Tips on How to Hang an Unframed Painting (Stretched Canvas without Wires)
Posted on May 6th, 2008 by Soniei
- Hang your painting at eye level. You usually don’t want to look up at your paintings, but enjoy them straight ahead. The only time I hang paintings above or below eye level is when I have a group of paintings in one area of a wall or if there’s an empty space above an entrance.
- Do not use wire. Brackets are best: Wire hangers are imprecise and you have to play with it to get the painting level. It also makes it hard to know where the center of the painting will be on the wall. I prefer brackets because they keep the painting level, even if someone bumps into it. My favorite brackets are D-rings or triangular hinged loops. I usually use two brackets per painting/canvas, but I sometimes use more than two brackets for a larger painting.
- J-shaped hooks: These are hooks that lie flat against the wall. I love the ones with the pins that go into the wall at 45 degrees instead of 90. Your local hardware store should carry a variety of picture hooks.
- Multiple Paintings: If you’re going to hang more than a couple paintings, I suggest a Stanley S2 Laser Level and Square. It projects a horizontal (or vertical) laser chalk line on your wall and makes hanging paintings so much easier. I don’t know what I would do without my Laser Level!
- The above tips are the basics only. If you’re hanging an unframed painting that’s very expensive, has incredible sentimental value or is extra large in size, you might want to ask a professional for some advice (like a head preparator at a museum or gallery).
- If you don’t live in earthquake city and your art won’t get bumped by kids or drunk people…. then read my other blog post: How to Hang an Unframed Canvas Painting – The Easy Peasy Way
