The Framers Forum

Evening all
I am quite new to framing and in the short time I have been doing this as a business I have had some challenging requests! I am hoping you will be able to give me some advice. My latest request is framing a really delicate painted leaf! I am wondering what the best way to attach this to mountboard please?
Any ideas or advice on how you would tackle this would be gratefully received. The customer wants to replicate an existing framed leaf he already has, the leaf is attached to what looks like a piece of black mountboard and I am using a slip inside the mount.
Thanks in advance
Rachel

Hopefully the leaf has not so far been attached to anything and the stem, or stalk to the leaf is still attached. The stem will be the obvious part of the leaf to attach with a couple of narrow mylar straps. Two separate narrow straps will be less visible, than one wider one. You will need to find some other locations on the leaf to restrain the leaf without making it particularly visible, or not letting the effect look un-natural.

Mylar straps can be too easily visible at times and sometimes something very thin and thread like can be a lot less visible on the main part of the leaf, so consider something like cobweb thread. You need to pick places across the leaf where the thread will not lift away from the leaf too much and cast a shadow.

If you've got a natural sponge you can sponge a length of the cobweb thread with a suitable colour of watercolour paint, try to not have exactly the same shade along the whole length of the thread. If the thread is slightly mottled it will help to hide it. Setting the leaf back behind a mount can reduce the risk of letting the Mylar straps from catching and reflecting the light.

Things like this are an experience thing and a little bit of practice in your earlier days as a framer will also help you to get a feel for this sort of thing.

Welcome to the forum

How has the customer's other leaf been mounted, can you see any clear straps or thread etc.

I take it the leaf is real and not artificial? A photo would be good to see.

When you say the other leaf is attached to a piece of black board, do you mean a piece of board a bit smaller than the leaf and then that is mounted to an undermount, so it gives a floating effect?

There's no guarantee the other leaf hasn't been glued in place and if it has you shouldn't necessarily replicate that method. Using the methods described my Mark means the leaf can be removed in the future without damage.