Do you frame your portraits?

[Mary Sparrow]

Is the frame included in the price? Do you have an arrangement with a frame shop? If so, how does that work? Do you let the client see the portrait without a frame? OR, do you keep frames on hand so that when they see it it has a "finished" look to it regardless of what frame they end up with?

Im curious as to how others handle this part.

[Chris Saper]

Dear Mary,

Great Question...

Pastels:

I deliver all pastels in a complementary satin gold metal (VERY inexpensive ) frame, matted in archival materials. I encourage people to go to a real framer, and that I will buy their frames back after the final frame is done. Because I buy all these frame pieces in bulk, it rarely costs me more thn $30 to "buy" them back. Even if can't always re-use them, it is worth it to have my work viewed in its best light...a proper frame. I tell them to think of my gold frame as a "safe carrying case" until they decide on a permanent frame.

When I have them over to review the painting in process, I always cut the mat and have them see the piece in the mat...or occasionally in the frame if I worrry about smudges.

Oils:

I have clients review thier oils while the canvas is on the easel, and in this case, they would be unframed. They seem to respond favorably to the "process" insight (which is different from pastels in process, because there can be ragged sloppy edges on the paper, or little color experiments along the border that will eventually be hidden by the mat.)

When they come for a final review, I prefer to have the painting in a "review frame". Since I can so often work in standard sizes, I have several basic, but fine quality frames that I can pop a painting into temporarily. For most people it is easier to envision the final piece in their home with a beautiful frame on it.

For delivery, sometimes they will take the piece straight to a custom framer (I have a recommended list). Even so I would rather not have an unframed painting sitting in someone's home, even for a day. I think that the piece is diminished by raw edges, stretching debris, and often by the absense of a substantial border.

Alternately, I will sometimes send the painting with them in its review frame, taking a deposit which I return at such point as they replace the frame. Often, they are happy with the review frame, and keep it and I am happy too.

Now all of this I do because I HATE framing, I am not good at it, and I do not want to BECOME good at it. It can take as long to help someone choose a frame as it does to paint the portrait!

Chris

[Lon Haverly]

For my pastels, I have an arrangement with a local art store. They special order two sizes of wood frames which come with glass in three colors and discount them to almost wholesale for me. The 16" x 20" frames are $11, the 22" x 28" are $15. I buy mats and cut them at their store and use my mat cutter system (a cutter and a 3' board) to cut the double mats at my studio. I can resell them for $35 and $50.

The majority of my customers buy their own throughout the year, but at the peak season (which for me is November and December,) I do OK. The frames are very generic "studio frames", and are a convenience for many customers. I sell about 200 frames a year. I do not frame oils. I don't even have any oil commissions to frame! Hoping that will change this year.