Caring for your painting
There are a few things you can do to take care of your painting:
- The most important thing to remember is that direct sunlight will accelerate fading and changes in the colour of the pigment
- It’s recommended not to store paintings in a tight roll for long periods of time as the paint might crack as it becomes more rigid over time
- Acrylic or synthetic polymer paints are sensitive to extremes of heat. so it’s always best to hang the painting in an area of the building/home where the temperature is the most stable
- Acrylic paintings can attract dust, so if you want to clean an acrylic painting yourself the recommended method is to gently wipe the front and back of the painting with a soft non-abrasive cloth, removing any loose dirt. (Always test an area before cleaning the whole painting). Using a damp clean sponge, wash with clean water. Do not saturate the paint or canvas as this may cause uneven shrinkage. Do not use any detergents as the ingredients contained in detergents may break down the paint or cause any other irreversible damage
- Be aware and careful of the sprays used in the home near your paintings (for example many household products contain alcohol that can dissolve acrylic paint over time)
- When transporting your paintings, it's best to use a core cylinder to roll the canvas on to as this will help prevent the rolled canvas from flattening down (the fatter/looser the better)
- If you are storing your painting for more than a few weeks, remove any tissue paper or packaging from your painting and store in a loose postage tube or flat (if size permits)
- Tissue paper and/or packing tapes can sometimes attract moisture and go soggy over time, they should only be used short term and in dry conditions.