Silk Painting How to

Frames have a long tradition of enhancing works of art. Oil paintings are framed but not under glass. Watercolors may or may not have a mat but are always framed under glass. Since frame-able silk art is a relatively new category of art, we see painters showing their art using both oil and watercolor methods.  There are advantages and disadvantages to both. The silk painting will be protected from dust and dirt when using glass or acrylic. When not using glass, the lovely texture of the silk is more obvious.

Another consideration is that sunlight, direct or indirect, can fade a silk painting. 

One of the main ways to protect your paintings is to block the UV rays from affecting your paintings. This is often done using conservation glass or acrylic which has a coating that blocks the UV rays. Conservation glass is used for many modern buildings to control heat, so for silk paintings hung in buildings with conservation windows, UV should be no concern. Another option is to frame the painting using conservation glass, or museum glass or acrylic. Both will block the UV rays and protect the silk painting from fading.

Both framing under glass and without glass are discussed in the categories below.

Framing without glass.

Framing under glass.