I brought back home my painting rolled up in a tube, will it be all right to frame?

In most cases, to frame painting rolled up, can be done.   The canvas can be unrolled, relaxed and either or fully framed Sometimes though, this isn't possible. In some cases, what happens is that the oil painting has been painted quite thickly, almost palette-like, that it has dried up, while tightly rolled up, and that on unrolling and straightening it, the surface of the painting starts to crack. In other instances, the artist who painted the canvas hasn't used quality oil painting media but cheaper acrylic house paint.

This type of paint will readily split and crack if even slightly bent or twisted during straightening or stretching. In yet other examples, an artist instead of painting over an  artist’s canvas, has painted on cotton-like, thin materials, like bed sheets, which have been gessoed over and then painted. Unfortunately, this method is even worse than painting with acrylic house paint.

Nevertheless, even in these challenging circumstances there can be ways around the problem. Often these inferior and damaged canvases can be successfully framed not by stretching them over a stretcher frame but by wet mounting them on suitable backings. If you're in the habit of going overseas to buy your oil paintings and shipping them home to yourself, family or friends you might consider a few tips to make sure your artwork gets where you want it in a good condition.

If possible, ask the artist you're buying the oil painting from to show you the paint he used. If that's not possible at least ask if oil paint or house paint has been used. Avoid anything painted with house paint as the painting will crack when rolled or unrolled form its transport tube. Before rolling up and shipping your oil painting, let it cure or dry properly. Ask the artist or gallery you bought it from how long this should be.

They ought to know. Lay a thick sheet of plastic or polyethylene on the canvas surface before you roll it. Make sure it's thick and clean. Glad wrap or bubble wrap are unsuitable as these might ferrotype (stick to) the paint and flak off and ruin the artwork. Roll and unroll the oil painting at warm or ambient room temperature and not in cold weather. Doing so while very cold or cold might just crack the oil paint, especially if thick.

Roll the painting into the widest tube you can find ( 10cms or more ) and do so as loosely as you can. The less the curvature of the rolled canvas is the less the risk of damage. The canvas should be rolled with the painted surface facing outwards, not inwards. Most people do the opposite and unwittingly increase the surface curvature and tension. Roll up the canvas as evenly as possible and tape its outer edges securely to the transporting tube to stop the canvas from moving and bumping during its transit.

If possible, put the tube you've rolled up your canvas in into another, bigger tube. The double wall protection will enhance its protection from damage during transport. Keep the transport tube upright on its ends rather than flat on its side, especially with large and heavy canvases. This will reduce the weight and unilateral surface paint compression. Don't leave the painting rolled inside its tube any longer than you have to. Unroll it or have someone unroll it as soon as you possible.

Lastly, if the tube with the rolled up canvas will be sent to a third party or someone other than you make sure that you include a note with your instructions as to what to do. At the very least, if the canvas is not going to be framed anytime soon, the person receiving it and removing it from its tube should place it flat somewhere flat, clean and at room temperature. Thank you for reading this post "I brought back home my painting rolled up in a tube, will it be all right to frame?".