The ABC's of Fine Art

HANGING PICTURES THE EASY WAY

There are no real rules to hanging pictures. They should be hung where they are easiest to see and appreciate ....lower in a dining room or family room where people are usually seated and higher in a hallway where people usually stand. Below are a few tips....they work about 75% of the time. You should experiment to find out what works best in your home or office and then trust your instincts.
 

1. Hang Art At Eye Level. The most common mistake people make is hanging their pictures way too high. Hang your artwork so the center of the picture is at the eye level. But of course, “eye level” means different things to different people. As a rule of thumb, position the center of the picture 5’ 6” above the floor. This is the most common eye level position but if it doesn’t seem quite right, raise or lower it a few inches. Follow these steps:

a. Measure the distance from the floor to an imaginary line on the wall that is around 5’ 6” (or the point you’ve chosen). This eye level line will be where the center point of the picture will go. Mark an X lightly with a pencil.

b. Measure the back of the picture from the center of the bottom of the frame to the center of the top of the frame. Divide this number in half. This determines the center point of the picture. Mark it with an X.

c. Pull the picture wire tightly upward, as if it were already hanging on the hook. Measure the distance from the centerline to the top point of the wire.

d. Add this distance to the eye level line measurement (where you put the X) you took earlier. Mark it XX. This is where you put the picture hook. Note: To keep pictures straight, use two hooks a couple of inches apart. Any more than that tends to make the picture tilt.

2. Hang Art At Seated Eye Level. If a picture is usually seen while viewers are seated, as in offices or dining areas, hang it at seated eye level. Try bringing a picture over a desk, a chest of drawers, or next to a comfortable chair down a few inches so that the elements feel connected.

3. The Trick To Hanging Groups of Pictures. Think of your group of pictures as one unit. Divide them into two or more rows. Align the tops of the top row and the bottoms of the bottom row---and the sides as well--to set a variety of shapes within a compact box. With same-sized pictures keep spacing consistent. Or, for a “mosaic” look with varying sizes of art works, try for some balance by aligning the bottoms of some frames with the tops of others or centering some on top of each other...this works well when round or oval frames are in the mix. Be sure to place larger pictures at the bottom because of balance.

Up a staircase, pictures should be hung to duplicate precisely the rising levels of the stairs, with a uniform distance between the center of the step and the center point of the picture directly above. As for how high to hang, start off with the center point of the art about 5’ from the center point of the step.

Super Tip: Trace your pictures onto large pieces of paper and cut out the shapes. Use a low-tack tape, like painter’s tape, to place and arrange the paper templates on the wall until you have a layout you like. Affix nails or picture hooks into the wall through your paper template and then remove the template. Remember to account for the distance each nail should be up from the center point of each picture.

4. Create Drama! To properly display a larger work of art or a cluster of pictures, allow the right amount of space. This is usually three to five feet on each side or perhaps a whole wall. Even in the Louvre, the Mona Lisa seems somewhat insignificant when shown on a wall filled with masterpieces. How dramatic it was in the National Gallery in the nation’s capitol-----placed on a stage against velvet curtains, with special lighting and armed guards on either side. Now that’s drama! A group of pictures framed alike and hung together can have big impact! You can give a small room with low ceilings or a large room with high ceilings a sense of balance by hanging pictures a little lower or higher accordingly.

5. Get Rid of Visual Clutter. Instead of displaying every piece of art you own, ask yourself if each piece still holds the magic it once did. People grow---their tastes in music, books and art change. Upgrade your collection to fewer but better works or rotate your art.

6. Relate Art to Furniture. In general, when hanging art over furniture it should no wider than the furniture because it will look top heavy. The space between the top of a mantel and the bottom of the picture is most pleasing in a range from 3” to 7”. Over a table or sofa from 4” to 8” is a good range.

7. High and Wide. Pictures hung in a horizontal line tend to elongate, widen and emphasize a casual decorating scheme. A perfect pattern for smaller rooms and family rooms. Pictures hung vertically tend to give a more formal or zen ambience and add to the illusion of height.

8. Odd Numbers Are Even Better. For greater visual interest, show only odd numbers of pictures on a wall or in a given room---one, three, five, etc. Also, consider framing an odd number of smaller art works together....you’ll save a bit on framing and a larger piece may be a better proportion for the wall.

9. What Color Mat? Museums mostly use white or light mats since they are the most traditional and help emphasize the importance of the art. Light mats are classic and do not make pictures and frames look outdated as quickly as colored mats. However, some art just plain needs a colored mat though how colorful is really up to you. Darker mats tend to look better against lighter walls and lighter mat better against darker color walls. We use color mats sparingly, however we are great fans of using filets (that little colored line around the inside of the mat) or colored bevels (the deep cut mat edge next to the picture). It can add drama or boost the mood of the art.

10. One + One = One. The most exciting way to treat different sized art works in a lengthwise display is to alternate large and small pictures. Smaller pictures should be about one-half to two-thirds the size of a their larger counterpart. In other words, the surface area of two smaller pictures should equal that of one large picture.

11. Protect Your Art From It’s Worst Enemies. Always request that acid-free conservation materials and uv plexiglass or glass be used when having artwork framed. Otherwise know sooner or later acid burn and foxing will be in the picture. Where you hang your artwork is a compromise between the best viewing spot with suitable lighting, temperature, humidity and physical protection. Regardless of where you would most like to see a picture, it must never be hung in direct sunlight, fine art’s greatest enemy.

12. Use Picture Hooks Not Nails. It is better to use picture hooks rather than nails because hooks are designed to redistribute the weight suspended from them. Hooks push the weight of pictures into the wall and then down, rather than just down as a nails do. Nails tend to give way; and it takes a larger nail to support the same weight that a smaller picture hook will. Hooks usually come in packages that list the weight its hooks will hold. Always use the right size. When hanging a large, heavy work, its better to use two hooks than one, hung six to eight inches from each side.