How to Mount Watercolor on a Wood Panel: Cheap Alternative Framing Method for Watercolor Paintings

[@trishkempson8901]

Thanks for much for this. It inspired me to have a go and since I’ve begun doing this in the last Month, I find people Love the paintings on the cradled boards and these are selling like hot cakes. Theylook more contemporary than under glass and buyers don’t have to frame themselves with that extra cost. Buyers are willing to pay the extra for a mounted painting and the board mounting cost is less than professionally framing under glass. And bonus- I can do it at home. Win win!

[@lucymcconville7780]

EXACTLY the information I needed! I saw your name in my options for tutorials, and knew this would be the one! Thank you for being here for us, always!

[@alexthe1cat]

This demo is hellpful, straight-forward and wonderful, Angela. I am doing my first such panel this next week, and you've further inspired me! ~Be well~

[@adventurescalling7082]

Thanks for this awesome tip!. I tried a scrap piece of watercolour paper and I did a mixed media to see if my pan pastels would work as well. So I dried my watercolour and then added pan pastels over top, to see if it would work with the pastels as well. I then sprayed about 3 or 4 light coats of Krylon UV-Resistant Matte spray which is a clear acrylic coating. I then tried the wonderful wax you suggested and I am so happy with the results! From this I am getting my old pan pastel paintings out and mounting them instead of paying big bucks for putting them behind glass. Super! Keeps cost down and looks awesome.

[@LoraCreates]

Holy Cow! This is a gorgeous alternative to framing behind glass. Watercolors displayed behind glass creates glare and it is difficult to see the painting as a whole. Thank you so, so much for this tutorial! I have an exhibition coming up and have been dragging my feet to frame them. I've been hoping to find a way to frame or display them without glass. I've even been considering just pinning them to the wall! Thanks again!!!

[@elpasomark3069]

Nice. Thanks Angela. Mounting on a panel and then putting in a float frame would be pretty cool too I think.

[@angelfehr]

Yes, it has a great look!

[@elpasomark3069]

@@angelfehr Oops! That should have been "Float frame" not "Float free." Edited and corrected :)

[@super9studios]

Thank you, Angela! I have watched your video several times while I learn how to do this for my work in cyanotype. Very cool results!

[@RhondaSawyer-ze4ix]

Can’t wait to try this! Thank you for sharing this technique with all of us.

[@Airbrush208]

Thank You so very much Angie,waxing over framing and glass I love the look and so much of a money saver along with time spent, an absolute Game changer for my paintings.

[@barbaraelliott7078]

Angela. I just finished my first attempt with this process with an 8 x 10 inch panel and am very happy with the results. I have wanted to do this for ages and your instructions were very clear and easy to follow. Can’t wait to try it on a larger piece. This will definitely keep my framing costs down. Thanks so much for generously sharing your knowledge.

[@cuneytu1]

Wonderful result on Michael’s boards. I left the edges as a frame as I don’t have a method for cutting the board yet. Thank you

[@dorothysfriend]

Love this method, framing is so expensive and reflects in the price that you have to charge. Brilliant solution, thanks.

[@davidhogan621]

What a great description, so easy to follow. Going back to the traditional method of displaying watercolours as used by Samuel Palmer in the early 19th century. Thank you for sharing this method.

[@annettefournier9655]

Thanks Angela. I've seen this done without the varnish too. I tried it both ways. Without the varnish first I did see a slight shift in color to lighter. So a couple light coats of the varnish did keep the colors true. Thanks again Angela.

[@judithgillam5074]

Thank you so much Angela. This is a a beautiful alternative to traditional glass framing, and your instructions are so clear and easy to understand. I really enjoy your watercolour tutorials also, so encouraging.

[@gailgray6600]

Thank you so much for sharing your process. So interesting. God bless.

