Recommendations for preserving your original painting

CARING FOR YOUR NEW UNIQUE PAINTING

Original art is an investment not only valued monetarily. Your painting will be appreciated by future generations, not just by those who view it today. Acrylic paintings are expected to have a longer lifespan than oil paintings, and are considered more resistant to aging. That is, they develop cracks less often than oil paintings and are more resistant to pressure.

With the changing seasons, both temperature and humidity are bound to change, so it is important to take precautionary measures to protect your artwork. It is best to keep your acrylic artwork in a space that has moderate temperature and humidity in well-ventilated rooms, preventing them from flaking or cracking. Components of acrylic medium attract water at high levels of humidity which further enable molds to grow on your painting, causing surface damage and dirt retention. For the above reasons, consider hanging your acrylic paintings in a conducive environment to elongate their lifespan. 

If for some reason you need to store your acrylic paintings for a period of time, keep them in a dry, cool environment. You should layer your individual acrylic paintings in glassine paper and store them vertically as opposed to laying flat. For the best protection, packaging your artwork in a box is an ideal solution.

We hope you’ve found value in these tips about caring for your acrylic paintings. If you’re in the market for additional acrylic works, check out our selection of original acrylic paintings.

DON'T:

Do not allow any rigid object to press against the front or back surface of the stretched canvas as this could create permanent indentation damage. When storing or transferring, take care to protect the canvas surfaces from becoming dinged or dented. When it becomes necessary to handle or move a painting, please avoid touching or handling the surface of the painting. Your skins’ oils contain acids and can damage the artwork with prolonged handling.  To hold and move your painting, please handle it by the sides. Do not apply any kind of pressure (even finger pressure) to the back of a canvas - cracks in the paint will likely develop after a time if this is done. To be extra cautious, you may wear white cotton gloves to handle your painting.

 If you notice at any time that the wood has warped, the canvas has become loose or slightly stretched, please take it to a framing store that specializes in restoring paintings and re-stretching canvases.

It is not advisable to place the artwork above heating appliances (fireplaces, radiators, stoves, etc.) and under air conditioners. In addition to the damage caused by radiating heat, dirt that rises with  heat may cause damage. It is inadvisable to hang paintings in a moist environment such as a room which has a bath or shower. Rapid environmental fluctuations will be harmful to the painting also, the canvas can be deformed under the influence of temperature changes.

Ultraviolet light should be kept away from the paintings as fugitive dyes and colorants used in paints will eventually discolour under exposure to this type of light. The fading of pigments and dyes will affect the colour balance of the artwork.

DO:

Do use compressed air in a can to blow away surface dust. Another technique involves using a dry soft sable brush to lightly dust off the surface. Be careful not to bump or scratch the painting. If the paint is damaged in any way, avoid dusting altogether. If you need to deep clean your artwork, use a professional cleaning service that has a good reputation in cleaning fine art.

The best type of light for your painting is indirect sunlight, recessed lighting, and halogen lights (not ultraviolet).

DON'T EVER:

Do not attempt to clean the surface by using solvents or cleaning products of any kind.  Cleaning liquids may actually embed the dirt into the painting and cause permanent liquid lines over the surface. In fact, it is discouraged to use any liquid, including water, to clean the surface of your acrylic painting. Never use dry or moist dust cloths, stiff bristle brushes or feather dusters to clean a painting as threads can catch on areas of raised paint and dusters can scratch the painting. Avoid spraying any fresheners, polish etc. directly onto a painting.

 

 

Important Disclaimer: We are not experts in the field of art restoration and only share tips that we have learned through research. If necessary, we recommend that you seek professional advice from a restorer.