QA

Question: How To Store Art Drawings

What is the best way to store drawings?

The ideal humidity to store artwork is 40-50% with a temperature between 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit (21-24 degrees Celsius). This is easily achieved with a humidifier. Severe climates can cause cracked paint, warping, yellowing of paper, and mold growth.

How should I store my artwork?

Keep Canvas Prints & Paintings in a Cool, Dry Place Heat is another common issue. It can make the canvas expand and contract, causing the artwork to warp. Store your canvas art in a cool, dry place away from humidity and moisture. Climate-controlled storage space is an excellent solution.

How do you store old drawings?

Mount each drawing using an acid-free mat board and backboard, and use acid-free framers tape. Make sure everything is dry and wrap them in clear polypropylene. Separate each drawing with foamboard dividers. Store in a stable environment, ideally at about 70°F (21°C), with about 50% humidity levels.

How do I preserve my drawings?

The only way to fully protect and preserve your drawing is to frame it behind glass. Fixative can be used to build workable layers of pastel in the drawing process but not as a final coat. Pencil doesn’t need a fixative. Graphite will not fade.

How do you pack art for storage?

To prep your paintings for storage, you’ll need to wrap them tightly in protective materials. For framed paintings, use a storage blanket or quality bubble wrap, and seal them tightly using packing tape. Pad the front and back of your framed paintings with pieces of sturdy cardboard, and tape them together.

Where should I store my sketches?

If you have many small loose drawings or sketches, it’s often easiest to store them in a portfolio or folder. You should choose an art folder with no acidic plastic sleeves and put only one drawing in each sleeve to avoid transfer or smudging.

How can I protect my art?

Depending on your artwork, this may or may not be an option. The cropped version may still be subject to copying, so I don’t find it to be a very workable option for anything but thumbnails. You can either do the cropping yourself using photo editing software, or let whatever website builder you use do it.

How do you wrap art?

Find a box that is a few inches larger than your artwork. Take two pieces of cardboard or foam board and cut it down to the inside dimensions of your box. Place your artwork inside a sturdy plastic bag to protect against moisture. Wrap artwork in at least one layer of bubble wrap, using packing tape to secure it.

How do you wrap artwork for moving?

Wrap Artwork With Paper and Bubble Wrap Never wrap artwork or frames in the newspaper. While it works well for padding, newsprint can leave marks on the artwork. Wrap the packing tape all the way around the frame both lengthwise and widthwise. This will ensure the paper stays in place during the move.

How do you store unframed art?

The best way to pack up an unframed artwork or a canvas is to wrap it up in glassine, an air and water-resistant material and securely place it in between two sheets (slightly bigger than the artwork) of another sturdy material like foam or cardboard.

How can I protect my drawings without fixative?

If you are interested in storing your drawings without a fixative, you can place the picture between two pieces of glassine interleaving paper. Glassine interleaving paper is an acid-free translucent paper that is ideal for protecting and storing delicate artwork like graphite, charcoal, colored pencils, and pastels.

How do I stop sketchbook from smudging?

The most effective way to prevent smudges is to spray your drawings with a fixative spray once they are completed. Other methods include hairspray, using a hardbound sketchbook, drawing with H-grade pencils or ink, placing wax paper between each page, and placing rubber bands around your sketchbook.

What can I use instead of fixative?

Many artists who create drawings with friable or powdery media, such as chalk, pastel and charcoal, choose to use hairspray as an inexpensive alternative to commercially available art fixatives.

How can I protect my art prints?

Avoid or limit direct sunlight. Know when to frame with acrylic plexiglass, not glass. Pay attention to humidity. Watch your hands. Keep your glass or acrylics squeaky clean. Dust—don’t clean—your paintings. Don’t leave your art in a tube. Keep your stored artwork separated.

How do you store finished acrylic paintings?

Finished acrylic paintings need to be packed and stored in ideal boxes, probably in a metal storage box available conveniently in any store nearby. The metal is safe and will not ruin your paintings. Cardboard and wood boxes are less ideal, as they can be susceptible to mold, damp and bugs.

How do you preserve paper art?

Use acid-free packaging such as tissue paper or glassine. You can bubble wrap your artwork for storage and transportation but leave it slightly open so it can breathe. Store your paintings vertically, rather than horizontally and do not stack them.

How do you preserve and frame a pencil drawing?

The following are some of the easy and effective ways you can try. Protect it With a Fixative Spray. Use Glassine Interleaving Paper. Use Parchment or Wax Paper as Page Inserts. Frame your Pencil Drawing. Lay your Pencil Artwork Flat.

What is fixative spray?

Fixative is a clear liquid made with resin or casein and something to evaporate quickly, like alcohol. It is usually sprayed onto a dry media artwork to stabilise the pigment or graphite on the surface and to preserve finished artwork from dust. It is similar to varnish.