[@cynw1138]

I know this is an older video, but I've been going back through a lot and I found this one. Amazing!! I am going to give this a try, I love it!! Thank you!! Just a beginner here

[@victoriawaterswaters8805]

Hi fantastic 😊 ...I learnt recently that grease is on our fingertips and palms and if you ever need to brush off any dust on a piece of work you should either use the knuckles ie on back of hand as there is usually little to no grease..so when you press down your piece of work onto the board IMHO you should try using a barrier between your beautiful piece of work and the grease on your hands(which we all have btw) maybe put a lint free cloth or even a piece of paper between hands and surface when pressing.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

perfect timing! I just bought a small jar or Dorlands per another KZbin's recommendation. I can't wait to try it! actually I wanted to ask how you did yours but I did not want to put you on the spot lol:) thanks again!

[@SuzetteG316]

I love this!! I made perhaps the classic mistake of painting on whatever size paper I had available at the time, or just cutting/ripping into sizes that suited me at the time without thought of framing sizes. Now I have about fifteen odd sized paintings that I love and no way to traditionally frame them. Except now I do! I am loving this method and the look you get from it. I can't wait to get started... Thanks Angela!!

[@edrymes3653]

What a great alternative to traditional matte & framing. I've been doing a series of small ink & wash and this would be an excellent way to show my work.

[@tizianamarinagonzalezmengh8159]

Thank you so much. I have used comun paper glue to stick a watercolor painting on a MDF panel and it glued on very well. I did not not know about de wax! I will try!! Thanks!!

[@stephboilard]

This is amazing, Angela! Thank you SO much for sharing this tutorial. I can't wait to try this on my own paintings.

[@krissullivan7080]

This is a gem! I've been wanting to mount my watercolor project and this helped a lot. Thank you Angela!

[@catherinecatherine4889]

This is especially useful for paintings that would be exposed to moisture such as in the kitchen or bathroom. Good presentation, thank you.

[@evelynvanderlinde7357]

Thankyou Angela! I think this method of sealing and mounting is a wonderful alternative to the traditional glass and framing. And, so much less weight to carry!

[@SueBetanzos]

Thanks so much for this video. I learned about a new product (wax one). This technique works for other mediums too. As long as the painting is sealed with the Krylon spray, it seems to work pretty well. Plus a nice Giclee' print of the original painting can be mounted like this for a cool different look. The cradled birch panels are so nice!

[@trishkempson8901]

Your video has encouraged me to try this method for the first time. So easy. And modern. Thanks for sharing.

[@angelfehr]

Glad to hear it! Enjoy!

[@jgtutors]

Thank you so much for teaching us this technique. I was racking my brain for a way to “frame” 3 small watercolor sketches as a gift to a friend. This was the answer and she loved them!

[@lstchcglch]

thanks Angela...very helpful. I've used Dorlands on my watercolors in the past (a little onto an original that I'm mounting on a greeting card and it works well on Yupo paper and the like as well. I appreciate all your videos All the best to you

[@terrilikens4975]

Wonderful! What a great option. I'm just getting back into watercolor and was dreading the cost and fuss of framing. Now I have a better, inexpensive option.

[@tarasden63]

I really like this method. I do have to ask though if it increases or lessens the value of a watercolour painting? Also, it should be noted, if you really like the painting, you may want to make sure you have a digital copy for possible future prints before you mount it.

[@watercolourlandscape]

Looks amazing Angela! Thanks for sharing your method.😊🖐🏼

[@carolenielsen7350]

I’ve watched several KZbin videos on this and yours is the best. Thanks for sharing.

[@anyagodwin5197]

Thank you so much for this Angela. I am using it for my Christmas presents this year. It’s a very economical way of giving something to someone that is small and still very beautiful and looks professional. I’ve even manage to get the right kind of wax here in New Zealand miracles!

[@JBranchStudio]

Great idea! I've done varnish on watercolor murals, but I've never tried wax. Thanks for the inspiration and great tutorial!

[@lydiashemain9746]

Great idea. Thanks Angela.

[@debikistler5607]

Thank you so much! I am not sure how I missed this as I have been looking for an alternative to framing in glass forever! Your tutorial is so clear and easy to understand. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your sharing!

[@aprilcrawford-smith271]

Hey Angela, my biggest challenge is the wood panels, where do you get them from and how do you get them the right size? I’ve got 100 watercolour mandalas to mount and this is the trickiest part for me! Thank you :)

[@suemauer5965]

I did a Google search for cradled birch panels, and found a great variety available online - in has a variety of sizes!

[@pamelasmith4594]

Art stores catty them

[@pamelasmith4594]

Carry!

[@michaelannfitzgerald8742]

Love how simple looking this is, plus all you see is the art..no frame. Thank you!

[@maryschwarz8119]

Thanks so much for sharing!!! So much easier than matting and framing for a nice gift! Can't wait to try it!!!

[@pambutler5437]

Angela, this is a wonderful tutorial. I love the look of the bare panel as opposed to framing and wondered how to do it. Thank you so much!

[@monicahoeffelmurphy3823]

Great video, I am wondering if the wax attract dust over time? Thanks again for a great video.

[@mrsd3424]

Love this method! Thanks so much for sharing. I have done this a few times now, and love the finished product . What do you use for lint free cloths?

[@colleencrowe8261]

great video, I have watched others and yours is just simple and to the point. I am loving building these little paintings.

[@donnacarraway9182]

I just found this tutorial and it looks perfect! Sometimes a mat makes a picture look better but if I have a good painting, (I’m a newbie) I love the idea of the panel! Plus my house is a very modern style so this goes perfectly with that! Thank you so much!! 💕

[@francinetjones1814]

Angela, I actually scored my paintings on the backside to the size of my panels. After that I placed on the panel and creased the edges. Then I cut a slit on the diagonal from the edge of the folds. So when I was ready to mount to the panel after applying the medium and brayering, it was very easy to line up. This ensures the painting is straight. :-)

[@erikadonaghy9946]

Do you then have paper (or part of your painting) covering the edges of your panels? Sort of like a wrapped canvas?

[@redheadlady2]

Thank you so very much. I have watching this wonderfully explained instructions. Starting on two paintings today. I love your exacto knife as well. Thanks again🥰

[@hollybarton485]

Angela, I love your videos and have been following you for years. After watching this one I was eager to try it. I followed your supplies links and ordered. You need to know that the link for the golden clear medium is actually for golden clear *granular* gloss medium. I tried using it and the results are not good. The grains made bumps in my painting and kept the paper from making good contact with my block. This is not a criticism, but a word to the wise. I know this is an older post, but I’m sure people are still accessing it, as I did.

[@mindofwatercolor]

Cool! Thanks Angela. I learned something new. Gonna try this.

[@LIAMKUMAWAT]

The Mind of Watercolor coool to see you here steve

[@shelleywhitehead8029]

Hey Mind of Watercolor. Love your channel! Did you try this? How did it go?

[@annemorgan2928]

Wow, just what I was looking for. Thank you so much for sharing! 🇨🇦

[@jessicajeffers2420]

This was exactly in the info I was looking for! Thank you for sharing your expertise!

[@cmsommerfelt]

A question for you - Do you feel that the acrylic medium that you are using to adhere the painting to the panel seals the wood and protects your painting from acid leaching through the wood to your watercolor paper? I watched another video where the artist sealed the panel first with a polyurethane before using the acrylic medium. Your thoughts?

[@BWallisArt]

An answer to this question would be fab 😀

[@gailgray6600]

Hi. I feel if you have a good layer of gesso on the panel nothing from the wood should leach tho - I would not use her method on a plain wooden board that has not been gessoed. Use Liquidex gesso.

[@soniabrickell4268]

@@gailgray6600definately seal the wood panel

[@LeighPogue]

Thanks for this video Angela. What a great idea to change up your paintings for a very nice look. Thanks

[@brettblumenthalstudio]

Thank you so much for this, I was in a store this weekend and saw this application and wanted to use it on my own artwork. Question: Is this archival? Is there any concerns about the artwork changing colors or fading? Also, is this lightfast with this technique?

[@krissullivan7080]

Love this technique! Thank you so much for generously sharing the way to do it. I'm finishing up a series of birds I painted and giving them to my husband for Christmas. Happy holidays to you! Kris from Los Angeles

[@sabrinalarson1526]

Is this way of mounting the painting archival?

[@shelleywhitehead8029]

Thank you so much for this demo. I will definitely give it a go!

