how to hang a painting

If you have one small, one medium, and one large painting, hang the largest in the middle and balance with one of the others on each side. They have a thin, sharp, hardened nail that is less likely to chip plaster. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Last Updated: July 3, 2019 Clean the surface of your wall with a 1:1 solution of water and rubbing alcohol. The optimal distance to hang the painting is 4 to 6 inches in from the side. Get an approximate weight of the picture you’re trying to hang. Hang your picture Hold up your picture where you would like it to be, then mark a line along the top of the frame. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. The sun's rays will fade and damage the painting. Use adhesive strips and utility hooks designed to hold the size of your frame. Products shown as available are normally stocked but inventory levels cannot be guaranteed, For screen reader problems with this website, please call 1-800-430-3376 or text 38698 (standard carrier rates apply to texts), Install the Screw Eyes and Picture-Frame Wire, Best Picture and Mirror Hangers for Your Home, Step 1: ", It can be difficult to keep a grid arrangement lined up perfectly. Remove the back liner from the adhesive strip, and apply it directly to the wall where you want to hang your picture. How do I arrange furniture over a big carpet? The process of hanging a new painting or a collection of family photos can seem like a puzzle.Although there are pieces to examine, there isn't just one correct way to put them together. © 2000-2020 Home Depot Product Authority, LLC. Large paintings will look more natural if you put some smaller ones around them to balance out the largeness. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Hanging a painting is easy, but there are few things you need to take into consideration. Bookshelves aren’t just for books. Tap the plug into place and insert the screw. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Move the template up and down to find the perfect spot prior to hanging the picture. First, you have the challenge of placing objects on a wall in a pleasing way. By using our site, you agree to our. This also applies for large mirrors. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Artwork should hang at about eye level. To securely hang heavy pictures where there is no access to a stud, run two wires between the screw eyes and support each with a wall hanger. Hang art so that the bottom of the frame is 8 to 10 inches above the furniture piece; the art should be visually connected to it, not floating high above it. All Rights Reserved. Never hang a painting so low behind a sofa or chair that you hit your head or move it around when sitting. How to Hang a Picture with Wire 3. A 20 or 24 oz hammer is too heavy and might damage the wall. For a few paintings that are not the same size, you want to arrange them in a way that seems balanced. Hanging art from a ceiling can provide a novel display and provide a striking addition to your decor. Common places to hang artwork are above a fireplace, in a dining room, or above large pieces of furniture, like a sofa or bed. I recently found myself finally ready to tackle the task. This article has been viewed 70,405 times. Place the artwork so that its center is roughly 57 inches to 63 inches above the floor. Work with pieces of paper instead. People shouldn’t strain themselves to view the artwork. To position the eyes, measure the height of the frame and mark pilot holes one-third of the way down the frame. How to Hang a Picture Frame: Use Templates and Tape. ", Shop Rubbermaid Sheds, Garages & Outdoor Storage, Juggling pictures to get the right one in the right place can be difficult. Peter Salerno is the owner of Hook it Up Installation, a professional installation company, which has been hanging art and other objects around Chicago, Illinois for over 10 years. If you have a small hammer, use this rather than a large carpenter’s hammer. Now hold the picture wire up with your finger and measure the distance from your finger to the top of the frame. You can purchase inexpensive spotlights to highlight your painting at night. Use of this site is subject to certain Terms Of Use. Get a shorter nail, preferably about 1-1.5 cm shorter and see if that helps with the situation. This article was co-authored by Peter Salerno. Ensure that it's far enough away that the heat from the lamp won't damage your painting. