Hang Art Like a Professional
One Tuesday a month, I hope to offer a little more insight into my artistic process with art tips and tricks that I’ve learned over the years. Whether you’re an art lover interested in how the artistic process works or a fellow artist looking for advice on your own artistic journey, I hope you find this ongoing series helpful.
October’s Art Tip Tuesday is dedicated to art installation. As a former Fine Art Consultant, I spent close to three years professionally installing artwork both on the walls of contemporary and impressionist art galleries and in the homes of collectors. Now, I’m here to teach you the inside tips and tricks to installing art like a professional.
HOW TO HANG ART LIKE A PROFESSIONAL
Whether you just purchased your first work of fine art or consider yourself a veteran art collector, knowing how to install your work professionally will enable your piece to shine as bright as it should without the professional installation price tag. Follow these tips and tricks to learn how to hang your art like an art gallery pro:
Pictured: “Moab Blooms,” acrylic, 20” x 16”
Prepare Your Hardware – First, you’ll need to prepare your art installation hardware. You’re going to need a hammer, nails, and a measuring tape to get started. If your work is small and lightweight, I recommend keeping it simple with just two nails and a hammer (yep, that’s it!). If your work is larger or heavier-weight, I recommend installing D-Rings and wiring on the back of your painting and using a picture hanger with your nails. Confused about what that all means? Scroll down for a breakdown of art installation tools.
60 Inches to Center – In the art gallery world, most paintings are hung by the standard “60 inches to center rule.” This ensures that the painting can be viewed comfortably by the average person at eye level. To achieve this, first measure the length of your painting. Divide that number in half and find that center point on the painting. Then measure the length of the wall from the floor up. When you reach 60” off of the ground, mark the wall lightly with a pencil. Match that 60” mark to the halfway point of the painting. Voila! That’s how high your painting should hang. In math terms: 1/2 length of canvas + 60” from the floor - the distance from the top of the canvas to where the nails would rest = the perfect gallery hang!
Measure Twice, Hammer Once – If you’re gawking at the math involved, just know that I’m right there with you. While I don’t consider myself anything of a mathematician, following this simple measuring equation is guaranteed to give you a beautiful, professional-looking installation. So if you’re tired of patching up holes in your wall, save yourself the trouble and do the math.
Hang Flush – Make sure that your art is hung flat against the wall to keep it looking streamlined. Loose art installation wires may cause your works to lean away from the wall slightly, which can create awkward shadows and make your installation look less than perfect. If this is the case, Try tightening your wire on the back of your painting or take the wire off altogether and just use the D-rings on either side of the piece with nails.
Adjust For Your Space – Although the “60” to center” is a great standard rule of thumb for art installation, as with most rules, there are exceptions. If you’re installing your work in unique spaces (like above a fireplace or over your bed), you’ll need to adjust your measurements accordingly. In this case, focus your measurements on making sure the work is centered on the wall from the sides and then adjust the height of the piece according to what feels and looks right to you. Ultimately, you’re the one who will see your beautiful piece every day, so make sure it’s installed how you want it.
ART INSTALLATION TOOL KIT
Here are a few art installation essentials every art lover should keep in their tool kit.
From left to right: Hanging Wire, Picture Hanging Kit (with hanging wire, picture hangers, and nails included), D-rings and their accompanying screws, and Command strips.
Measuring Tape – Measuring tape is essential to achieving the look of a professional installation. Have a pencil on you to mark your measurements.
Hammer – You don’t need anything too heavy duty - just a hammer big enough to handle nails in your wall. You can use a drill and screws instead of a hammer and nails if you prefer, but unless your work is quite large and very heavy, it’s not necessary.
Nails – I recommend using two parallel nails 1.5”-5” apart (depending on the size of the piece) to hang your artwork so that the work will be steadied comfortably on the wall and you won’t have to straighten the work out often.
D-Rings – D-rings are large hooks that are drilled on the back wooden frame of canvases or on the inside wooden frame if the canvas is thick enough. They should be installed on both sides of the canvas a couple of inches down from the top. You can then either rest the D-Rings right on the nails in the wall or you can string hanging wire between them and rest the wire on the nails in the wall
Wiring – Strong hanging wire is designed to be twisted around each D-ring, tying them together. This is highly recommended for large-scale, heavy works of art.
Picture Hanger – A picture hanger gives the nails in your wall extra support in holding up your piece. The hook at the end of the picture hanger allows hanging wire to sit comfortably in its shape for maximum support
Command Strips – If you live in a rental property or are planning to hang art where you don’t want to leave any holes, try using command strips to hang your art. Place the command strips like you would D-rings on each side of the back wood of the painting, a couple of inches from the top.
Knowing how to make your art stand out is a skill you’ll be sure to use again and again. I hope these tips were helpful in giving you that professional-looking art installation.
Still have questions? Send me a message, and I’ll be happy to help any way I can.
Interested in more inside art tips and tricks? Check out these other features from month’s prior: