Colouring the bevelled edge

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Rainbow
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Colouring the bevelled edge

Post by Rainbow »

I'm sure I've read that some of the experts here sometimes colour the bevelled edge. I thought I'd try it initially on one of the jobs for myself. Various questions spring to mind - type of paint, type of brush/applicator, do you put tape on the mount first to prevent bleed, and so on. If anyone would be willing to share their knowledge about this technique, I'd be very interested to hear :)
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Re: Colouring the bevelled edge

Post by prospero »

Your friend is Scotch 810 Magic tape. But for the best results, tape it before you cut the window, laying strips over
where the cut will be and cutting though it. It will be in dead register then and nicely crimped down where it should be.

You have to experiment to see what paint suits the mountboard core. Transparent watercolour washes tend to look blotchy.
I'd go for Gouache (which is technically watercolour, but opaque). Again, you have to experiment with colour mixes. You may
have to apply several coats to build up the colour. The trick (if there is one) is not to try and put a lot on at once. Use a 'dry' brush
and apply it with side of the brush from behind.

The tape should peel away easily when it's dry. Good idea to use scrap paper to cover the rest of the exposed mount surface. :wink:
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Re: Colouring the bevelled edge

Post by Not your average framer »

I very often like to use acrylic gouache, it easy to work fast and dry quickly to a bleed resistant finish. Don't forget to thoroughly rub down the removable scotch magic tape to avoid paint creeping under the edge. It's a classy effect, but I rarely do it as I prefer painting mount reveals and bevels on the inner mounts of double mounts. This avoids the need for masking, rubbing down the tape and saves time too.

In the past, I have sometimes used acrylic gouache, but more often than not I now use acrylic paint mixed with a similar colour of chalky emulsion in two applications. The chalky emusion adds a bit of smoothness, which softens the corners and sharp edges around the cut out and give that classic hand finished look. As always something that looks nice gets appreciated, but stunning is what sells, so practice the technique to get that stunning finish.

I my own opinion this effect gets spoiled by using it with texture mountboard and I like really smooth mountboard for this sort of work, which for me is Arqadia 400 range solid core alpha-cellulose mountboard. I try to keep left over bit of this mountboard, because it it the idea mountboard for really smooth painted bevels and reveals. It's not the cheapest, but it looks stunning, even though you usually have to buy complete 5 sheet packs.
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Re: Colouring the bevelled edge

Post by poliopete »

There are a couple of Youtube vids By Ursala Hopson "Fine Art of French Matting" 1 and 2 that include painted bevels.

You will see examples of what Prospero ex[lains in his post demonstrated in these excellent short films. Well worth a look.

Peter.
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Re: Colouring the bevelled edge

Post by Rainbow »

Many thanks to you all for these comments, which are very helpful. I wouldn't have thought of putting tape on before cutting, or painting from behind, and I can see from the video how it's done. I'd rather use tape than the 220 grit sandpaper that Ursula uses to clean up afterwards - it obviously works for her but I can't imagine using sandpaper on mountboard.
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Re: Colouring the bevelled edge

Post by baughen »

It was one of the techniques demonstrated at the recent Fine Art Trade Guild's weekend workshops.
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Re: Colouring the bevelled edge

Post by prospero »

I should add that although I have done this as a academic exercise, I have never used a painted bevel on a 'real' job. :P
Sometimes I've used a gold-painted bevel, which can look classy, but never a coloured paint one.

When you first start off you tend to delve into all the various 'fancy' techniques. Very gratifying to learn and execute. But very rarely
will you be called upon to use them. Most of the time you just cannot charge enough to justify them. People will pay for a good-looking
frame job, but not for a testament to your skills.

Am I getting to be a cynical git or what? :lol: :cry:
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Re: Colouring the bevelled edge

Post by Not your average framer »

It does not do any harm to learn how to do things like this. Not everybody does stuff like this, but there are those who sometimes do something special as almost a trade mark thing that they get known for. I'm not saying that you should pick this as your particular trade mark thing, but there might be something speciallity that you can adopt that is particular good for you.
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Re: Colouring the bevelled edge

Post by cleaver »

Really interesting thread.

Is there any danger of the painted bevel offsetting paint onto the artwork over time?
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Re: Colouring the bevelled edge

Post by Steve N »

cleaver wrote
"Is there any danger of the painted bevel offsetting paint onto the artwork over time?"


never thought about it before, but if you are worried, you could but some P90 tape on the back of the mount, near the window to cover any paint.

If anybody wants to now how to do this, here my method

Tape to use is https://www.lionpic.co.uk/p/8543/3M-811 ... ble-1-roll

You need to put the Scotch Tape on the surface of the mount, so with you blank mount (no window cut , yet) set the mount guide (on your mount cutter) slightly more than the border of the mount, so if doing a 5cm border, set the guide to 5.5cm, put the blank mount in the mountcutter, now with a pencil put a couple of marks on the mount, using the bar the cutting head slides along, do this on all 4 sides around the mount.
Now on the bench, the blank face up, use the 811 tape, lay it on the face of the mount, using the pencil marks as a reference point, so the majority of the tape is between the pencil marks and the outer edge of the mount, so when you do cut the window, you will have 5mm of 811 tape of the center fall-out. But before you cut the mount, make sure burnish the 811 tape well.