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 70,405 times. This guide shows you how to hang a picture on a wall, including arranging, grouping and anchoring them. Split the width of the painting into thirds and put the hangers at those points. Next, press a curved hook into the wall that braces against the inside of it. When you find the best location for the picture, tap one of the. If you take one piece of information from this article, let it be this: 57″ on center.This means that the center of your art piece (not the hook) should be 57″ from the floor.This 57″ standard represents the average human eye-height and is regularly used as a standard in many galleries and museums. Use templates: If you’re hanging artwork by yourself, cut paper templates to size for each piece of art and attach the paper cutouts to the wall with painter’s tape. If you're hanging a smaller work over a large unit, try adding sconces or other art to fill out the composition. Trace the outline of each. Paintings should never be hung where they will be in direct sunlight. When paintings are framed. Nails will work best with small and medium canvases. Measure down that distance from the pencil mark you made on the wall and mark that spot. If you had 30 paintings that were one square foot, you could line them in rows of ten, five, or six. This article was co-authored by Peter Salerno. Use a pencil to mark a point 58 … If you purchased the artwork or frame, it may have a hanger attached already. Drill carefully to avoid boring through the frame. Drill a hole slightly smaller than the diameter of the threaded portion of the eye. Install the Screw Eyes and Picture-Frame Wire Hangers sold as “professional” picture hangers also work in plaster and drywall. Once it’s secure, hang your picture on the hook. Depending on the size and weight of the painting, it is often advised to use two hooks or nails. For example, if your painting is 36 inches (91 cm), then half of it would be 18 inches (45.7 cm). Choose nails according to the size of … Use proper hardware to make sure you’re securely hanging picture frames and wall niches. If the print has a wire, pull it taut; if it has d-rings or sawtooth hangers, measure to where the nail will sit. The two photos above could be … There’s more thought that goes into how you hang a painting than just what types of nails or anchors you use. Finally, hang your painting carefully, making sure it's secure on the hook before letting go. Space the two hangers at least half the picture’s width apart. On the other side, arrange smaller objects. Picture rail molding hardly exists anymore, but if you were lucky enough to land in a place that still has it, take advantage of it. The nail is removable and reusable. Local store prices may vary from those displayed. Hanging Canvas Art. Clean the surface of your wall with a 1:1 solution of water and rubbing alcohol. https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/how-to-hang-art-correctly, http://www.familyhandyman.com/tools/the-letter-d-in-nail-sizes/view-all, http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/interior-projects/how-to/a3122/the-proper-way-to-hang-a-picture-10792209/, http://www.artistsnetwork.com/the-artists-magazine/framing-tips-hardware-facts, https://www.govart.com/hardware_wire.html, http://reddotblog.com/how-to-hang-a-painting-a-free-guide-from-xanadu-gallery/, http://www.artofmanliness.com/2015/07/28/how-to-hang-a-picture/, https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/60874084/list/8-ways-to-arrange-artwork, http://www.forbes.com/sites/houzz/2016/02/23/clever-ways-to-arrange-artwork/#13b84c0d7f66, http://eastcoastcreativeblog.com/2012/10/how-to-hang-pictures-in-grid-tutorial.html, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Weigh your picture. You'll find a variety of photo hangers in the hardware department, including traditional hangers, hangers sold as “professional” picture hangers and hooks. Alternatively, drill a hole and insert a screw with a plastic sleeve that expands into the wall. You’ll make the painting look even smaller. To determine the exact position for the hanger, poke a pencil point through the paper cutout at the spot where the picture wire will be when fully stretched by the picture weight. Use a power drill with a carbide tipped bit to create a hole for the plug. Use adhesive strips and utility hooks designed to hold the size of your frame. Anchors are available with hooks to hang pictures and with special hooks to hang mirrors. On my canvas here, it came to 1.5″. Light paintings can be hung up with a single nail, but if you have a heavier painting you’ll want to use anchored hooks or pound the nails into a stud. Finding the right wall space is also important so that the artwork doesn’t make the rest of the wall look empty. If you’re trying … Peter Salerno, the owner of Hook It Up Installation, says: "When pictures are arranged in a grid, sometimes all it takes is a door closing or a breeze coming through, and everything looks a little crooked. Aim for about a … So find a small section of wall or choose a few other paintings to hang with it. This article has been viewed 70,405 times. Next, you must make sure your precious objects are installed securely. How to Hang Artwork on a Mirrored Wall. References. For plaster walls, you may want to drill a hole first and then use a screw that has a plastic sleeve which expands when you screw it into the wall. Again, this is only a place to start. ", Step 2: Group the Pictures To see how a picture grouping will look, you can also lay it out on the floor. When you have a small painting, between one and three square feet, you shouldn’t hang it on a big empty wall by itself. Decide how far from the top you want to position the D-rings. But in a sense, collecting only gets you halfway—you have to hang art up to really reap its rewards. If it’s a collection of art then you need to treat the whole collection as one piece, and start and stop it where