HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR ORIGINAL PAINTING
Original art is an investment not only valued monetarily. Your painting will be appreciated by future generations, not just by those who view it today. Acrylic paintings are expected to have a longer life span than oil paintings, and are considered more resistant to aging. That is, they develop cracks less often than oil paintings and are more resistant to pressure.
All of my acrylic paintings are painted on a cotton or linen canvas that is secured to a wooden stretcher frame for support. The canvas normally has one or more preparation layers applied to its surface before the various paint layers are applied. After the painting has been completed and signed, two final layers of satin varnish are applied to protect the painting from the accumulation of dust and dirt.
Caring for your painting:
DON'T:
Do not allow any rigid object to press against the front or back surface of the stretched canvas as this could create permanent indentation damage. When storing or transferring, take care to protect the canvas surfaces from becoming dinged or dented. When it becomes necessary to handle or move a painting, avoid touching the paint surface or the back of the canvas. Do not apply any kind of pressure (even finger pressure) to the back of a canvas -- cracks in the paint will likely develop after a time if this is done.
If your canvas painting does get slightly stretched or dented in an area, sometimes spraying water on the back side (the unpainted side) of the canvas can shrink the stretch/dent. It depends on how severe the indentation is. If unsure about doing this yourself, have a professional do it.
It is not advisable to place the artwork above a heat source such as fireplaces. In addition to the damage caused by radiating heat, dirt that rises with the heat may cause damage.It is unadvisable to hang paintings in a moist environment such as a room which has a bath or shower. Rapid environmental fluctuations will be harmful to the painting.
Ultraviolet light should be kept away from the paintings as fugitive dyes and colorants used in paints will eventually discolour under exposure to this type of light. The fading of pigments and dyes will affect the colour balance of the artwork.
DON'T EVER:
Do not attempt to clean the surface by using solvents or cleaning products of any kind. Cleaning liquids may actually embed the dirt into the painting and cause permanent liquid lines over the surface. In fact, it is discouraged to use any liquid, including water, to clean the surface of your acrylic painting. Never use dry or moist dust cloths, stiff bristle brushes or feather dusters to clean a painting as threads can catch on areas of raised paint and dusters can scratch the painting. Avoid spraying any fresheners, polish etc. directly onto a painting.
DO:
Do use compressed air in a can to blow away surface dust. Another technique involves using a dry soft sable brush to lightly brush the surface in order to dislodge dust while holding a vacuum, off the surface, to capture and remove debris. Use a delicate brush to gently remove surface dirt from your paintings. Be careful not to bump or scratch the painting. If the paint is damaged in any way, avoid dusting altogether.
The best type of light for your painting is indirect sunlight, recessed lighting, and halogen lights (not ultraviolet).