Mounting a Painting

Do you have a loose painting that needs to be mounted on a panel? Join Katie Liddiard as she discusses all of the tools and materials you need to get the job done.

She starts out with a round painting that is on loose canvas that she has cut out a little over size to the board she will be mounting it to. The board is baltic birch plywood because it is less acidic than other woods, so it won’t affect the painting in the long run, and it’s lightweight. She also has some boards to sandwich the painting between with some heavy books to weigh it down on top. Then she discusses the glue that she’s going to use. The glue she chose to use is called PVA which is basically artist grade school glue. While using PVA you really want to ensure that the adhesion is thorough without trapped air bubbles underneath because it is very difficult to remove once applied and dried.

She applies the glue with a large brush all around the back of the canvas, coating right up to the edge with good coverage of glue without too much excess so it doesn’t ooze out the sides when pressed. Now she applies the painting to the plywood, taking careful notice and care to get all of the air out and edges flat. After wiping away any excess glue and being satisfied that everything is adhered well she places it between the two boards and then presses down on it with the heavy books. After leaving it overnight, or until it is thoroughly dry, you can trim around the edges and you’re left with a clean, long lasting painting ready to go into its frame.