guidelines 3

These guidelines are not hard and fast rules and this one can be broken but it is important to be aware of why and when it is being done. Complimentary colours are a notable case, but that's another essay.

The best way to harmonise the framing and picture is to use the same colours as the artist. The main mount is usually a neutral colour although the tone can be critical, we use around twelve mounts from white to a light cream to find the best match. Further colours can be taken from the background, a highlight or specific feature in the picture. By varying the tone and area of colour it is possible to control the effect of the various combinations. With framing it is possible to change the appearance and prominence of colours within the picture, hopefully for the better but if not done with care can spoil a master piece.

When dealing with black and white compositions any colour in the mount or frame will stand out and be a distraction. Choices are limited to white, grey and black, but you have to be very careful here as will be explained next.

There are a number of occasions when you may want to use specific colours that do not follow this guideline. If you have an overall theme in a room you may want to coordinate a picture with the colour of the decor or furnishings. For sporting subjects a team’s or sponsor’s colours can be introduced. When framing for a company we can use the corporate colours. There is nothing wrong with any of these choices, what is important is what the picture means to you and the effect you are looking to create.

David Shepherd, Buffalo
This triple mounted limited edition print has a neutral top mount with light and dark grey under mounts matched to the colours of the buffalo in the picture.