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Chinese Painting Mounting

Unless the intention is to make a folding fan, then the next stage towards completing a finished picture is the mounting stage.

When the painting is finished and has had time to dry thoroughly, the fragile easily-creased paper has to be provided with the support it needs to make it manageable. This is done by mounting the absorbent paper on to a card backing.

Mounting

The equipment required

  1. A flat, well-polished metal or plastic surface, such as a freezer-top or a table with a synthetic plastic surface.
  2. Starch wallpaper paste (not a synthetic based one) mixed to a lightly thinner consistency than recommended for paper hanging.
  3. A large wallpaper brush with coarse bristles.
  4. Appropriate mounting board, which should not be the laminated type as this is likely to separate when wet. A card, such as antique, Queen Anne board is the most suitable.
  5. A sharp knife, metal straight edge, set squares (or square forming device) and a cutting board.

Method

  1. Prepare the working surface by ensuring that the flat table top is clean and wax polished.
  2. Check that the paste is correctly mixed.
  3. Cut the mounting board so that it will completely cover the whole of the painting.
  4. Lie the picture, painting side down, on to the table top and flatten it with the hand.
  5. Load the wallpaper brush fully, removing the excess; and then in a series of big, bold strokes from the centre of the painting to the outside, completely cover the painting with paste. Any creases or folds can be ‘cased’ away by patiently brushing the surface with a semi-loaded brush. Care must be taken not to press too heavily and the fingers and hands must be kept away from the wet surface.
  6. Check that all brush hairs, lumps of paste or spots of dirt are removed.
  7. Holding the mounting card just above the pasted surface, slowly lower it, ensuring that it is located so that the painting is completely covered by the card.   (photo)
  8. Press the two parts together using a wallpaper brush or roller. When you are sure that they have joined together, then carefully peel away the newly mounted painting from the table top, checking that the painting has, in fact, stuck to the card.
  9. Allow the mounted painting to dry by placing it flat onto a newspaper.
  10. The next stage in the process is to cut the picture to its correct size and shape.

 

If the picture is to be rectangular (very few Chinese paintings are square) then the best way to arrive at the correct proportions for the painting is by using two ‘L’ shaped pieces of board which can be moved around until the best position is found, and then the picture can be rimmed with a sharp knife.

Empty space remains an important part of the painting, even at the mounting stage, so the picture should not be cut down too drastically.

 

Presentation

When the painting is in its mounted, manageable state it can be presented in a variety of formats. Small paintings can be made into greetings cards.

To Make a Greetings Card

1. Divide a rectangular card into three sections. (An appropriate size might be 8in high by 6in wide for the finished card.) 
2. Cut out a rectangular hole in the centre section.
3. Place your completed painting behind the rectangular hold.
4. Fold the right hand section, under the picture and glue down. If necessary, colored paper can be placed behind the picture to produce a tinted background.
5. A message can then be written on the inside section.

Larger paintings can be glued on to colored backing board to make either vertical or horizontal pictures, remembering that Chinese paintings always have more space above the picture than below it, and also that the sides of the mounting board should be very narrow.