[@beatriznewmark4979]

Cool idea l definite want try this. Thank you for sharing

[@Joe_Maysky]

This is super fun; I love the look of unframed canvases as well and this allows us watercolorists to get that look! I scrolled through most of the recent comments which answered a couple of questions I had on the panel, but here's one I didn't see: How big of a size differential would you recommend for the panel vs. the painting? It's nice that the panels are smaller because often our sizes for paintings are different than the standard panel sizes, but, for example, would a 9x12 panel work for a 10x14 or 11x15 quarter sheet painting, 14x18 for 15x22 half sheet etc? Thanks!

[@Joe_Maysky]

Good to know! Blick actually sells a raw wood panel that measures exactly 14 1/2" x 21 1/2" which is perfect for 15 x 22" half sheet size paintings which is one of the sizes I'd like to use this technique for because I think I''d like the look better than a frame for that size of a painting; for other sizes I'll plan to either cut a custom panel or have a slightly larger margin in the size. Not trying to get you to the work for me, but, for example, if you did a quarter sheet 11 x 15" piece and wanted to use a pre-cut panel, what size would you choose if you couldn't get 10 1/2" x 14 1/2"? Also, would you recommend to definitely use a wet, brush-on adhesive such as the gel medium over a spray adhesive? Just curious and thanks again for all you help! See you for tomorrow's live!

[@seamus9305]

Thanks Angela.

[@Karenliseblack8147]

Thank you for this lesson. I appreciate your classes and advice.

[@free2danz1960]

i absolutely love this! im thinking you could probably adhere a mat to that also if you wanted to. thanks so much for sharing this video. ive been trying to find a way to frame some of my art without going into the whole glass thing. blessings!

[@kikiskolors]

Hi Angela, I've been searching for tutorials on this because the last time I tried this I got a bubble on a larger panel. Any tips on flattening larger pieces first or avoiding bubbles on a 24 x 24 panel? Thank you so much!!

[@kookatsoonjan]

Thanks again Angela...for posting this...did not know that the varnish was a real necessity...since it is highly toxic, and needs to be applied out of doors. ...seems like just the wax and the heavy bodied gel medium may do the trick...Janis

[@stalean0301]

Angela Fehr New York Central Professional Watercolor Panels is selling already mounted watercolor paper panels before painting www.jerrysartarama.com/ny-central-watercolor-pro-panels. How do you think they might be accomplishing this without having the adhesive bleeding through? Maybe spraying the back of the paper with a Kamar-type sealant before mounting with a gel?

[@mariajackson8378]

I was going to buy some of the wax but I wasn't sure about it because it was quite white. I noticed it does look white though. Thanks for sharing this

[@kediaritu]

Hey Angela, thank you for the wonderful idea. Though does the wax make is waterproof or water resistant?

[@christyprice6942]

Thank you for sharing. I live in a humid environment. Do you fee this method would last and the paper not lift? Thanks

[@LindaUrsin]

I like the look of that knife. It looks really easy to hold. With joint issues, it would be great to have.

[@lauradains2734]

Linda Ursin, that is a Fiskars product, and should be available at your local craft store, or online. Oh dear, I don't know why I thought this was a more recent video. I hope you have found what you were looking for by now.

[@ClaireandAnna]

Thanks so much for this tutorial! Exactly what I was looking for!

[@lynnramsey108]

Love this technique. Makes a beautiful display of your painting. I want to try it!

[@jacklynwilliam3862]

Where did you get that cool "exacto" knife?

[@robcoyle5011]

well done! Waxed pencil drawings are great too! Just have to say, but it probably doesn't matter- but its a conservation nightmare in a hundred years or so....

[@conniekuhn5387]

Thank you. Just what I needed to learn this technique.

[@BushcraftOnFire]

Great idea! Will the wax yellow over time? Isn't the Krylon enough to keep it?

[@rebeccalyons1327]

HI. Can't wait to try this. Now that two yrs have gone by does it still seem to not yellow?

[@evastovall4546]

thank you very much I've been wanting to know how to do this

[@maldoori238]

Thank you for sharing your skills and inspiring experience I will definitely try it .

[@ebyn77]

Thank you for sharing! That is a lovely way to finish a piece.

