The artwork commissioned from this site will arrive to you on quality archival paper. Archival paper is acid-free which will help protect your artwork from aging and becoming brittle or discolored. This will extend the lifetime of your artwork significantly, but there are other precautions you can take to ensure any artwork you own stays beautiful for generations to come.
Even with a fixative applied, a charcoal drawing can still smudge. Though you are very careful, you might still accidentally drag something across your colored pencil or watercolor drawing. Framing your artwork is the best way to protect it from the most common threats including dust, moisture, insects, prying fingers and other elements that could damage the quality of the artwork. If you frame your artwork yourself, be sure that you are using archival materials such as mats and backboards made of 100% ragboard or other acid-free materials. It is recommended that you have your artwork framed professionally if it is within your budget to do so. Be sure that the framer is also using archival materials.
Protecting your images from light will keep them from fading. Of course, you want to display your artwork! Still, it is a good idea to keep it out of direct sunlight because even on acid-free paper, daylight will have the most detrimental effect on the work. All daylight will cause a drawing to fade over time and the effects of light damage are irreversible. Most household lights do not have a strong enough UV output to affect your artwork. There are special types of glass that you can use to limit the amount of UV light that reaches your artwork. Talk to your local framer to find out if this option is available.
Keep your artwork away from extreme heat or moisture. The drawing may look nice over the fireplace or in the bathroom, but consider the wear on the paper before placing an artwork on paper in such locations.
Design by Steve Forde