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Author:
Robbie Darmona

Art preservation is thought by many people to be an art itself. If you value a work of art, it is your responsibility to maintain it. Many priceless works of art painted by famous artists have been seriously damaged by time and careless people. If you decide to invest in a painting, you should take attentive care about its preservation from unfriendly conditions. What can they be?

First and foremost, changes in humidity and warmness can be fatal for the quality of your painting. If you intend to hang the art on the sunny wall in your bedroom, you have better give up buying it. It will definitely be spoiled beyond recognition in no time. The most important thing that you need to bear in mind is that direct sunlight causes serious damage to the colours of any painting. Save your art in a dry place, away from heat and dehumidifiers.

Another thing is light. If you want to show the magnificent colours of the paintings, you have to invest in fiber-optic picture lights. You can search the local lighting stores or collect the most suitable lights on-line. Track lighting and incandescent lights are not an option. They produce heat easier than light and may spoil the colours.You should also have in mind to attach cardboard on the back of the painting, to preserve it from moisture. Art preservation requires your full attention to many points that may turn out dangerous for your work of art. Upon buying an art,you should have clear idea where you want to hang it. Don’t move the painting several times, you should choose one place and stick to it, as constant moving increases the risk of damages. If you want to preserve your art, you’d better hang it by the solid frame. Don’t use eye hooks, they are unstable. Supersede them with mirror hangers or d-rings. Art preservation is at risk when storing. If you are changing your house, or you want to sell the piece of art, you should be very careful when storing it. Wrap it in acid-free paper and carefully put it in a dry and dark place. Premises like cellars or attics are the worst option. If put in bad conditions, the art can be easily ruined beyond repair. If you plan storing it for a long time, try stores specialized for works of art.

Art preservation also includes careful daily care of the painting itself, such as cleaning, dusting and repairing it if necessary. In order to preserve your art, you should strictly examine its condition. If you notice anything wrong, consult a professional, don’t try to fix it yourself. That can only make it worse. To dust your painting you should have a special brush, bought from an art supply store. Gently dust the surface with the soft brush. Don’t use any other cleaning materials like sprays or polishes, because they will definitely ruin the colours. Art preservation will be thoroughly perfect if you have taken anti-pest care. Pests of any kind can make serious detriments to the quality of the picture. If you notice anything wrong, don’t hesitate to consult with a professional. Last but not least, art preservation cannot do without an alarm system. No matter how many pieces of art you have collected, an alarm security is obligatory. Remember all the thefts happening in museums, if not enough care is taken to prevent them. Even a well-guarded place cannot be a hundred percent safe from robbery. But you should make everything that depends on you to protect your works of art.

Art preservation is different depending on different art techniques used. Some paintings are on canvas, others-like posters, sketches and so on- are on paper. Depending on the materials used, preserving different works of art can also requires special cares. For example charcoal drawings, which are powdery, cannot be brushed, not even touched, because they can easily smudge. Posters also mustn’t be touched, because your fingerprints will be sealed on the paper.

As you may probably have noticed, art preservation is an extremely difficult procedure. You shouldn’t invest in a work of art if you are not well prepared to take all the responsibilities.

Article by Robbie Darmona - an article writer who writes on a wide variety of subjects. For more information click Art Preservation.

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