Art on Paper
Pencil Jar
Sketchbook, Colored Inks
There’s something magical about viewing a work of art from a darkened room. The outside environment seemingly disappears leaving only you, and the artwork. For the fine art patron, it’s an enchanting experience. For the fine art curator, it’s about keeping the artwork in the best condition possible.
The conservation of fine art involves more than just protecting pigments from harmful UV rays. We already know that sunlight discolors many pigments, but did you know that florescent lighting is almost as harmful?
Paper is also vulnerable to light damage, and the effects are cumulative and irreversible! I didn’t know this, or that excessive exposure to light causes paper to darken and become brittle.
Acids are harmful to paper, and can be found in framing materials and some older papers containing wood fibers. Care must be used when storing or framing works on paper, because acids can migrate to adjacent surfaces.
Other enemies of paper include excessive moisture and extreme temperatures. When humidity is high or uncontrolled, paper can buckle, and mold can form on it’s surface. Condensation is easily trapped behind glass, and can cause pigments to run, ruining both artwork and matting. Excessive heat contributes to paper brittleness.
Insects and rodents love to eat paper, and damaging indoor pollutants are often higher in concentration than those found outdoors. Indoor pollutants include dust, chimney or tobacco smoke, airborne grease particles, and aerosol products found in the home. Fine art should probably not be hung over the fireplace… or in the bathroom.
As a fine art substrate, paper is somewhat delicate, but it’s also the ideal choice for artwork rendered in graphite, ink, gouache, tempera, watercolor, and pastel. Great art isn’t limited to works on canvas- even oils and acrylics are painted on paper!
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I try to avoid reading into info like this, because i t makes me paranoid about trying anything! I’ve seen artists using tea and coffee tint their papers and cringe at the thought of all that acid.
Good to know all this about paper. I’ll try to stick to acid-free, but in the end… I’m not going to worry toooo much about whether the art will be yellower and brittle after I’m dead. ;D
I wouldn’t worry about trying new things either. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Besides, artwork usually goes up in value when the artist dies anyway.