[@barbjursic9300]

Very nice...

[@jonisolis9645]

Have you found that you can clean the dust off of the finished artwork through the years? Wax seems soft, I live in Louisiana, and it HOT here for much of the year. Would the wax always be soft and collect dust?

[@dianachurch7463]

Hi Angela thank you so much for showing us this method. I would certainly like to try it as I am always sad about my paintings being partly invisible because of the light reflection in the glass. I was wondering if I could use something else instead of Golden Extra Gel such as Mod Podge for example?

[@jackiemiller1408]

I've used Dorlands on several watercolors paintings now, and use it directly on the painting without varnish. The color doesn't budge. Varnish is an unnecessary step.

[@tonym7570]

I will try it on my next one. Thank you.

[@-davidolivares]

Ok, don’t want to be a David downer but I worry about fading. Without the protective UV layer of good art glass or acrylic, I think the art could fade faster if near sunlight. Edit: Krylon Gallery series Archival varnish has UV protection.

[@brendalazellestephenson2319]

I'm back again Angela. I had great luck with my first painting. I painted the wood panel white and it looks great. Now I'm wondering about how to treat the wood without painting it. Would staining it work OK?

[@kathbiddle-dutton7069]

Love this process, have used and shared often 🤗 Thanks

[@jeanniesilva6741]

Is there a link for the wood panel? Thank you.

[@VincentBurkardt]

Just bought some cradled boards by DaVinci on Jerry's website. Crazy sale prices right now on these.

[@lynetteokane6452]

Thanks...what about large format, say 24 x 24...wouldn't it be hard to keep the panel moist with the gel?

[@jaspermartin7444]

this is excellent thank you. such a great alternative to expensive framing. Although, without more information, I'd probably only want this done on... medium quality artwork. Stuff that is good enough to hang but not necessarily needing to keep it in great shape for a hundred years or more. For high priced artwork or "show worthy" stuff, I'm afraid this method might prematurely damage the piece -- is that possible? Does anybody know? What do the professional artists think?

[@bensontongue2183]

Interesting that you ask. I've canvassed 3 of my professional artists friends - and none of them personally use this approach. All were aware of it, all knew that some people like it, some had tried in the past - all opt for untreated and framing behind glass. One remarked that it never stopped feeling sticky (used over acrylic) and attracted dust. Personally, I just ordered a tub of the wax medium - got it yesterday - and am going to experiment.

[@carolebolger5142]

This could be my answer! I work with large scale drawings. 40 x 60. The wax finish is brilliant. Do you think the 40 x 60 is possible to glue to a board without bubbles? Thank you so much. Carole

[@lesgrindey]

really nice Angela

[@klaselart]

This video was extremely helpful! I love the look. Can you please tell me where you found your brayer? I can only find smooth ones. Thank you

[@lilypayne7792]

Thanks I am going to try this.

[@babsie47]

Hi Angela, thanks for your excellent video. I just bought a jar of Dorland's because I wanted to try it on my watercolors. I, too, did not want to put the watercolor behind glass. Could you tell me, did you ever try just using the wax without first fixing the painting with Kamar's? I'd heard that the waxing itself does not hurt the paint. Again, thank you. I can't wait to try out my new process, and I realize that this is two years later. LOL

[@hintonhamilton1390]

Thank you for the excellent demo and info. Will this technique work on colored pencil drawings assuming they are fixed with varnish? Thank you

[@sherylbrower7412]

Thank you for sharing this Angela! In reading the supply list, neither the Krylon Kamar Varnish or Dorland Wax list that they provide protection from UV damage in their description. This is one of the reasons I frame most of my paints with UV glass. Have you found fading in your paintings mounted this way being an issue? Do you use a UV protection spray on your finished paintings before this process? I love the look of this mounting technique!

[@lynnrush7166]

Sheryl Brower Krylon does make a ‘UV-Resistant Gloss’ spray. I don’t find it very shiny if applied thinly. Perhaps they have a matte also.

[@KellieChasse]

Hi Angela! Have you tried using a spray glue rather than Gel Medium?

[@kristas.gramens3430]

Genius! Thank you.

[@elaynekelley8187]

thanks so much...great video