Very good LW. My program has been scouting for a mat cutter. Thanks so much for the info.
I enjoy using sheet rock bbecause as odd as it sounds its i guesse what I can afford. heh For some reason I have dozens of wall sized peices of sheet rock in my house. I dont particualry enjoy paper because its flimsy. The size of the paintings i do on sheet rock is generally the size of a wall... some times bigger some times smaller. I had an idea to install the frame into the wall... ans setting the painting in it then putting the rest of the molding around it. That and i sectioned off a border line on the painting and thenscred it into the sheet rock (not the side but the front part as if i was nailing a piture in the wall. I have hung it on a wall and it is staying pretty good, im vervouse about the weight but have been keeping and eye one it. Thanks for all the ideas!
Max,
A couple of questions: Who are you making these paintings for? For yourself, for some specific person, or to sell? If for yourself, or for a "friend", then why not just replace a drywall panel on your wall with the painting and call it a mural? That would eliminate the framing and weight problems, though installation might damage the surface somewhat and need touchup. How about installing the sheetrock on the wall, then preparing the raw support with gesso, or whatever ground you are using, then do your painting en situ?
How are you preparing the surface, and what media are you using to create the picture? Are you typically usiing landscape, or portrait mode? Is 1:2 your typical aspect ratio? What sort of pictures are you painting on this rather odd support? If you feel you must use sheetrock, then why not cut it down into something like 8"X10" where the weight (a couple of pounds) is somewhat more managable?
Finally, would you please post some digital images of the work(s) so we can have a better idea of what you are doing. Perhaps, in the image(s) themselves we will be able to find a solution for you.
Also try misterart.com for mat cutters and mat materials.
The only problem with drywall or sheetrock is its tendency to break and crumble on the edges in small pieces. I'd tape off the raw edges with duck tape, being careful not to go over 1/4" on the side which would install into a frame (most ratchets are about 3/8". I'm wondering what would happen if one did wet the surface and use tempera paint -- it may or may not work like fresco (almost a lost art).
Fiberboard or clayboard is a better substrate than plywood. We have one artist in the gallery who paints on gessoed fiberboard.
Sheetrock breaks really easily. Iv'e worked with it in building, and seriously, do not use it for painting. It crumbles and splits and breaks and is dusty and heavy. For flat surfaces, I like to use thick gessoed masonite nailed to a wood support so it won't warp.
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Now THAT sounds very good, gessoed masonite nailed to a wood support (and possibly with a gesso X painted on the back?). Any particular kind of wood, Portal Star? I have a piece of masonite that warped on me while I was pain,ting with acrylics. This sounds like a good way to give the masonite another life.
See my comments above at the head of the page. Acrylics, being water-based, probably do tend to cause greater warping on masonite than oil. In either case, a solid ground is necessary before painting your picture. I use gesso on both sides of the masonite, not just a corner-to-corner "X". On the larger size surfaces the tensions have to be close to equal on both sides of the support, otherwise warping will occur. On small surfaces, the tensions created by shrinkage are correspondingly smaller. Say there is 1% shrinkage of ground and pigment layers of paint. On a surface that is 100 inches square, we would expect 1 inch shrinkage, and on a surface that is 10 inches square the shrinkage would only be .1 inches; a considerable difference in the amount of tension placed on the support. By laying down the gesso in alternating perpendicular to horizontal layers, the tensions in the x and y axis are brought close together, thus equalizing the tensions on each face of the surface.
To mount your masonite panel, cut and miter 1"X2" pine boards to form a frame of the desired dimensions. I like to glue and nail the corners, before setting the frame up to dry in a strap clamp. Carefully measure the resulting frame, and cut your masonite to fit. Glue and clamp the masonite to the frame. Once dry, sand the masonite edges to smoothly meet the frame, and round the corners of the masonite edges.
Lightly sand the masonite surface, and apply a thin coat of gesso with all vertical, or horizonal brush strokes. Paint the wooden frame at the same time. No gesso is required on the back of the surface. The second coat of gesso is applied at 90 degrees to the first coat. I like to add food coloring (generally red, or yellow) to the gesso for the 3rd and 4th coats of gesso. The food coloring helps to insure that the gesso in my final ground coats is evenly laid down, and cuts the glare from the surface when I begin my underpainting. If the gesso is red, or yellow, enough it also provides a starting point for the med-tones of the underpainting. On masonite, four coats of gesso is usually sufficient, though I sometimes will use up to 10 coats of gesso on canvas; depending on the grade of canvas and the surface smoothness I want for the final picture.
