Framing

[Tony Perrotta]

Hi all. I have quite a few things I want to frame. Some paper some canvas. The only framing I ever did is I had some prints matted for me which wasn't cheap, and bought the frames, put them together. I am also going to frame some more prints. Any suggestions that won't cost an arm and a leg. The frames can be wood or metal it doesn't matter.

Thanks Tony

[strawberry]

The cheapest way to frame things of standard sizes is probably to buy frames either at garage sales (sometimes you can get the frames without glass for a couple of dollars, but you'd still need to buy mats and things) or to purchase glass-framed art prints on special. I've often wondered why you can buy framed prints so much cheaper than just frames? The results will likely not be as good as custom framing. The glass-framed art prints sometimes come with matting, and I have no idea how difficult it would be to take them apart and put your own picture in. The other problem is that it is difficult to recall exact colours and so the frames and matting might not match your painting as well as you thought when you saw them in the store.

The advantage to wood frames is that you can probably refinish them cheaply so they come closer to the right colour and finish to set off your artwork nicely.

[mame]

If you do a lot of works on paper, buy yourself a mat cutter. It is really worth it. The good uncomplicated ones cost around 100 bucks (maybe a bit more now) and you'll get the hang of it and be a pro in no time.

A couple of brand names are Logan and Alto-Easy.

Then get yourself a book on how to hinge the mat and adhere the work archivally. There are a million books or search it on the internet.

I am very low detail and have no left brain and I can mat a print or a work on paper with the best of em.

Concur re thrift shop frames. Not ideal but when starting out and funds are tight, what are ya gonna do? Take a tape measurer with you!

For my BFA exhibit I just painted simple wood thrift store frames all black to give the exhibit a cohesive flow. I even cut my own glass (bought it wholesale by the carton). Not recommended for the timid or feint of heart.

[owens1299]

You might also want to check ebay...

when I did a show I found a bunch of nice frames on sale at Target, Wal-Mart, and art supply stores... I then sanded them and painted them black... and it was cheaper than buying black frames... and I could make them gloss or mat looking... and some of these frames had pictures in them... I just saved them and then used them as house warming gifts for friends that needed something on their wall hehehe...

[dorith]

a couple of months ago i had one of my watercolors professionally framed - wow, what a rip-off! they charged me around $350 for a frame that is 27x18 inches high, with the picture "floating" on the mat-background. sure, it was burled wood, but still....yikes, that's the last time i did that for sure.
now, when i need odd-sized frames, i order them at one of the framing suppliers on the internet - they have great turnaround times, you can order any size you need, and assembly is just whacking little plastic pieces into the provided corner slots. works great, great selection,and a frame 32x32 cost me about $80 for a wide shadowbox typ real wood frame. glass cutting is not a problem, and i use my logan compact mat-cutter for matting - works great, results are no worse, that what i got from the "professional" place.

other than that, the above suggestions should work fine for you too

conni
www.charisma-art.com

[gargoil]

Hi All,

Question for owens1299, what kinda paint did you use on your stripped frames?
Thanks,
Gargoil

[paintfool]

I've gotten a lot of frames from yard sales and flea markets. I also strip them and either stain and varnish them or paint them. Any ordinary spray paint will do! I've done a lot in black because it works with so many things. But my favorite was one that i did in gold. It had some scroll work in the corners so after the gold paint dried i thinned some brown acrylic and took a rag and just rubbed it into the scroll areas. It turned out looking antiqued and the entire thing cost three dollars. Can't beat the deal