it makes the most sense, as if it were one. ‘Typically, modern and contemporary works hang at 1.55 metres, to the middle of the picture. As with every aspect of decorating, it helps to understand the basic principles first, then improvise—the most pleasing arrangement may be the one you least expect. So the hanger for the painting should be at roughly 78 inches (198 cm). The weight of your painting will determine what fasteners and technique you will … Wallboard anchors are large nylon screws that house metal screws. Rest the canvas on a flat surface and get a tape measure or a ruler. You can install extra hooks, or you can even use a little piece of double-stick tape in the corner to keep everything secure.". This arrangement is good to accentuate a long piece of furniture in a room, such as a couch or dining table. There are several different methods for hanging canvas art. Tip: If needed, consider using multiple hooks side by side to make sure you have enough support. Engage as much as the wall as possible and orient the collection in the shape of the wall. If you are able to reframe the paintings, it will look best when all of them are in the same type of frame. By hanging pictures on a wall in ways that feature particular colors, the eye is encouraged to travel around an arrangement. Measure and lightly mark 57″ on the wall, measuring up from your floor. You can also hang a collection of small paintings in a pattern. Remove the back liner from the adhesive strip, and apply it directly to the wall where you want to hang your picture. Attach the D-Rings. Peter also has over 20 years of experience installing art and other mountable objects in residential, commercial, healthcare and hospitality contexts. Don’t eyeball it! Screw eyes and braided wire are sold in a range of sizes to handle framed objects of different weights. [1] X Research source Nails. If your painting is heavier, look for another way to display it, such as leaning it up against the wall on your mantle or on a bookshelf. ", Step 4: The problem with hanging art at eye level in my house is my man is a foot taller than I am ;) designbyphoto on Dec 27, 2006: I think paintings should be hung at eye level to how you view them. The most important tool you'll need no matter the hanging method is a level – after all your hanging work, you don't want your canvas art to end up crooked. Remove the front liner from the strip and firmly press the utility hook against the surface. Find the right wall space. Hang Art by its Center. Most people have the tendency to hang artwork too high. 3. The center of your picture wants to be 57" from the floor, so we need to figure out next how much higher to place the picture hook. You can work with this arrangement with varied size paintings, but it will work better if you have frames that are all the same size. Find the height of the canvas center. This braces the painting even more. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Twist in the eyes by hand. Measure artwork and divide by 2 (this gives you the center) The center of … Peter also has over 20 years of experience installing art and other mountable objects in residential, commercial, healthcare and hospitality contexts. The point of this is that now the weight of the painting is distributed across two rings and a wire, rather than all being on a single ring. Measure from a top corner of the canvas to the bottom corner and write the measurement down. The temporary red line from a laser level is helpful for aligning a series of photos level with one another. Then, measure and mark a spot on your wall where the painting will be at eye level. For a standard 8-foot high gallery wall viewed from a standing position, the optimal position for a painting or piece of art is eye level. Mirrored walls work well to make a room feel larger than it actually is or to reflect a beautiful view. Please call us at: 1-800-HOME-DEPOT (1-800-466-3337), Please enter in your email address in the following format: you@domain.com. While slightly more difficult than the traditional wall hanging, the task is relatively easy to accomplish and obtain professional results. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. After all, necessity is the mother of invention, is it not?Turns out a lot of people have had this same thought and have created some lovely options to display artwork sans framing. Need Help? To learn how to hang a small painting or arrange multiple paintings on your wall, keep reading! Place the painting on one side of the mantel. If you’re hanging a picture with wire, use double wire for heavy pieces. That’s the height used by museums, and for displays at Christie’s,’ says Galligan. Your suggestion of putting a 3.8 cm nail left my painting look like it was floating because it was too long. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/4b\/Hang-a-Painting-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Hang-a-Painting-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/4b\/Hang-a-Painting-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid1818428-v4-728px-Hang-a-Painting-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":259,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":410,"licensing":"