Things You'll Need:
- A dry, dark, climate controlled storage area without insects
- Cleaning supplies
- Clean old sheets
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Step 1
Preserving and storing framed art has some general aspects and some specific ones that only apply to certain mediums. Sometimes the best thing to do is to take it to a framer's and have it rematted and reframed. Start by looking over your collection and organizing it by medium and age.
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Step 2
Check the backs of framed portraits to see that the backing paper is secure and has no holes in it. Backing paper is there to keep insects and mold spores away from the art, especially in glazed framed artwork. If there are holes in the backing paper, that defeats the purpose. Unless you have some training and experience in matting and framing, take it to the frame shop if the backing is damaged and let the framer advise you on the best preservation materials.
On watercolors, pastels, and drawings that have mats, find out whether the matting is museum grade. Museum grade matting isn't just buffered to be acid free, it's 100% cotton and will not emit any fumes. Conservation matting is more expensive, but this is something you can have a frame shop do for you and it's worth the money to extend the life of your art by decades. -
Step 3
Oil portraits and some acrylic paintings are framed without glass. For any oil paintings, look at whether the art is turning dark, yellowish or brownish. Take it to a conservator to have the old varnish carefully removed after it's darkened and a new coat of varnish applied. This will brighten old paintings and leave them as beautiful as when they were new. It's a little costly, but don't try this at home unless you have some experience with it.
If you'd like to purchase solvents and artist grade varnish, to do it yourself, check your local library for books on conservation and art restoration. Study first, then buy the best quality materials. Last, stop at a thrift store and buy an old painting in the same condition cheap. Practice on the cheap one that has no personal value first, before risking a beloved portrait on your amateur efforts. -
Step 4
With or without glass in the frame, dampness can destroy artwork. Mold spores can get into unsealed frames and propagate, not only creating ugly blotches but possibly a toxic hazard that takes special equipment to kill. Insects can chew through backing papers and will, because archival hinges and glues are made from things like rice powder and are food for insects.
So check your storage area frequently. Make sure it does not have excess humidity and put a dehumidifier in there if you live in a damp climate. This is one of the two most important things in preserving any kind of art, framed or unframed -- eliminate dampness. Also be sure to put out flypaper and roach traps, to cut down on insect infestations. -
Step 5
The second important thing in protecting framed or unframed art is to protect it from light when it's in storage. Do not use black plastic bags to cover framed artwork, or any plastic bags, because moisture can be trapped inside and create mold or insect problems. Instead, drape clean old sheets over each painting and stack them in a vertical row. Cover any windows in your storage area and make sure the roof doesn't leak if it's an attic. If it's a basement, make sure your paintings are stored well off the floor and above the highest flood stain that basement's ever had.
Vertical canvas racks sometimes have spaces wide enough for framed paintings as well as stretched canvas. Since these are opaque wood or masonite, they are a good choice for light protection and for storage. Serious collectors may want to look into these at art stores or online art supply providers. -
Step 6
Make sure that your storage area, whether it's an attic, basement, spare room or garage, is climate controlled. Temperature changes and humidity changes can wreak havoc on paper, stretching it and loosening the fibers. Museums keep artworks relatively cool all the time, and always bone dry. So try for a cold part of the house, and if you live in a hot climate, make sure it's got air conditioning.
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Step 7
If you purchased or inherited portraits drawn or painted with non-archival materials, there are still some conservation methods that can help slow the damage. Dick Blick carries a "Make It Acid Free" spray that can be used on the back of drawings that were done on ordinary typing paper, brown paper bags or other non-archival acidic papers. This spray may help, but applying it means taking apart the frame assembly and then replacing the backboard and back paper behind the art.
If you re-mat art, use museum grade mat board or get museum grade mats cut at a framer. Use 100% rag museum board for backboards as well. Use good acid free paper even for the backing paper and attach it with archival glue or adhesives. These can be found in art stores, at online art suppliers and sometimes at frame shops.
Reducing acid slows the rate of yellowing on cheap paper and helps prevent it from disintegrating. Within a glazed picture frame, fumes can build up from any non-archival layer included, such as the mats, the glue or tape holding them together, the art itself and the backboard. While you can't change what the art's drawn on, you can at least make sure all of these other things are the best archival quality available. -
Step 8
Have your portraits appraised by a reputable art dealer, then list each of them individually in your home or apartment insurance policy. That way if they are damaged in a fire, flood or other covered disaster, you have the insurance money available for possible restoration or at least consolation.
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Step 9
Check your stored artwork frequently, at least several times a year, preferably once a month. Accidents can happen, and the sooner an accident or bug infestation is found, the less damage it'll cause to your stored artwork.
Have your framed art opened and reframed every few years, to release any fumes that may have built up. Definitely have it reframed even with the same frame and mats if any insects got in or if you see moisture on the inside of the glass.
If your paintings are valuable and you are wealthy, consider archival storage cabinets. Some of these can get very elaborate and are similar to museum displays for vacuum sealing or inert gas to preserve art for centuries. For details, talk to conservators and follow their recommendations.
Many university professors and museum employees are willing to talk about their work in detail. Visit museums and ask to meet the people who work in the back room. They can recommend supplies, techniques, materials and publications that aren't widely known. Also ask owners of frame shops, who may have back issues of conservation and framing publications they'd be willing to let you read. Look for online groups about collecting and conservation, join forums.
Art conservation is an exacting, meticulous science and it depends very much on what medium, what substrate and what framing methods are used what you can do to extend the life of your portraits. So consult the experts online, offline at your local library, museums and frame shops for the specific pieces you want to protect.
