The Framers Forum

Normally when I'm deciding where the mount goes or how much space to give around artwork I will measure the extremities of the picture, in this case the branch on the cross-stitch.

We agreed the mount would be 15mm from the edge. As you can see from the first photo even though the artwork as a whole is in the middle of the window, it actually looks as though it is way over to the right as the subject of the artwork is the birds so the brain almost ignores the branch.

To fix it I had to move the cross-stitch over meaning the mount is around 10mm from the left edge and 20mm from the right edge.

I've come across this effect a few times over the years although this one in particular was quite pronounced and needed adjustment.

I think that you got this one right. I would not say that the middle of the branch is actually the middle of the image in this case. It is makes better sense to centre the group of birds instead. Looks nice!

That's an interesting example. My brain says top one. There are four subjects to look at. The bottom photo directs my eye straight to the middle of the backs of the centre two birds.

Looked at from a distance, I would have instinctively said the top one.

Looked at close up, then the bottom one makes more sense.

Then when it's on the wall, it will never get any more than a cursory glance.

I wonder how the same artwork would look in an oval mount? Maybe the lack of straight edges on the mount aperture, would make how the image is centred less obvious!

I would definitely go with the bottom one.

With something like that I build up the aperture with mount chevrons or scraps, until it looks right, and then measure.

Interesting that we have a few different views already.
I actually ended up framing it ever so slightly to the right of where the bottom one is, so neither the branch, nor the birds were exactly in the centre, but somewhere between the two although closer to the birds than the branch (if that all makes sense)