergies. It is possible to buy plastic masks which will cover your nose and mouth, to alleviate the problem.

After all, you are likely to get a stuffy, blocked up nose, if you room has very little air. This is just a little bit of advice, but an important one. Be aware of your hands, pastels are messy, so give them a good wash when you take your breaks.

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