I haven't had any trouble with small masonite panels, but I apply my gesso ground to all sides anyway. A side benefit to preparing both sides of the panel is that you can then paint pictures on both sides, then choose the one you want to frame for public display. I've had several paintings that just didn't work out, so I turn the panel over and do a different picture. Two for the price of one.
Generally, I set aside at least one day to gesso surfaces. Preparing masonite takes longer, because of all the carpentry necessary. I try to prepare at least 20 surfaces at a time in various sizes and aspect ratios.
if you aren't working large an X from corner to corner really does stop it warping - tutors on my degree advised it and i always do that when working on board and have never had any warp whatever i threw at them - nowadays I rarely use it though as i prefer canvas or paper.
I use the thickest kind of masonite, I forget what it's called. I know some people who use balsa wood.
The "X" is helpful, but still will not prevent warping. The paint being thicker on the other side is subject to expanding and contracting due to moisture and temperature changes, as is the wood. It will eventually warp regardless (although the "x" helps) unless it is backed by a wood frame.
I nail the masonite onto 4 cut planks of wood (making a square frame on the back, it looks just like a canvas does from the side, lined up evenly.)
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(a wood rectangle, pretend there are no gaps or anything)
the wood like that, laid out in a perfectly cut rectangle to fit the masonite or other wood board. Make sure the wood frame supports fit snugly together, and against the frame with no gaps, or else it will warp where the gaps are.
Then you nail the masonite into the wood frame, making the thin nails level with the wood (or sinking them if you want to be picky and use wood putty.)
Sand the surface a bit for better absorbtion, then gesso 3-5 times, sanding lightly between coats if you want a really smooth surface.
Voila'
Note: gessoed masonite is good for painting in thin layers, old master style. It does not absorb like canvas and would be very difficult to do an "alla prima" on.
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Many, many thanks, Asherman. Very helpful information, and very clearly expressed..
Vivien is correct that the X brace behind a board which can be afixed with epoxy if desired and is ideal. Easy to make by cutting a center knotch which is exactly half the depth of the square wood stock. 1" square wood stock is likely the best up through a 24 x 30" board and 1-1/2" up to 48 x 48". Then just press the X together with some white glue, place the board face down and afix the X to the back of the board with hot glue or epoxy. This can be used in framing by cutting a larger plywood or other stock about four to five inches larger than the piece and covering it with a nice linen. Then mount the artwork by screwing into the X support from the read (countersinking would be ideal). Of course, paint out the edge of the board or leaf it if you want something dressier. The artwork floats on the planel giving a very pleasing effect for the eye. You can also trowel on thick gesso or other medium to give the mounting panel a heavy texture and color it with a small amount of raw umber.
Bear in mind to made the X length of stock an inch shorter than the actual corners of the board.
Used this method of framing/display in a gallery and picture framing operation in Laguna Beach in the 70's and it was well received.
(If one would like, they can add a picture moulding around the outside of the rear board, using it as a liner.)
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Also, gratitude to Vivien and Portal Star. You show that the value of experience is doubled when shared.
Well, it is the picture frame moulding and their assembly which is expensive in custom framing. Not to mention the cove and other linen liners, added fillets -- in short, mostly now considered over-framing. Some artwork needs this for marketing to make the piece appear like it is hanging in a museum. It's all affectation and effect.
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LW, yes, I think the ideal is to do paintings that have no need for such artificial support.
Well, traditional representational art still has a decorative purpose despite the bluring of the line between commercial and "true" fine art. A decorative frame completes the package. I would not rather see a Monet in a contemporary less-is-more frame such as acrylic or metal! Framing has become an integral part of art as far as home or office decor. In a museum, it can often be a simple linen mat with an unfinished wood square profile molding. If a traditonal painter really desires to sell his or her's oils on canvas, for instance, the framing helps make the sale.
