5 ways to preserve your best drawings

Made with great care and attention to detail, your drawings are unique and priceless objects. Just like your art supplies and all your writing, drawing and painting instruments they require specific storage and care to maintain their original quality. The results of the efforts you put into creating an illustration or drawing must be protected from exterior elements ! Drawings, especially those made with delicate instruments such as graphite pencils, pastels or water-soluble supplies can easily be damaged by various external issues such as direct exposure to sunlight, dust, humidity, clumsy manipulation, etc.

Here are some techniques and simple rules to maintain the quality and beauty of the colors, the shape and most of all the vibrancy of your and your children's artwork.

 

Artwork is fragile and the slightest imbalance can completely modify its appearance. Once finished, hanging on the wall, framed or tucked away in a folder, drawings must be carefully stored to maintain all that original splendor. Some external aggressions can damage your artwork:

●  Excessive humidity can lead to mold forming which damages the paper.

●  Sunlight and UV rays can fade and degrade the colors.

●  Certain media (paper and cardboard) can yellow over time.

●  Paint and ink that don't adhere to the paper can lead to the ink running or smudges.

●  Oil and dirt can be transferred on to your artwork’s surface if you don’t handle it properly, or cause the paper to warp.

Your drawings are precious and you would like to take care of them. Here are 5 useful ways for you to preserve the original essence and quality of your drawings and artwork over time.

 

Before using techniques to preserve your artwork and your drawings, you can also prevent any damage by using appropriate and resistant materials. Start by working with acid-free paper, or other media that are acid-free, and treated with an anti-fungal.

If you're drawing on canvas, choose a tightly woven canvas panel made with natural fibers. Prefer linen over cotton or jute as its high levels of tannins can affect the layer of paint.

Choose a pre-primed canvas and apply another layer of primer such as gesso. This will help fix the pigments better and make your work more vibrant for longer.

You should also bear in mind that certain pigments can be altered when they come into contact with oxygen, that colors can vary, and the paint can crack when it dries. Choose water-soluble coloring pencils, pastels or paints that contain natural pigments and that will keep their vibrancy once dry.

 

Adopt a technique which is favored by conservationists and apply varnish to your drawings which will help fix the color pigments better.

Varnishes secure the lightest powdery elements, such as dry pastel or graphite, and make it easier to remove dirt or dust when cleaning. They also homogenize the layer of paint on your artwork and protect it against oxidization and potential damage.

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3. Organize a proper storage system for your drawings

Are you unsure of which folder to use and how to store your sketches, drawings and artwork before finishing them or getting them framed?

Store your finished artwork in an art folder or a cardboard folder covered by protective paper, tracing paper or transparent conservation film. For larger pieces, roll them up and place them in an appropriate tube. Use binders with plastic sheets to easily store your sketches and finished drawings.

If you'd like to keep your artwork, or your children's, in boxes, choose solid storage boxes that can bear heavy loads. You should also be careful when manipulating the drawings, especially if you're sorting through them or if your children touch them!

 

Would you like to hang up one of your pieces, or one of your children's drawings? Even once framed, artwork is sensitive. You should hang it on an inside rather than an outside wall, especially if the latter is badly insulated and too humid.

Do not position your artwork facing a source of light such as a window, because the rays of the sun and the moon can lead to the colors fading. That said, artwork kept in the dark tends to get darker over time.

Gouache and acrylic paintings often have a thick and dry texture and are best stored flat. Whenever possible, store them separately from your other artwork and protect them with a temporary cardboard frame. Keep your sketches away from dirt and dust, but also avoid an environment without enough air circulation which can encourage the growth of mold or fungus. Regularly inspect your work and make sure that it is kept out of humid environments.

While paper is less sensitive to environmental variations than canvas, you should still keep your precious artwork away from places where big changes in temperature can occur. Just like a good bottle of wine, your artwork will age better in a stable atmosphere.

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