Watercolor Painting On Mat Board

Wait for the paint to dry thoroughly before framing the artwork.

Watercolor painting on mat board.

While unpacking my new studio i found a stack of matboard scraps that had been in storage for nearly four years. Paint the front of a mat board frame with watercolor gouache or acrylic paint. One option for oil painters especially if you re looking for a good surface to sketch on is acid free matboard with a couple of layers of acrylic gesso. Note that in many watercolor competitions they require a white mat so it is better to double mat in white.

Using a lighter mat on the outside and the darker on inside will help to direct the eye to the painting. It s also recommended that you hang artwork away from direct sunlight. Use artist s tape bull dog clips or staples to secure the watercolor paper to the surface of the board. Cut the mdf to the required size and paste the painting to it.

Watercolor paintings are light sensitive so uv glass is used to protect them from fading. Cheap joe s art stuff offers a variety of watercolor backing boards. Since these paints are chemically stable there is no chance of the paint reacting negatively with the framed artwork. Matting your watercolors protects and enhances the look of your paintings by cleanly defining the image edges and isolating your image in a uniform neutral or complementary background.

Learn how to mount a watercolor painting on a cradled art board. Mats are made from mat board which should be made from all cotton acid free fiber. Award winning maritime artist annie strack demonstrates how to use cradled art boards to mak. How to make a mat 101.

Currently there are several types of matting material. Mat board with attached watercolor painting placed in frame. Archival materials include acid free mats mounting boards and frame backs. You may want to give the glass on the inside another quick clean in case any dust has settled on it.

An alternative method is to mount the watercolour painting onto a flat mdf board without the boxed sides. Use fingernail to press hanging tape to watercolor paper and mat board the mat board with the attached watercolor painting can now be placed in the frame.