Storing painted art

[cloud cloddie]

Hey all. I have a portfolio already and Mylar bags for more basic pen/ink stuff. But I got my first painted cover this week. It's one of the old gold key ones on thicker cardboard. Short of framing, what are some extra layers of protection I can use to keep this preserved?

 

Thanks for any advice. (thumbs u

[Bronty]

What I've seen a lot of artists do (although I haven't gotten off my asz to do it myself, is take a sort of tissue/tracing paper (you can buy in rolls on ebay) and cut a sheet to fit on top of the painting. Its cut long on one side so it can be wrapped around the back and taped down. then the same thing is done with like a heavy black almost construction paper but thicker and less rigid.

 

So you end up with - painting, surface protected by this very light paper, and then a very heavy paper on top to block out light and provide further protection.

 

This isn't the best illustration of my point, but if you follow this link you can see one of my paintings that has a variation of this system.

 

In this case there is no tracing paper, and the normally black heavy paper is a heavy beige paper, but it might help you get the basic idea. You can also see two pieces of tape floating up on the bottom that would be used to secure the heavy paper down a bit (unnecessary in my view but present on this piece. The basic intent is to a) eliminate surface scuffs and b) eliminate light exposure. It does work. I have 25 year old paintings that pop like they were painted yesterday.

 

http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=871092

[cloud cloddie]

Awesome. It came with some paper already attached to the back / covering the front, but it could stand to be replaced. (thumbs u

[pemart1966]

OK - first order of business…which cover did you pick up? I LOVE GK and Dell painted covers!

 

Bronty - I own a few Gold Key covers and I have them each in their own mylar sleeve. Each of these mylar sleeves is then in a sealed portfolio - no exposure to light whatsoever.

 

Personally, I would not want any paper that isn't 100% archival/acid free touching ANY of my art. It might be OK for shipping the art, but I would not trust it touching the art any longer than that.

 

I understand the theory behind what you're saying but it's too dangerous for my liking.

[cloud cloddie]

 

It's one of the turok covers

OK - first order of business…which cover did you pick up? I LOVE GK and Dell painted covers!

 

 

Personally, I would not want any paper that isn't 100% archival/acid free touching ANY of my art. It might be OK for shipping the art, but I would not trust it touching the art any longer than that.

 

I will say, the paper that was covering it has clearly been on for a while, and the painted part looks great. So I'm leaning towards keeping paper over it.

[BCarter27]

I tend to store unframed paintings in gallery boxes with an oversize backing (archival foamcore usually) and 1-2 pieces of custom-sized windowed mat on top. These act as a spacer to keep the next piece off the painting. I noticed at one of the IlluxCon shows that Kinuko Craft transports her paintings in a similar manner, but with custom-cut corrugated plastic board as the spacer instead of mat board.

 

Personally, I am growing more and more nervous about mylar around art, especially painting. It is great from an archival point of view, but I worry about that sharp edge snagging or chipping paint, etc. But I am also the world's clumsiest person.

 

I have a few 100-year old guoache and charcoal illustrations on board that had been stored with a piece of brown paper overlaid on top in the manner described above. There is definitely some transfer of the media to the paper over time, but who knows how these were abused and how much weight was left on them or how much the paper rubbed the surface during handling.

 

Congrats on your new acquisition!

[Bronty]

OK - first order of business…which cover did you pick up? I LOVE GK and Dell painted covers!

 

Bronty - I own a few Gold Key covers and I have them each in their own mylar sleeve. Each of these mylar sleeves is then in a sealed portfolio - no exposure to light whatsoever.

 

Personally, I would not want any paper that isn't 100% archival/acid free touching ANY of my art. It might be OK for shipping the art, but I would not trust it touching the art any longer than that.

 

I understand the theory behind what you're saying but it's too dangerous for my liking.

 

comic art boards aren't /weren't archival either. I doubt the canvas most of the worlds great masterpieces are on is archival either.

[pemart1966]

Can you post a pic or tell us which issue it is?

[cloud cloddie]

I'll take some good pics in the next week (thumbs u

[Terry Doyle]

I LOVE GK and Dell painted covers!

 

I own a few Gold Key covers and I have them each in their own mylar sleeve.

 

Any Space family Robinson/Lost in Space covers?

[cloud cloddie]

Yeah, I'd love to see the ones you have as well

[pemart1966]

I'll take some good pics in the next week (thumbs u

 

 

Can't wait...

