Framing Pastel artwork

[shad3925]

I have found one previous thread relating to this.
A spokesman for a large framing supply company informs me you just frame as normal !!!!
What is the easiest or most visually attractive method.
My wife is who is the artist is changing to a different paper (Clairefontaine Pastelmat) which sheds hardly any dust and does not require a fixative which may help.
Any ideas please

[prospero]

Mostly you can frame as normal. As a normal paper-based work anyway. But it's wise to try and create as much space away from the glass as you can. Multiple layer mounts and/or fillets. Deep wrapped bevels or whatever. I like at least 5mm space and more with bigger works.
If the pastel does touch he glass - maybe by flopping forward if placed face down, it probably won't cause massive damage, but it might leave a mark on the glass. Which is annoying.

[Trillian]

I agree with prospero, keep it away from the glass. Avoid using acrylic glazing, as the static charge can cause havoc with the pastel particles. Even with superior quality paper, you might like to consider creating a space between the drawing and the top mount. This means that any dust that does fall from the drawing, falls behind the top mount, rather than sitting on the bevel. You can experiment with different thicknesses of spacer mount, but it is basically a double mount, where the bottom mount is hidden. Hinge mount the picture to the undermount in the normal way, do not dry or wet mount.

Hope that this drawing demonstrates what I am trying to say. Good Luck!

[Roboframer]

If there is little or no spare paper - ie the image goes up to or close to the edge of the paper, that method loses a lot of the image. I prefer a double mount spaced apart with the bottom mount reverse beveled

[shad3925]

Many thanks for your replies.

Trillian, is the undermount in addition to the backing board?

Roboframer, Is there a spacer between the two mounts?

[Roboframer]

Yes, rev bev mount, spacer, normal beveled mount. Also looks better than a mount hovering above the artwork (IMHO)

[shad3925]

Yes, rev bev mount, spacer, normal beveled mount. Also looks better than a mount hovering above the artwork (IMHO)

Many thanks, is there a simple way to do a reverse bevel mount?

[Roboframer]

Absolutely! Select "reverse bevel" on CMC software

[shad3925]

Absolutely! Select "reverse bevel" on CMC software

I wish

[Trillian]

Hi Shad

Yes, the under mount is in addition to the backing board. Normally, the under mount is the bit that the picture is hinged to. The top mount(s) also hinges to the under mount, usually along the longest side (i.e. left hand edge for portrait, top edge for landscape). This makes a complete, under mount/picture/top mount(s) package, which some framers then tape to the glass, to create a 'sandwich'. Once this has been placed into the frame, the backing board goes in, followed by the pins and tape. Apologies if I am teaching grandma to suck eggs, sometimes posts get lost in translation, but I hope that this helps to clarify things.

[shad3925]

Many thanks

[shad3925]

Yes, rev bev mount, spacer, normal beveled mount. Also looks better than a mount hovering above the artwork (IMHO)

Are you saying that the sequence is: glass, normal beveled mount, spacer, reversed bevel mount and then the pastel artwork

[prospero]

I have done a lot of pastel framing. It's true that engineering 'dust traps' into the mount will catch a lot of loose particles. But you can bet your boots that at least one bit will get between the mount and glass. This happens mostly while the piece is being assembled - when the frame is face-down on the bench.

My preferred method is to take the pastel and hold it over a sheet of white paper and give it a damn good flapping. Any loose bits will drop off. When bits stop dropping off, mount it.

[shad3925]

Thanks for the advice, since my initial post we have spoken to a professional pastel artist who states that Sennelier Soft pastel fixative is the only one she will use as it does not darken the drawing.
Do you think this negates the need for spacers etc ?

[prospero]

Nothing wrong with fixative as long as the artist uses it and not a subsequent third party. And it's best to fix the pastel in stages as the work is done, rather than lard a big thick coat on top at the end.

Still need spacers. Fixative is varnish and there is a risk it will stick to the glass.

[shad3925]

Many thanks