Mat Selection Dilemma ??

[Dave Rakoczy]

Hi All,

Well there is a first time for everything.

Yesterday a neighbor approached me with a 17x24 pencil drawing of their home done by an artist friend of their's. They give it to me to mat and frame. All they tell me is "we want it in a cherry frame, the rest we'll leave up to you". graemlins/shrug.gif

Since the art work being a pencil drawing, with no complementary colors to try and pull out, I'm leaning to using a black inner mat with a grey outer mat. I had one other Idea also... Since the house is red-brick, I'm entaining the idea of using a inner mat close to the color of the brick (redish-Brownish) and staying with a grey outer mat.

Anyone care to add their 2 cents worth here?
;)

Thanks,

[B. Newman]

If you use just a tiny sliver of a red that has a black core (b/c), that might work. Or, see how this looks: black or dark gray b/c inner mat, possibly 1/4", then 1/8" or 3/16" of the red b/c, then the lighter gray b/c outer mat.

You have to be careful with the red. It could take over the whole show, but since you're using a cherry frame, it might work.

Betty

[Al E]

It is coincidental that you propose to use a bit of color in the matting which matches the subject of a black & white piece. We just did a piece for a customer which was a black and white photo of a landscape using a green mat and wood frame which matched the forest in the photo (had it been in color).

[Kit]

I like to go for the unexpected - where, oh where is that Devil's Advocate graemlin?

I just framed a similar-sounding house sketch. I used 3 1/2 inches of Crescent's Havana linen; one of LJ's Goya Black frames and the matching Goya fillet. It was smashing!

If the frame absolutely has to be cherry, how about the Bainbridge Midnight denim? It's dark enough to be dramatic but not as harsh as a flat black mat. Add either a black fillet or cherry to match the frame.

An aside, just in case anyone thought I might be sticking to the topic for once: how many find that when customers ask for cherry, what they really mean is mahogany?

Kit

[ERIC]

ALL THE TIME ! and when they ask for mahogany, they aren't sure what they want. It could be any old looking dark wood. I think thay just like saying it, " Oh, do show me the Maahaaaaagony please" tongue.gif

[Ron Eggers]

Dave,
After years of insisting on neutral mats and frames with b&w line art I finally decided, without independent confirmation, that a little color is okay - good, even, for most settings. Usually it's only one color and not very saturated, but it might be the primary mat.

With b&w photos and other grey tone media, I still like neutral.

Kit,
I did have a very bright and precocious 4-year-old girl look me square in the eye as her mother and I were discussing frame choices and say, "You're not showing us any endangered exotic hardwoods here, are you?"

[JRB]

By taking that project under those conditions, I hope you got a hefty deposit and the customer has a clear understanding that no matter what you pick, it's theirs, any changes will be an additional expense for them.

They did not make it clear what type of cherry frame. Cherry wood with a clear lacquer finish, stained cherry, Raminn with a cherry red stain, etc. etc. Since they said cherry, I would go with real cherry wood, with clear lacquer finish.

I would select a rag mat the same colour as the background paper and give it a triple mat from that colour mat board. First fillet would be 1/4" second would be 1/2", overall mat would be 3 1/2" top and sides, 4" bottom. Or a double mat with the same colour mat board, 1/4" fillet, balance with two "V" grooves, 1/2" out from opening, 3/4" apart. This would be great looking and getting rid of colour objections from the customer.

A good cherry frame from Williamson ( if they happen to actually have it in stock ) would get you a decent price for the whole project.

John

[Dave Rakoczy]

Wow...

A lot of different Ideas here.

Sounds like with B/W art work, adding color is OK as long as it's a somewhat muted shade and that the (gray's - black's) should be most prevelant. That's sort of what I thought but I wanted to check with others before I proceeded.

I'm going to ponder this for a while, then approach my neighbor with the final Idea. They don't know it yet but they are going to approve the plan b4 I proceed.

If anyone as other ideas.. please share them if you would.