[pemart1966]

I LOVE GK and Dell painted covers!

 

I own a few Gold Key covers and I have them each in their own mylar sleeve.

 

Any Space family Robinson/Lost in Space covers?

 

27 - it's the one that you used to own. I love that cover...

[Terry Doyle]

I LOVE GK and Dell painted covers!

 

I own a few Gold Key covers and I have them each in their own mylar sleeve.

 

Any Space family Robinson/Lost in Space covers?

 

27 - it's the one that you used to own. I love that cover...

 

Glad it's gone to a good home.

[pemart1966]

OK - first order of business…which cover did you pick up? I LOVE GK and Dell painted covers!

 

Bronty - I own a few Gold Key covers and I have them each in their own mylar sleeve. Each of these mylar sleeves is then in a sealed portfolio - no exposure to light whatsoever.

 

Personally, I would not want any paper that isn't 100% archival/acid free touching ANY of my art. It might be OK for shipping the art, but I would not trust it touching the art any longer than that.

 

I understand the theory behind what you're saying but it's too dangerous for my liking.

 

comic art boards aren't /weren't archival either. I doubt the canvas most of the worlds great masterpieces are on is archival either.

 

No point in adding gasoline to the fire if you can help it.

 

I imagine that any masterpiece sitting in a museum has had some sort of treatment given to it in order to slow down its deterioration…

 

 

[Bronty]

OK - first order of business…which cover did you pick up? I LOVE GK and Dell painted covers!

 

Bronty - I own a few Gold Key covers and I have them each in their own mylar sleeve. Each of these mylar sleeves is then in a sealed portfolio - no exposure to light whatsoever.

 

Personally, I would not want any paper that isn't 100% archival/acid free touching ANY of my art. It might be OK for shipping the art, but I would not trust it touching the art any longer than that.

 

I understand the theory behind what you're saying but it's too dangerous for my liking.

 

comic art boards aren't /weren't archival either. I doubt the canvas most of the worlds great masterpieces are on is archival either.

 

No point in adding gasoline to the fire if you can help it.

 

 

I prefer to look at it as there being no point in worrying over something that doesn't need to be worried about, but whatever.

[vodou]

OK - first order of business…which cover did you pick up? I LOVE GK and Dell painted covers!

 

Bronty - I own a few Gold Key covers and I have them each in their own mylar sleeve. Each of these mylar sleeves is then in a sealed portfolio - no exposure to light whatsoever.

 

Personally, I would not want any paper that isn't 100% archival/acid free touching ANY of my art. It might be OK for shipping the art, but I would not trust it touching the art any longer than that.

 

I understand the theory behind what you're saying but it's too dangerous for my liking.

 

comic art boards aren't /weren't archival either. I doubt the canvas most of the worlds great masterpieces are on is archival either.

 

No point in adding gasoline to the fire if you can help it.

 

 

I prefer to look at it as there being no point in worrying over something that doesn't need to be worried about, but whatever.

And there's also (maybe?) something to be said for letting the 24th century collectors worry about it then, instead of us fretting over it now. Sometimes good enough is...good enough.

 

My suggestion - WAX PAPER hinged from the back, fully covering the image area. I have numerous pieces protected in exactly that manner, direct from artists and estates going back fifty, sixty, seventy years...zero transfer or visible signs of deterioration. Oils, acrylics, collages, watercolors, charcoals, pencils...etc etc etc. All good. Lord knows what an electron microscope may reveal. But I can live with that

[pemart1966]

Bottom line Gents: you are the current custodians of your art. If you feel comfortable storing your art a certain way - go for it.

 

 

[theflashunc]

Fwiw, the painted pieces I have are all watercolor. A couple Matt Kindt Mind MGMT pages and a Stephanie Buscema commission. The Buscema commission is overdue for framing and getting hung, but the other pages are stored just fine so far in mylar sleeves.

 

 

[Bronty]

Fwiw, the painted pieces I have are all watercolor. A couple Matt Kindt Mind MGMT pages and a Stephanie Buscema commission. The Buscema commission is overdue for framing and getting hung, but the other pages are stored just fine so far in mylar sleeves.

 

 

I think the biggest worry with watercolors is being especially vigilant about light exposure. More prone to fading since there is so little actually paint/pigment used - its not a thick brushstroke of paint, its a highly highly diluted one.