More Examples - Any/all Comments Wanted!

[RobM]

Hi Everyone,

This section of the forum is really useful for newcomers like myself, as I received some very useful feedback last time I posted.

So, here are a few more examples. I welcome any critique at all, especially from a design/selections POV.

A few notes one my own part...

Morocco - trying my v-groove game on a double mount, I went for slightly different shade for the undermount. Does it work?

Perry 1 and 2 - two postcards from the same project. I just wanted to try differing frames for the two, for comparison. One has a doubler mount whereas the other has a single mount of black core. I'm not so sure that either are particularly fitting, but am happier with the black frame.

Parajanov - an attempt to complete more than one opening on a mount. Again, I tried varying the undermount from the top mount slightly, and I think this was less successful (the top mount being cream, the undermount being clear white with black core - two shades of off-white or cream would have been better). Aimed to keep a weighted mount on the bottom.

MCIAA - used a silver moulding I already had, with a black mount to work on an overly black and white image. Perhaps the frame was less than ideal.

Korean folklore - used a black and silver moulding I already had for an image also predominantly black and white. The mount, being off white and textured with black core compliments the clear white image border, I think. But do you agree?

Chainshot - another image that I felt suited dark mounts and a dark frame.

Boxer's Omen - in theme, not unlike one of the images I posted last time (strong colours, a frame designed to match the same colours). Okay, I don't love the end result of this, and the frame probably distracts too much from the image at hand. What do you think?

Thank you.

[vintage frames]

OK, first of all Morocco.
Absolutely no criticism of your framing work. Everything looks skillfully made and correct,
but -
I see too much framing. My eye is wandering around the outside of the mount and not drawn to examine the artwork.
It all looks like something you'd see hanging in a hospital corridor.

The black frame is just too heavy with the silver insert augmenting that effect.
Once again, distracting from the artwork.
Something often seen in an over-enthusiastic framer's shop window.

The picture with the woody type frame.
That works! Simple, no fuss, you get to see the artwork.

The picture with the two cats - is fine.

The one with the two mounted images is not fine.
I hate the moulding. Something horrible from the '70's. And there's too much mount going on.

The Chain Shot is OK but would perhaps have more impact with a black scooped hollow type frame.

The picture with the tabby type cat of OK also. Maybe move the black mount line a bit closer to the image.

I will give no opinion on the Boxer's Omen.

These are only my personal opinions and I'm sure others will give a more constructive critique.
But as I said, I see no fault in your craftmanship.

[RobM]

Hi Dermot. Your comments made me guffaw a couple of times. This sort of honesty is gold to me. There's definitely a theme: this poster has been bit overzealous with mounts in some instances and frames in others (and perhaps both!). Calm it down a little...

I'm starting to see what you mean about scooped frames on Chainshot - it seems to make more sense when there's a lot black mat; the current one is just a bit nondescript.

Great comments, cheers.

[Justintime]

Hey Rob,
As Dermot said technically it all looks great.
Morocco - the yellow inner mount doesn't work for me, I'd try something closer to the darker tones in the photo. Personally I think it would benefit from something plain like a polished oak frame to match the earthy tones of the buildings.
Perry 1&2 - I'm not a fan of either frame. The mounts are a bit on the yellow side for me, I prefer Ivory/Vanilla tones. The artwork may already have been mounted to the white base mount, but if not I'd have warmed that up a bit to be a shade closer to the top mount colour.
Parajanov - With the double mounts, the space between top and bottom mounts feels too big and distracts. I'd have gone for a 4mm gap between mounts.
MCIAA - Looks great to me. To add some depth I'd have had a look at a black core silver mount between the two blacks, just for a thin slither of silver?
Chain Shot - Looks fine, yes I agree with Dermot the frame doesn't add a lot and could be more interesting.
Korean Folklore - Yes that works for me. It's a well chosen moulding for the subject matter. The mounts work too. I don't mind the uneven borders, it is a style of mounting used in Asia with long images like this.
Boxer's Omen - I can see how some customers might like this but it's too much for me. The major problem I have is with the borders of the print, they're uneven and it feels pinched. Visually I'd prefer top and bottom borders to match the side widths.
One point I'd make is that unless you're using black cotton rag mountboard, those black core mounts are not conservation quality. Not so important if it's cheap replaceable art, but if anything is off any sentimental/financial value then I'd want a conservation board under the black core. I often cut a 1400 conservation mount with a 5mm larger aperture and reverse bevelled, attach to the back of the black core giving you a nice shadow gap as well as protection.
I think the two all black mounted pieces work really well, but also feel like quite safe choices.

[JKX]

The first one is fine proportionally but the mount colours aren’t best. I don’t like v grooves generally, I prefer embossed lines or even painted panels and lines.

The next two break the “rule” of mount and moulding being similar width and the colours again are not right.

