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I generally sell my original wildlife paintings unframed, both for easier shipping, and to allow customers to choose their own frame that will suit their home.
A few customers have asked me about framing my paintings recently, and I thought it would be worth taking a look at my recommendation.
Float Frames
For a painting on a 3mm thick wooden panel (e.g. the Ampersand Gessobord* that I use for most of my paintings), the best-looking solution in my opinion is what’s variously known as a float/panel/inset frame.
It’s an open-fronted frame (i.e. the painting doesn’t sit behind glass), where the artwork is mounted to the frame using a strong double-sided tape, with a small gap between the panel and the surrounding frame, which gives the illusion that the painting is floating in the frame. Here’s an example of what it looks like:
While this type of frame can be found in various stores, both online and offline, finding one that’s exactly the right size for your artwork can be challenging, so you may want to consider getting one custom made, which isn’t necessarily as expensive as you might think.
Jackson’s Bespoke Frame Builder
For my own framing needs, these days I generally rely on the bespoke frame builder* service from Jackson’s Art (where I also get most of my paint and various other art supplies).
It’s a very simple process – you just choose your frame type (panel), enter the size of your artwork (plus a few millimetres for the ‘float’) and within a week or so you receive your frame along with all the parts you need to assemble it.
Artwork Size
To enter your measurements, start by measuring the exact width and height of the artwork in centimetres.
Then decide how much gap (float) you want between the edge of the panel and the inside of the frame. This is a matter of taste, but I generally go with around 5mm gap, in which case you should add 10mm to the width and height.
For example, a 6-inch Gessobord panel is 15.2 x 15.2 cm. If you want a 5mm gap around it, you should enter 16.2cm for both the width and height measurements.
Moulding Style
There are several different frame styles available, in a variety of different woods, finishes, and face/rebate sizes.
My frame of choice is the Natural Obeche frame, which is a nice light wooden frame, which can be left bare for a natural look, or stained/painted any colour of your choice.
The frame comes disassembled for convenient delivery, and includes a packet of plastic dovetail connectors, which you insert in each corner to hold the frame together.
The dovetails make a nice tight join, but I’d also recommend adding a small amount of wood glue in each corner – especially for larger frames – just to make sure the frame is nice and solid.
To assemble the frame, add a small amount of wood glue to the joint of one side of the frame, then attach it to another side (make sure it’s the right length if it’s not a square frame). Holding the joint tightly in one hand, push a dovetail into the outermost hole, and tap it in gently with a small hammer.
Repeat this for each corner until you’ve inserted 4 dovetails, then do the same again for the next dovetail, and so on until the frame is complete.
Note: You may be tempted to try pushing all dovetails into a single side of the frame and then trying to slide the next side onto the dovetails. I can tell you that this is a bad idea (ask me how I know!) While the dovetails will go into the first piece very easily, attaching the adjoining piece is a challenge, and you’ll end up having to hammer the frame itself, which risks damaging the wood.
Mounting the Artwork
Once the frame is assembled, and the glue (if used) has dried overnight, it’s time to mount your artwork to the frame. There are various ways to do this. Some people use velcro strips, or Command strips, but I like to use strong double-sided tape. This 3M VHB Scotch tape gives a very strong bond to keep your painting safely in the frame, but it can still be removed if necessary.
I just use a small strip in each corner, as shown. You can use more tape around the edges if you wish, but I don’t find it necessary for a small painting.
Remove the backing tape, and carefully position your painting, making sure the corners line up with the frame exactly and the gap is the same size all the way around.
Update: I made a video to show the process of assembling the frame, with a few bonus tips:
Hanging Accessories
Custom frames don’t come with any hanging accessories, but you can select your preferred options during purchase, including D-rings, saw-tooth hangers etc, or you can purchase command strips or similar separately if you prefer to stick your frame to the wall rather than using traditional picture hangers.
Take a look at my original British wildlife paintings for sale if you’d like to see how these panels look as finished artwork.
If you have any other questions about framing your artwork, please feel free to leave a comment, or send me a message, and I’ll do my best to advise.
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