Now rest the mount cutter to the finished size and cut the window as you would normally do.

Just check the tape is well down, especially at the edge of the now cut window, burnish again if necessary, once satisfied, paint the bevel, may need to do more than one coat, but once dry remove the 811 tape, don't leave it on too long as sometime it can leave a residue on the surface of the mount

That's all there is to it :rock:
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Re: Colouring the bevelled edge

Post by cleaver »

Great stuff, Steve, Prospero. Mark & all :clap: . Duly going on file (in the nicest way!).
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Re: Colouring the bevelled edge

Post by Not your average framer »

I like to use acrylic gouache for this sort of thing. It is not only fully waterproof when it has dried, but it is also available in a wide range of subtile and muted colours.
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Re: Colouring the bevelled edge

Post by David »

I like colouring bevels and find them cost effective, my technique is pretty much the same as Steve, mask off, using 811 removable magic tape, face up using the mount cutter as a guide, turn over so face down, cut window and paint from below. I use regular acrylic paint especially if it’s going to be in contact with the artwork, once it’s dry it’s not going anywhere. Other tips would be to make sure the tape is sealed around the top of the bevel and when removing pull the tape off over the window so you do not risk tearing the surface paper.
Blue bevel around a cross stitch to match the stitching.
Blue bevel around a cross stitch to match the stitching.
IMG_0883A.jpg (818.96 KiB) Viewed 7429 times
Gold bevel on Venetian print.
Gold bevel on Venetian print.
IMG_3814A.jpg (825.33 KiB) Viewed 7429 times
Gold and blue bevels to match a Rothmans Porsche.
Gold and blue bevels to match a Rothmans Porsche.
IMG_4168A.jpg (975.74 KiB) Viewed 7429 times
Pink bevels matching the 'Pink Pig' Porsche.
Pink bevels matching the 'Pink Pig' Porsche.
IMG_4148A.jpg (691.85 KiB) Viewed 7429 times
The Porsche pictures are from a series, the customer wanted them all framed the same so we went for a neutral grey mount and black frame. To give some subtle variety the bevels were then painted to match the colours of the car. The problems of photographing in different lighting conditions the mount boards are the same colour!!
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Re: Colouring the bevelled edge

Post by Steve N »

Nice and effective work David, also good tip regarding removing the 811 tape, by pulling it off towards the window to stop tearing the surface paper.
I also use acrylic paint as well, really sorry that Mat Magic paints and powders are no longer available, they were the 'dogs whats its' :giggle:
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Re: Colouring the bevelled edge

Post by Not your average framer »

It's that nice finishing touch that makes all the difference, without looking contrived. So subtile and yet a perfect completement to the artwork. I love it, just great. Well impressed!

:clap: :clap: :clap:

So much on the same wavelength as much of the same work I do in my shop. My customers love stuff like this, especially with understated hand finished frames finished to look a bit aged. So nice to see framing with such a classic look. In this day and age, you cannot fail to stand out from your competition when you produce this sort of work.

I hope no one thinks, I going over the top, but this is so much where I am at in my own business and I do stuff like this, because I enjoy doing it and I love to impress. Thank you David for showing this.
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Re: Colouring the bevelled edge

Post by Not your average framer »

I very rarely mask of mount bevels for paint by using painted bevels for the rear mounts of a double mount, the front mount hide any not very neat painted edge. For speed and ease of working, I like to stipple the painted edge which is simple and easy to do. I also like to make up deep bevel mounts using two left over strips of Normal 1.4mm mountboard glued up to make 2.8mm thick deep bevel mounts, which I almost always colour with paint, rather than using deep mount bevel tapes which often lose their stickiness before I get the chance to fully use the tape. The 2.8mm thickness strips are very close to being a 3mm thickness and look great as a thick and thin double mount with a coloured deep bevel for the deeper of the two mounts.

I don't get much call for 5mm deep bevel mounts and thicker 5mm deep bevel mounts much more to produce and customer demand for 5mm deep bevel mounts are not so worthwhile for me. Gnerally speaking 5mm deep bevel mounts are not very worthwhile for me and I can made much more worthwhile income from making my 3mm deep bevel mounts. Sometimes, I will make 2.25mm painted deep bevel mounts by painting cut strips of solid kraft core backing board and adding an extra mount underneath this mount to ensure that the bottom mount is of conservation quality and is safe for contact with the artwork. I am not personally very keen on making deep bevel mounts using foamboard as it is too easily marked and dented, but you don't always notice less easy to see marks until after you have pained the bevels and you have wasted your time and effect, so I don't use foamboard for these.
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Re: Colouring the bevelled edge

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