I’ve got a bunch of comic panel drawings with their underdrawings still attached to the backs, and wanted to find a way to display them where the underdrawings could still be seen.
A couple of months ago I was on the hunt for realistic fake roses for table decor at an event, and after buying some at Michael’s I ventured into Hobby Lobby looking for more variety. It turned out they were having a half-price sale on frames, and when checking out the options I found float frames (in which you place art layered between two layers of glass).
Perfect!
They’re not quite as ready-to-go as some frames, since there are pieces of tape and glue on the back piece of glass that require some cleanup. Nail polish remover worked well for that (buy this at a grocery store or pharmacy rather than acetone from the art supply store, it’s much cheaper). It left some streaks but I then polished the glass with some window cleaner and it was good to go.
I sprayed the art with fixative, then used some double-sided tape to affix it to the back glass. Then the second piece of glass goes on top, and the two pieces slide into the frame.
Michaels and Blick carry different styles of float frame, but some have a mount in the center of the glass that would obscure the back side of the art, defeating the purpose – I want a prospective future owner to be able to take the piece down and look at the underdrawing, or place the whole thing over a light table to see them overlaid like I do when I do the final drawing.
Here are some photos of the process!
This is really interesting! Gets my brain churning on ways to use this idea.
Glad it’s getting you thinking!
Alternatively, use mats on both front and back in a standard frame.
Mats on both sides would work if you want the art exposed rather than behind glass, but wouldn’t provide protection or support for a delicate surface like paper. You could mat and then glass both sides or just use two pieces of glass (the style of float frame I saw at Michael’s is more like that, standard frame with framing points holding two pieces of glass into the frame).
This is an interesting display solution for this type of artwork. However, I was a professional framer for many years back in the day, and I would not recommend this approach for any art of value. Framing art in direct contact with glass could expose the paper to condensation under certain circumstances. Also, using double sided Scotch tape for attachment is definitely not archival and will eventually yellow and stain the art!
Oh this is good to know. The double mat solution might be better between two panes of glass then. What kind of adhesive would you use?
Yes, a mat on each side, sandwiched between glass would be the best option. Traditionally mats are used not only to be decorative, but to keep the artwork from touching the glass. Using neutral PH acid-free materials for anything contacting the art is key, which includes the mats. Of course archival mats are a little more expensive. The best way to attach the art to the mat is to use hinging tape made especially for framing, which typically is removable if needed. You would attach the hinging tape at the top of the artwork, which would be covered by the mat in the case of double sided art, so you would not see it. Also, Scotch actually makes an “Acid-Free Photo and Document tape”, which might be an okay option but not easily removed like hinging tape. Using mats would add thickness, which probably would not fit the slide-in type of frame in your article. But traditional frames would be fine as long as there is enough depth for both mats and glass.
Because glass would be on the back, care must be taken when fastening everything into the frame, or it might crack. A better option would be to use “Tru Vue Clear Acrylic” made for framing, which also has UV filtering, a nice bonus.
This is great to know! Thank you!!
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