Pamela Copeman » How to Hang Artwork

How to Hang Artwork

Sep 04 2013 · 0 comments · Artists, Design Elements, My Paintings ·1

Whether you are hanging a photograph, an individual painting or several pieces to create a Gallery Wall, here are some basic guidelines to keep in mind when hanging artwork:

-If you are hanging 1 piece it should be large enough for the space. Otherwise select 3 pieces that will create a statement for the space. Odd numbers are best in design!

-You can try placing the artwork on the floor in your proposed arrangement to get an idea of how it will look on the wall.

-Cutting out craft paper (or newspaper) patterns and taping them to the wall is another no-commitment way to be sure you like the arrangement.

-To measure for placing your artwork on the wall:

Measure the total length of the wall and divide by two, this will allow you to center the piece
Mark the center with a light pencil mark
Measure your artwork/photo and mark the center of it
For height, my typical recommendation is ‘eye-level’

The ‘eye-level’ question has been the source of great debate between my dear friend and installer extraordinaire, Paul and myself. I always say ‘eye-level’ and he is nearly a foot taller than me so naturally we disagree on height! We usually manage to work it out though!

-If you are installing more that 1 piece the basic math stays the same, just divide by 1/3 or however many pieces you are hanging.

Are you ready to hang some artwork? Come take a peek at the tweaking of my home Gallery Wall!

My Installer Extraordinaire and dear friend Paul, hard at work:

His magical tool box ~ everyone should have one! That would make a great blog, hmmm….

Paul is adding a screw and wire to an older frame for one of my newer petite paintings:

We are looking at the placement of this painting in relation to the existing ones: is the color harmony complimentary, is the subject related?

Where we finally agree to place the height, Paul marks the spot with a light pencil mark. This is where the top of the frame will rest:

Now Paul is measuring the distance from the wire to the top of the frame this equals the placement of the nail! Easy~Breezy!

We keep holding up new art works for artistic design and placement:

We continue to use the same guidelines for each painting ~ NO shortcuts!

Ahhhh, the process…

Almost finished….

Voila!

I hope these tips give you the knowledge you need to tackle any artwork hanging projects you’ve been putting off. If not, give me a call and Paul and I will come to the rescue!

Speaking of artwork, this month’s Girls Just Wanna Paint challenge theme is Ritual. Here is my entry…