Framing art work is a matter personal choice depending on your home décor, personal taste and of course budget. Pastel work must be framed behind glass to protect the work.
There are numerous options you can take from purchasing off the shelf ‘cheaper’ frames from your local shop to bespoke frames from your nearest professional framer. There are choices of colours, choices of moulding types (from plain to ornate), & choices of possible mounts. If this sounds scary, don’t worry, it isn’t!
If you go to a professional framer, often well worth the money, they will be able to advise you through the process from every style and mounting option. It is easy to check prices by calling them with the dimensions of your portrait.
If you are on a limited budget you can purchase frames for only a few pounds. It’s a good idea to look around and compare the look and quality of them to get something you are happy with. My pastel work is professionally mounted on card (the size of the image) to make the process easy. Off the shelf frames come with mounts (a piece of card with a window cut out of the centre). You can either frame the work without a mount – get a frame to same size as the dimensions you ordered your portrait. (You will need to remove the back and card mount, ensure the glass is clean (no fingerprints! Nor hairs or dust.) Only handle the art work with clean hands, being careful not to touch the image surface. Insert the portrait carefully into the frame, insert the back, close the clips. Hang carefully! And enjoy! Alternatively many people prefer to have mounts because it can really set the work off well. Cutting a mount to the right size takes a little common sense and the right tools. You may well be able to do this yourself. It does not cost much however to get a framer to cut just the mounts for your shop bought frame. They can do either a double or even triple mount which makes your frame look much more expensive than it was.
The frame protects the work from the elements and sets the portrait off to its best advantage so it can last. If you are unsure I can help you. If you live in the UK there is a website called www.pictureframesexpress.co.uk which offer a lot of choice to give you some ideas of what is available.
Hanging Tips
All the materials I use are the best quality from pigments to papers. They do need to avoid some conditions however to really last the test of time. Avoid hanging the portrait in directly sunlight. It is best not to hang the work in bathrooms and kitchens where humidity can also eventually damage work.