Thanks for all the input.
smile.gif

[DB]

Dave- I love it when the customer leaves it up to me, but a little direction helps! I only add color to a b/w piece if I know where it is going.It does look good in the right settings. How about sticking with a grey mat and a cherry filet to match the moulding?

[Dave Rakoczy]

How about sticking with a grey mat and a cherry filet to match the moulding? DB,

I like the cherry filet idea, but I have never worked with them before. Are they difficult to work with? Can I get them cut size? I assume I should be able to purchase them when order the frame, that way they should match the frame. Any special procedure used to install them?

OK everyone.. the rookie needs help here tongue.gif

[DB]

First of all, there are not many cherry filets ou there. Once you decide on the moulding, if you can't get a filet from the same company, let me know. I might be able to help. I actually don't know any suppliers who will chop filet, but then I've never tried to order it that way. If you want to call me I will be happy to walk you through the cutting and installation process. There were 1 or two recent threads about filets...check back over the last 20 days or so and you should find them.

[Kit]

Dave, Welcome to the Grumble, source of more information than you ever wanted to know.

I order almost all of my fillets chopped to sight size, build them, then cut a mat to fit. But I wouldn't do this if I didn't have a CMC to cut the mat.

If you are cutting mats by hand, a better method is to cut the reverse bevel opening in the mat first, then, using your fillet chopper, shave off hair-widths until the fillet fits in the opening.

Definately invest in a fillet chopper if you are going to be doing many of these. Your life will be sooooo much easier.

There are as many ways to attach the fillet to the mat opening as there are members of this forum. I stick them in place with ATG and windmill strips of foam core around them to make a level surface. Aluminum barrier tape protects the artwork from the raw wood of the fillet and secures the fillet to the foamcore.

Add a spacer so the the pressure from fitting the outside edges of the mat into the frame doesn't force the cut edges of the opening up away from the fillet.

About now, your original double mat idea is probably looking pretty good to you. Don't let me discourage you. Adding fillets gives a piece an attractive finished look and all of this sounds much more complicated that it is once you've got the stuff in your hands.

Kit

[nona powers]

When doing any designing, the eye of the viewer goes to the lightest, brightest, deepest, darkest, area of the total composition and when something has been framed, the frame and mats read as part of the composition. If any area is more visually compelling than the art being framed, the attention of the viewer will go there. Black will seldom work as an undermat unless the black and white drawing has areas in it that equal the color base, no black is simply black, black is usually green or blue based, and the drawing has to have areas as dark as the black. Pencil is usually a green- based gray. Using a gray as the undermat that ‘s the same color and intensity as the pencil would look better than black.

If you need to use the cherry frame, it will darken as it ages becoming less orange. Using the cherry fillet is an excellent suggestion but make sure your top mat is a middle tone to slightly lighter than middle tone versus a white or light gray. A middle value gray mat will create less contrast between the cherry wood and the mat. If you use white or light gray with the cherry, the contrast will be so strong it will become the center of attention. Set the cherry fillet back an inch on a mat the same color and value as the top mat and it will help keep the cherry from looking too dark. If it’s set next to a white, the cherry fillet will be made to look darker than the frame.

Color can be used with black and white art, photos or drawings. White and gray tend to look cool when they stand-alone and for contrast, a warm color works best. However, the warm color, such as red, looks better if it has some black in it instead of being a bright red.

Nona Powers, CPF, GCF
www.nonapowers.com (http://www.nonapowers.com)

I don’t mean to toot my horn, but I will be teaching color & design at the Wisconsin PPFA meeting and also the Houston PPFA meeting. I also wrote a book called Color & Design for the Picture Framer. Many people have told me it’s very helpful.

[Jan]

How about a triple mat the same as the background colour--inner mat at 3/16--middle mat at 1/4--an open v-groove on top at 1/2--reverse the all bevels if the core is too bright a white. Over all mat width to be 3 1/4 " with 1/2" weight. If you have to have some colour use the grey for the inner mat. I really like the shadow lines of reverse bevels on multiple white mats.
Jan