Picture Framing Magazine
September 10, 2012 7:42 AM Subscribe
Do you have questions about picture framing? Picture Framing Magazine has answers.
For over 20 years, Picture Framing Magazine has been the "the only magazine devoted entirely to servicing the needs of the professional picture framer." Not a professional picture framer? Don't fret! The dozens of (pdf format) articles available online cover many topics of interest to the interested layperson or amateur framer. For example, there's a six part series on the history picture framing, beginning with twelfth century panel paintings and ending with the 19th century. Maybe you'd like to try embellishing some of your frames with gilding, but don't want to start with expensive gold leaf. In that case, this article on working with metal leaf is just for you. Maybe your interest lies in matting rather than framing. Or maybe you just want to read some inside baseball about the framing industry. Whatever aspect of picture framing interests you, Picture Framing Magazine has got you covered.
For over 20 years, Picture Framing Magazine has been the "the only magazine devoted entirely to servicing the needs of the professional picture framer." Not a professional picture framer? Don't fret! The dozens of (pdf format) articles available online cover many topics of interest to the interested layperson or amateur framer. For example, there's a six part series on the history picture framing, beginning with twelfth century panel paintings and ending with the 19th century. Maybe you'd like to try embellishing some of your frames with gilding, but don't want to start with expensive gold leaf. In that case, this article on working with metal leaf is just for you. Maybe your interest lies in matting rather than framing. Or maybe you just want to read some inside baseball about the framing industry. Whatever aspect of picture framing interests you, Picture Framing Magazine has got you covered.
This post was inspired by a recent-ish episode of The Woodwright's Shop (auto-play video), in which the host demonstrates a miter trimmer, which is a kind of terrifying-yet-awesome guillotine for cutting picture frames.
posted by jedicus at 7:47 AM on September 10, 2012
posted by jedicus at 7:47 AM on September 10, 2012
I want to flag this so hard: framing
posted by chavenet at 7:48 AM on September 10, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by chavenet at 7:48 AM on September 10, 2012 [3 favorites]
I'll see if I have time to check this out after reading Chewing's new feature on sugarless gum.
posted by cosmic.osmo at 7:58 AM on September 10, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by cosmic.osmo at 7:58 AM on September 10, 2012 [2 favorites]
Framing is one of the few bespoke industries left on this continent. It may be the only exposure Joe Middle Class ever gets to have the experience of walking into a shop and having a craftsperson create something especially for them. This is also why framing continues to be damn expensive even compared to the price of the prints that are often put in the frames. It's precision work requiring expensive equipment and a warehouse full of supplies that can't be used for anything else.
posted by seanmpuckett at 8:09 AM on September 10, 2012 [8 favorites]
posted by seanmpuckett at 8:09 AM on September 10, 2012 [8 favorites]
This post was inspired by a recent-ish episode of The Woodwright's Shop (auto-play video), in which the host demonstrates a miter trimmer, which is a kind of terrifying-yet-awesome guillotine for cutting picture frames.
Oh, man, that entire show is insane. Folks, for what it's like, imagine if Norm Abrams (the New Yankee Workshop/This Old House guy) made all the stuff he normally does but without a warehouse full of power tools, or even a proper vise. I'm pretty sure he's associated with the John C. Campbell Folk School.
posted by LionIndex at 8:46 AM on September 10, 2012
Oh, man, that entire show is insane. Folks, for what it's like, imagine if Norm Abrams (the New Yankee Workshop/This Old House guy) made all the stuff he normally does but without a warehouse full of power tools, or even a proper vise. I'm pretty sure he's associated with the John C. Campbell Folk School.
posted by LionIndex at 8:46 AM on September 10, 2012
Oh, man, that entire show is insane.
