Let’s hang out! - How to hang artwork

When hanging artwork in a group, it’s all about relationships!

Consider:
•Balanced composition
•Centerline
•Eye level
•Horizontal line
•Similar subject
•Visual balance

What exactly is eye level?!
The most appealing way to show framed artwork is to have the horizontal centerline of the artwork at the eye level of the viewer.

But not everyone is the same height! When people sit down there can be as much as two feet difference in their eye level.

In rooms where people usually sit, position art lower on the wall. Hang artwork higher in places like hallways.

What’s an average eye level? Take the eye level of the tallest and shortest in your family and the average is halfway between the two. It’s easier for a tall person to bend down than for a short person to look up, so make adjustments if you have a basketball player in the family! In a child's room, hang art at the youngster’s eye level.

Solo scenario
The simplest arrangement - and perhaps the most dramatic - is an arrangement of one picture, perhaps over a low sofa, cabinet or chest.

Don’t hang artwork over an object that competes for the viewer’s attention - the artwork should be the center of attention!
And a fireplace is a totally unsuitable place to hang artwork if preservation is a concern!

Magic with multiples
There are a variety of ways to group multiple pictures. Hang pictures with frames all in a row, so all the bottoms or tops of the frames line up - this works only if the frames are about the same overall size. Or, line up the horizontal centerline of each picture in the row.

When hanging many pieces together, use a haphazard grouping or controlled grid system, perhaps as an arrangement you add to over time. Use a wide variety of objects, framed and unframed, large and small.

A grid pattern is a tightly controlled arrangement, requiring careful measurements and attention to detail. It is not easily put together, and once set, not easily altered without upsetting the whole effect.

Stop before you drill!
Before putting holes in your walls, make sure of your arrangement! Lay the pieces out on the floor. When you’ve settled on the right pattern, make a measured drawing of the arrangement, then hang the framed pieces on the wall using your drawing as a guide.

Rules are meant to be broken!
If you break any of the basic rules, just be sure it’s very obvious you did it on purpose - you don’t want people thinking you just didn’t know how to group your artwork!

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