Live wedding painting — aftercare and tips after you’ve brought it back home

Thank you for purchasing your live wedding painting! It’s a lovely honour that my artwork is now in your possession, as it was made custom, tailored to your wishes as the wedding couple. To ensure you can enjoy it for as long as possible, it’s essential to hangt the painting on an appropriately place and to take good care of it. In this guide, I’ll explain how to do this, from the moment you bring it home after the wedding (safely, in a firm box).

Quality control of your painting

A wedding painting is not just an object; it’s unique, valuable, and serves as a tangible memento of your special day. It’s a custom work of art, meant to last for generations and to be well-preserved. It is your new family heirloom piece.

Let’s start with what I do to ensure the quality of my wedding paintings. I use paint from the renowned brand Amsterdam, the Expert Series, by Talens in Apeldoorn. We have a strong painting tradition in my country. This paint is long-lasting: the three plus signs on the packaging indicate that the colours remain vibrant over time. If you store the painting correctly, Talens guarantees a lightfastness of at least 100 years, meaning the colours won’t fade.

Hanging the wedding painting in your home

I pre-install an iron wire on the back of the painting, securely attached to the (wooden or aluminum) stretcher bars. This allows you to easily hang it upon returning home! If you choose to frame it, frames often come with hooks or a wire as well.

To mount the painting on the wall, it’s important to use an appropriate drill, avoid cables and pipes in the wall, and use a sturdy wall plug. For larger paintings, for example, of my 70 by 80 cm canvas size, I recommend using two screws. On the back, you’ll notice an additional wooden support bar in the middle, for stability. In the premium package, this is different as I use linen on aluminum frames for the premium paintings..

Would you prefer not to drill holes in your wall? Artiteq offers a system that allows you to hang the wedding painting from a ceiling rail. Worth your consideration.

What I DO recommend for your painting:

• Place it in a room with a fairly constant humidity and temperature: a wedding painting is partly made of organic materials and as such, is sensitive to environmental factors. Everything is slowly affected. Ideally, place your painting in a room with a temperature between 18 and 24 degrees Celsius. For the Americans, that’s about 64 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Please note it’s best to avoid direct sunlight to prevent discolouration, though I understand that prominent spots are often well-lit. To regulate humidity, you can use a dehumidifier.
• Dust it with a dry, soft brush only: preferably, use a brush dedicated solely to this purpose, free from other dirt or liquids. A separate makeup brush can work well. Avoid rough or hard brushing. Just slightly touching. A feather duster is acceptable, but avoid those that are scented with perfumes or those that smell overly chemical.
• Consider a frame with museum glass: framing isn’t strictly necessary (aesthetically speaking), as I also paint the edges. They get some colours (not a lot of details). However, a frame provides additional physical protection. Various types of glass are available, with museum glass being the best choice: it offers a UV light filter to preserve colours and prevents yellowing and fading. I don’t provide framing options myself, as it’s a specialty on its own. If desired, I can connect you with an experienced framer for a custom frame. An accessible alternative here in the Netherlands is visiting Hornbach; they have stores nationwide and offer a decent framing service.
• Varnish the painting: varnish is a transparent, protective layer that prevents dust and dirt from accumulating on the canvas, keeping the colours vibrant. If you choose the Same day package, the painting is handed over unvarnished at the end of the day. Varnishing on-site isn’t practical (it needs to dry for several hours, can emit odors, should lie flat without disturbance or exposure to dirt). When I take the painting back with the custom or premium package, I always apply at least one varnish layer. Two thin layers is my preference, but the first one would have to dry in between.

For more information about the different packages, portfolio, packages etc. see my page about live wedding painting.

For tips and information on varnishing the canvas yourself, I usually refer to this (Dutch) video.

I would advise AGAINST doing this:

• Using cleaning agents like bleach or all-purpose cleaner
  These can harm the paint. If a few drops of liquid (for ecample, a bit of water or a beverage) splash onto the canvas, gently dab it off with clean cloth. If you need to handle the painting, ensure your hands are thoroughly washed and dried, or use gloves.
• Hanging the painting above the fireplace
  This is inadvisable for several reasons. Besides the obvious fire risk, the area near an open flame can expose the painting to dirt and soot particles. Additionally, the temperature in such locations fluctuates frequently, which can cause the materials to expand and contract, potentially loosening them.
• Placing the painting near a bathroom or other damp areas
  Avoid placing it in a laundry room or close to the kitchen. Due to the organic materials used, paintings are susceptible to mold in such environments.

In case of damage and/or questions
Have you read these tips and still have questions? Or has something happened, and the painting is damaged? Feel free to reach out to me or consult a professional restorer. For a minor dent, I might have some additional tips, but repairing a significantly damaged painting requires craftsmanship and expertise.

Wishing you many joyful moments with your wedding painting!