There's a reason we hand tool woodworkers call him Saint Roy. (well, lots of reasons...)
posted by billcicletta at 8:49 AM on September 10, 2012 [3 favorites]
There's a reason we hand tool woodworkers call him Saint Roy. (well, lots of reasons...)
posted by billcicletta at 8:49 AM on September 10, 2012 [3 favorites]
I worked in a framing store on weekends while I was doing my master's. Even just learning the elements that you had to know to be able to help the customers was complex. I only worked there for about a year and didn't feel like I was beginning to get the hang of it (HA!) for quite a while. It was fascinating, and the guys who did the actual work were craftsmen indeed.
posted by briank at 8:57 AM on September 10, 2012
posted by briank at 8:57 AM on September 10, 2012
This is a terrific magazine and it's so great that they've put a bunch of their stuff online. I read about how to frame needlecraft and am now totally enthralled with the article about Cortemaggiore. Any article where the writer gets to use the line "I felt like Indiana Jones." when talking about a thing they found in a warehouse is AOK by me.
posted by jessamyn at 9:09 AM on September 10, 2012
posted by jessamyn at 9:09 AM on September 10, 2012
Archival storage and display was a very intense and technical sub-program at Art School - there are some people who are really, really serious about framing as an art and science. It's hard work that requires taste and ability and constant education. No, I'm not kidding.
I once had one of my classmates shriek in wordless dismay when I copped to using spray adhesive and art board to mount my class assignment photos.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:39 AM on September 10, 2012
I once had one of my classmates shriek in wordless dismay when I copped to using spray adhesive and art board to mount my class assignment photos.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:39 AM on September 10, 2012
Roy (Woodwright Shop) always seasoned his projects with a little blood of the master. How did his hands survive all those years? The show ran forever and it was even more engrossing than Bob Ross.
posted by mightshould at 9:43 AM on September 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by mightshould at 9:43 AM on September 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
I've used a miter trimmer. It was fantastic!
posted by Prince_of_Cups at 9:54 AM on September 10, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by Prince_of_Cups at 9:54 AM on September 10, 2012 [2 favorites]
I have long wished to see the outtakes reel from The Woodwright's Shop, except that I am not sure I can handle that much gore.
posted by mosk at 10:28 AM on September 10, 2012
posted by mosk at 10:28 AM on September 10, 2012
How did his hands survive all those years? The show ran forever and it was even more engrossing than Bob Ross.
The Woodwright's Shop is still going. It's in its 31st year.
I have long wished to see the outtakes reel from The Woodwright's Shop, except that I am not sure I can handle that much gore.
There actually aren't a lot of outtakes because (with exceptions for on-location episodes) the show is filmed in one take. However, the 20th anniversary episode does have a nice montage of "the world's scariest small hand tool accidents captured on tape: When Hand Tools Attack."
posted by jedicus at 10:33 AM on September 10, 2012 [2 favorites]
The Woodwright's Shop is still going. It's in its 31st year.
I have long wished to see the outtakes reel from The Woodwright's Shop, except that I am not sure I can handle that much gore.
There actually aren't a lot of outtakes because (with exceptions for on-location episodes) the show is filmed in one take. However, the 20th anniversary episode does have a nice montage of "the world's scariest small hand tool accidents captured on tape: When Hand Tools Attack."
posted by jedicus at 10:33 AM on September 10, 2012 [2 favorites]
a nice montage of "the world's scariest small hand tool accidents captured on tape
oh god I can't watch that
posted by echo target at 10:39 AM on September 10, 2012
oh god I can't watch that
posted by echo target at 10:39 AM on September 10, 2012
Oh, it's not as bad as it sounds. A few minor cuts and a hammered thumb, basically. Roy is a bit prone to hyperbole.
posted by jedicus at 11:00 AM on September 10, 2012
posted by jedicus at 11:00 AM on September 10, 2012
Weird, I just got a fat warning from WOT trying to access the main site.
posted by jadepearl at 12:37 PM on September 10, 2012
posted by jadepearl at 12:37 PM on September 10, 2012
I was lucky enough to get a job at a do-it-yourself-with-supervision franchised frame shop in high school. Best part-time job ever! Framing is a skill that, once acquired, is seemingly always in demand and I never had trouble finding work in the field afterwards. When I moved out of state and needed to find a job quickly, I was hired at a frame shop in my new home town the day after I moved in. Although I haven't worked in a frame shop in ten years or so I could still probably pick it back up again in an afternoon (although my mat cutting skills would certainly need some practice.) Even now with a full-time career nowhere near that field, I always think "well, if this falls through I can always go back to framing."
posted by Hey Dean Yeager! at 2:08 PM on September 10, 2012
posted by Hey Dean Yeager! at 2:08 PM on September 10, 2012
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