How to Care for a Paper Artwork
Charcoal portrait on paper
Charcoal portraits and prints are created on paper, which is shipped rolled inside a solid tube. When you take the paper out of the tube, keep it rolled, but let it unroll onto a clean and flat surface, such as a table or carpet. The paper will flatten out on its own in an hour or so. You can help this process by weighing down the corners with clean objects. Dinner plates can be good for this purpose.
Generally, the safest way to carry paper is by holding it by just one end, and letting the other end hang loose. This avoids surface marks and creasing.
Paper artworks are best framed behind glass, which protects them from dust and marks. It’s usually best to exhibit paper artworks away from direct sunlight.
How to Care for an Oil Painting
Figure painting on canvas
My paintings are created on line or canvas mounted on a wooden stretcher. The painted surface may be wiped clean with a damp cloth, but do not apply any kind of cleaning product to the surface. Canvas and linen fabrics used for paintings are thin and can tear if they come under pressure, especially from sharp objects. Such damage can be expensive to repair.
Generally, the safest way to carry a painting is by holding the edge - where canvas is supported by the stretcher.
I recommend using custom-made frames of good quality, because they last better and can add to the value of the painting. I rarely use glass in frames in the UK, but I usually do in low-humidity climates such as Italy.