Buying art is only a small part of the fun! The best bit is hanging the art work in a location that will bring you years of pleasure and impress visitors and friends.
Not only is the placing of the artwork in a location which works both for the art and you important, but how you hang the artwork on your wall is important too. In this article, we talk about the latter, making sure that you show off the piece to the best of its ability, wherever it is hung.
Hooks, not nails
It is important to hang your artwork using hooks and not nails. Nails will not give the support required and can bend and distort over time, resulting in failing to keep your artwork securely attached to the wall. Nails can also work into the back of the frame, damaging it or, even worse, the actual art work itself.
Picture hooks are designed to spread load and snugly and tightly secure the artwork to the wall. Make sure you use the correct hooks for the surface upon which you are securing the frames; i.e. wood, plaster or stone. The tacks used with the hooks will be designed to tolerate the density of the material into which they are driven and hold themselves in place.
We always enclose three of the most common types of fixings with our framed pictures along with our picture hanging guide, so ensure your wall is suitable for the type of fixing before hanging your picture. Also be aware of pipes and electric wires when hammering into surfaces! Devices are available to check for hidden ‘items’ behind walls if you are unsure.
Where to hang your masterpiece!
It’s your art work, so feel free to hang it wherever you want! However, there are a few things you might want to consider before choosing a home for your piece.
Firstly, avoid direct sunlight. Long term exposure to sunlight will fade the artwork, so avoid window spaces or areas where the sun falls directly onto a wall in your home or office.
Secondly, your artwork will prefer a location where both the temperature and humidity will remain fairly constantly throughout the year. So avoid hanging over radiators, in damp rooms or on walls which haven’t been properly damp proofed.
Finally, avoid hanging your artwork in corridors or places with lots of traffic. You want to avoid your art being knocked or bumped, and this is especially important with heavy frames, which not only are easier to walk into but could cause serious damage should they fall off the wall.
Hammer, hooks, action!
When you’ve picked the spot for your artwork, clear the space of all clutter so you can get at the wall easily. This includes furniture, lamps, plants and anything else which might get in your way. This is not only important to avoid tripping over anything, but you want to make sure that you can more easily place the art work exactly where you would like it to go.
When we hang art work in the Collier & Dobson gallery, typically we hang it so that the centre of the piece is five to five and a half feet from the ground. This means that the average person is looking slightly down into the artwork and very rarely is an individual looking up into the piece (which is a lot harder work and less comfortable).
Of course, you might need to tailor this depending on the height of your room and any items which might be within the close proximity, such as other artwork, coving, fire places, etc. You don’t want your artwork to be crowded, rather ‘own’ the space around itself so that it doesn’t have to compete with anything else.
Once done, place your furniture and fittings back, stand back and admire your artwork - and look forward to doing so for many years to come!
For original and limited edition prints, visit our collections and see what artwork you might like to hang in your home or office.
