How To Care For Your Original Painting
How to care for your acrylic painting on cradled birch panel with artist resin top-coat
Acrylic paintings on cradled birch panels require special handling and care, and proper care can result in your painting lasting for many decades. Please read below to learn how to care for your original acrylic painting on cradled birch panel with resin topcoat.
I use high quality artists resin that will not yellow, crack, or cloud over time. To keep your original resin painting looking awesome, do not hang in direct sunlight and avoid touching the surface. To clean your painting, spray with a glass cleaner and wipe with a soft cloth. The resin will not crack, but it can scratch, so please handle with care. Below are a few more details on the paints used for all of my creations
How to care for your acrylic painting on canvas
Acrylic paintings on canvas require special handling and care, and proper care can result in your painting lasting for many decades. Please read below to learn how to care for your original acrylic painting on stretched canvas.
About The Paints Used
My paintings are created with high quality artist’s materials. I use Liquitex Basics, Liquitex Heavy Body, Golden and Windsor & Newton acrylic paints. These paints use very high quality pigments and acrylic media, and are lightfast rated. Light fastness is a rating given to pigments, which determines how well they retain their color in the presence of UV Light. The higher the light fast rating, the better they retain their color. These paints are all non-toxic.
Caring For Stretched Canvas
Your painting was created on stretched canvas. This canvas is made by stretching cotton over wood stretcher bars to the preferred length and width. It is then fixed to the back with staples and tucked in between two layers of wood. If hung properly and with minimal handling, the canvas should remain stretched tight and keep its shape. If you notice at any time that the wood has warped or the canvas becomes loose, please take it to a framing store that specializes in restoring paintings and re-stretching canvases to fix the bars for you.
Hanging Your Canvas
The canvas is ready to hang and does not need to be framed. A wire has been attached to the back of the canvas frame for easy hanging. Simply hang from a hook on the wall, and use a level to make sure it’s even. I do recommend applying some rubber bumpons or felt adhesive pads to each corner of the back of the painting to prevent your wall from being scratched by the staples.
About The Varnish
Your painting has two layers of clear gloss varnish applied to the entire surface to protect it. Acrylic varnish enhances the colors and evens out the differences in glossiness of the paint. It also adds a layer of protection to the paint itself, protecting it from humidity and UV damage. This varnish is designed to stay clear and colorless and will not result in a yellow discoloration of your painting.
Handling Your 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. You can also handle it by the wire attached to the back. To be extra cautious, you may wear gloves to handle your painting.
Where To Hang Your Painting
Keep your painting at room temperature (70F – 21C). Extreme cold or heat can damage your artwork. Smoking near the painting will damage the paint surface as well. Please hang the painting in the area that is not exposed to water. Avoid hanging in areas like the bathroom, kitchen or near aquariums. Also, avoid hanging in an area that is exposed to direct sunlight, as UV light can damage the painting and cause the colors to fade. The varnish does provide some UV protection, but exposure to direct sun can still damage the painting.
Cleaning Your Painting
A safe way to remove dust and light debris is to use compressed air to blow all dust particles off the surface, or use a damp microfiber cloth with water only to gently wipe the surface. Do not use any cleaning chemicals or detergents. Bleach and ammonia can permanently damage your painting. Most cleaning products on the market contain either bleach or ammonia. Glass cleaners, all purpose cleaners, disinfecting wipes, and household cleaning products all contain ammonia compounds.
If you need to clean your artwork, use a professional cleaning service that has a good reputation for cleaning fine art.
An original will always be worth more than a reproduction.
With proper care, you can keep your paintings alive and living for generations. Please enjoy your painting!