I've been accumulating artwork* for creating an art wall in my living room. It's taken a backseat to other things for months, but I'm happy to report that I finally got it done this past weekend. As I write this, two chairs are being recovered in my annika avalon fabric (organic cotton/hemp canvas), and they'll sit below this artwork.
Before I show you how I mapped out the placement of the prints using Illustrator, let me share the matting and framing steps. If you're hanging a lot of art at once, this info may be helpful to you.
- - - Matting - - -
My artwork didn't fit neatly into precut/prefab mats found at the craft store, so I opted to have individual mats cut for each print. Here's how I measured...
Inner Dimension: I made a list of all the prints and examined them one-by-one for best placement of the mat opening, noting things like the actual size of the artwork, artists' signatures and what an even border around these might be. I used a clear, plastic ruler so I could see what I was measuring. These measurements became the inner dimensions of the mat...jotted it down.
Outer Dimension: I knew I was going to use standard-size frames from a craft store (at some point I'd like to replace a few of these with vintage frames), so I went to the store ahead of time and made notes of which types of frames came in which sizes. I measured for the outer dimension of the mats using the standard frame sizes...jotted it down.
I think it's wise to look at all your prints at once so you can see how they're similar or different - do certain ones need to be separated or paired-up? Is there an overpowering color or size? This info helped in determining the frame I would use, which then determined the OD of the mat. Sometimes you have to get ahead of yourself and work backwards from later steps to make good decisions. All in the name of visualizing the final look!
I found an etsy seller, Paula Manning Lewis, who cuts custom mats! She did an excellent job!!!
- - - Framing - - -
I waited until the craft store was having a store-wide sale and purchased my frames all at once. That was helpful in case I changed my mind about one or they didn't have enough of a certain style (which happened with the 5 10" x 13" frames I needed....had to compromise). I also purchased hanging wire to use between the pre-installed d-rings....even if it only spans 3 inches, it's way better than trying to nail two holes in the wall exactly level (is that what they expect you to do?). gah.
- - - Mapping Out Art - - -
I measured the space on the wall - 4 ft. tall by 7 ft. wide. I used Illustrator to make a quick graph using the blend tool, and I made some frames to move around on the graph, scaling everything down by 50%. You could also use regular graph paper and make cut-outs of each frame that you can reposition til your heart's content. Scaling would have be done at like 85-90% for mapping on paper.
- - - Hanging the Art - - -
Once I was happy with my layout, I printed it out (scaling it in the print dialog box to fit regular paper), scribbled the name of each print in its designated space and kept it nearby for reference. I can't tell you exactly what you'll need to hang your frames b/c everyone's house is different. My house is old, and my walls are plaster and lathe with a double-brick wall exterior...short, grippy nails are a must! I also use a piece of painter's tape where my nail will go to avoid chipping the plaster. Maybe you need drywall anchors or toggle bolts (if art is heavy). A level, hammer, pencil, measuring tape (and maybe a drill) will come in handy.
I hung the largest print in the center first and then worked my way around it until it was complete. My layout intentionally allows for eyeballing where to hang each print - nudging & bumping makes life easier! If you want your art wall to have a precise alignment, you'll need to measure your buttinski off. Last week on Cafe Cartolina, Fiona posted about a kit for creating perfectly aligned displays.
There you have it! I like the nooks & crannies leftover as well as the fact the layout allows for adding more artwork in the future.
If you have any helpful suggestions, tips or questions, please post them to the comments.
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* You can see the artwork & get links to shops in this post from last Fall.