Double aperture job, too busy. Maybe swap inner and outer mount around - that would take the black core mount away from the artwork if it’s non-conservation, but you can get conservation black core mounts in Nielsen’s “Alphamat Artcare” range. Make inner reveal narrower. Double (triple etc) mounts generally look best going dark to light from the art out.

Tigers, the rule about frame and mount width also applies to spaces within, and the paper margins are similar to the mount width. No need to show all that paper margin - it may as well be floated. Bring the mount in close to the calligraphic symbols on the right.


I think the last one is OTT - I think vibrant/leary artwork should stand alone. That would have looked better with the black mounted treatment given to the other things

Eg… … (Note embossed lines, but they’re done on a CNC, 1mm apart to make a panel)

[RobM]

Hi Justin,

Some very helpful, and thorough, comments here.

Some things seem like perfect sense when you get a second opinion - the Morocco frame is a case in point. I like the gold frame in general, but it wasn't fitting for that image.

I like the idea of silver/black core mount for MCIAA. I felt that one was missing somewhere and what you suggest would've been ideal.

I've noted the comments about the black mat, and conservation standards is something I have to get fully up-to-scratch with ASAP. The tip for using conservation board is very useful indeed; I'm actually going to try that technique for a non-conservation project to get the shadow gap.

As for Boxer's Omen, this garish scheme was already underway before I posted the other "loud" frame last time. It was actually a little challenge insofar as the print itself was pretty poor quality. One issue was the title box juts out of the rest of the image, but then the red box at the bottom, with the Spanish text was a lot deeper so I made the decision to cut that off, but one outcome of all this was that the white border was compromised.

Thanks, Justin.

Hey Rob,
As Dermot said technically it all looks great.
Morocco - the yellow inner mount doesn't work for me, I'd try something closer to the darker tones in the photo. Personally I think it would benefit from something plain like a polished oak frame to match the earthy tones of the buildings.
Perry 1&2 - I'm not a fan of either frame. The mounts are a bit on the yellow side for me, I prefer Ivory/Vanilla tones. The artwork may already have been mounted to the white base mount, but if not I'd have warmed that up a bit to be a shade closer to the top mount colour.
Parajanov - With the double mounts, the space between top and bottom mounts feels too big and distracts. I'd have gone for a 4mm gap between mounts.
MCIAA - Looks great to me. To add some depth I'd have had a look at a black core silver mount between the two blacks, just for a thin slither of silver?
Chain Shot - Looks fine, yes I agree with Dermot the frame doesn't add a lot and could be more interesting.
Korean Folklore - Yes that works for me. It's a well chosen moulding for the subject matter. The mounts work too. I don't mind the uneven borders, it is a style of mounting used in Asia with long images like this.
Boxer's Omen - I can see how some customers might like this but it's too much for me. The major problem I have is with the borders of the print, they're uneven and it feels pinched. Visually I'd prefer top and bottom borders to match the side widths.
One point I'd make is that unless you're using black cotton rag mountboard, those black core mounts are not conservation quality. Not so important if it's cheap replaceable art, but if anything is off any sentimental/financial value then I'd want a conservation board under the black core. I often cut a 1400 conservation mount with a 5mm larger aperture and reverse bevelled, attach to the back of the black core giving you a nice shadow gap as well as protection.
I think the two all black mounted pieces work really well, but also feel like quite safe choices.

[RobM]

Hi John,

Again, some very helpful points there.

You've talked about proportions previously, mainly in the context of mounts for multi-apertures, so it's useful to hear of this one about moulding vs mount. That was perhaps what bothered me about that pair - without realising it. Makes total sense now I see it.

As with the double aperture job, I'm seeing that projects using small postcard-size images need a bit of subtlety as they can look too busy very easily.

And I've just realised I like embossed lines too. Just today I received professional photos from my daughter's nursery, and they came with mounts with that very detail on (though nowhere near as refined as on your image - that looks great), and it achieves just as good effect as a v groove would.

Thanks, John.

The first one is fine proportionally but the mount colours aren’t best. I don’t like v grooves generally, I prefer embossed lines or even painted panels and lines.

The next two break the “rule” of mount and moulding being similar width and the colours again are not right.

Double aperture job, too busy. Maybe swap inner and outer mount around - that would take the black core mount away from the artwork if it’s non-conservation, but you can get conservation black core mounts in Nielsen’s “Alphamat Artcare” range. Make inner reveal narrower. Double (triple etc) mounts generally look best going dark to light from the art out.

Tigers, the rule about frame and mount width also applies to spaces within, and the paper margins are similar to the mount width. No need to show all that paper margin - it may as well be floated. Bring the mount in close to the calligraphic symbols on the right.


I think the last one is OTT - I think vibrant/leary artwork should stand alone. That would have looked better with the black mounted treatment given to the other things

Eg… … (Note embossed lines, but they’re done on a CNC, 1mm apart to make a panel)




IMG_2913.jpeg