Framing and Aftercare for Your Pet Portrait
Advice on choosing the right frame and caring for your bespoke portrait
Whether you’ve commissioned a pencil drawing or an oil painting, framing is an important final step in presenting and protecting your portrait. In this guide, we’ll walk you through your framing options, offer practical tips for hanging and displaying your artwork, and explain how to care for your portrait so it lasts a lifetime.
Our pencil drawings are delicate, detailed, and created using professional-grade graphite on archival paper. To protect your portrait from dust, humidity, and UV light, we strongly recommend framing it under glass with a mount. A mount (or mat) creates a small air gap between the drawing and the glass, preventing smudging or contact over time.
We recommend simple, elegant frames in neutral tones such as black, white, or natural wood. These won’t compete with the artwork and will look timeless in most interiors. Avoid overly heavy frames, as they can overwhelm the subtlety of a pencil portrait.
All our pencil portraits are standard sizes for ease of framing. If you'd like us to frame your drawing for you, we offer bespoke framing options with a professional framer. You can also choose to frame it yourself or use a local framer with our guidance.
Oil paintings are traditionally framed without glass, allowing the rich surface texture of the paint to remain visible. Our oil portraits are painted on fine linen canvas and arrive ready to frame or hang.
You can choose from swept frames, modern float frames, or traditional mouldings depending on the style of the painting and your home. If you’d like help choosing a frame, we can suggest options that complement the portrait’s palette and composition.
If you are framing an older oil or need to reframe one of our paintings later, avoid using glass unless specifically advised. Oil needs to breathe and trapping it behind glass could cause long term damage.
Hang your portrait in a location out of direct sunlight, especially if it’s a pencil drawing. Even UV glass can't block all light damage, and shaded areas help preserve detail and contrast over the years.
Avoid areas with high humidity (like bathrooms), and keep the artwork away from radiators or damp exterior walls. All of our portraits are created using professional materials, but thoughtful placement adds years to their life and keeps them looking their best.
We recommend using wall hooks suitable for the weight of the framed piece and ensuring your string or wire fixings are secure. A professional framer will always install these for you if you're having the piece professionally mounted.
We recommend using a mount and framing under glass to protect the drawing from smudging and environmental damage. Choose a simple frame and avoid letting the glass touch the paper directly.
Neutral frames in black, white, or natural wood often work best. Avoid elaborate or dark mouldings that can overpower the fine detail of pencil work.
Keep it behind glass in a shaded area away from humidity or direct sunlight. Don't use spray fixatives unless recommended by the artist – ours are sealed professionally already.
Without glass is best. Oil paintings need to breathe and glass can trap moisture or affect the texture. We never frame oils with glass unless specifically requested for a rare reason.
Costs vary depending on size and frame style. For a 16x20 inch oil, expect £150–£400 for a professional reframe. We can offer guidance or refer you to trusted framers if you're updating a piece later on.
Your portrait has been created using the finest quality materials to last a lifetime – but like all artwork, it benefits from a bit of TLC.
- Keep it dry: Avoid hanging your portrait in humid areas or where condensation forms.
- Out of direct sunlight: Especially important for pencil drawings. Use UV glass for extra protection if hanging in a bright room.
- Dust lightly: Use a soft cloth or brush, and never spray cleaner directly onto glass or surface.
- Handle with care: Always lift from underneath the frame using two hands, and avoid touching the artwork surface.
- Store flat if unframed: Keep in acid-free paper or packaging until framing.
If you ever have a question about hanging or preserving your artwork, just send us a photo of where you're thinking of displaying it and we’ll happily offer advice. We're here for the full journey – not just the artwork itself.
First, admire it! Then store it flat and safely until you’re ready to frame it. Keep it in the protective tissue paper we’ve wrapped it in, and avoid touching the drawing surface directly. It’s best to get it professionally framed as soon as you can to protect it from light and dust.
Keep it away from sunlight, heat, and humidity. Frame it behind glass with a mount to stop the drawing touching the glass. Never wipe the artwork itself. If it’s unframed, store it flat between acid-free sheets in a dry, dark place.
Frame it using acid-free materials and UV-protective glass if possible. Hang it in a shaded area, and avoid rooms with high humidity like kitchens or bathrooms. Our drawings are made with professional materials, but good framing will make all the difference long-term.
Treat it like any fine artwork. Don’t expose it to direct sunlight, avoid bending or rolling it, and frame it properly using a mount and quality glass. If you ever need to store it, keep it flat in a dry, cool space.
You can! Just be sure to use a mount to stop the artwork touching the glass, and pick acid-free materials where possible. If you’re unsure or want something special, we work with a fantastic professional framer and can take care of it all for you.
No – and for good reason. Fixatives can slightly dull the graphite and alter the shading. We prefer to leave the drawing surface untouched and let the glass protect it properly. This keeps the tones rich and the detail crisp.
