Hand-painted in the UK | Delivered Worldwide

JO SHEPHERD
PET PORTRAITS

JO SHEPHERD PET PORTRAITS JO SHEPHERD PET PORTRAITS JO SHEPHERD PET PORTRAITS
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    • Framing Advice
    • Gifting a Pet Portrait
  • Blog
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    • Home
    • About Me
    • Pet Portraits
    • Testimonials
    • Prices
    • Contact
    • Portraits by Type
      • Dog Portraits
      • Cat Portraits
      • Rabbit Portraits
      • Memorial Pet Portraits
    • Portrait Guides & Advice
      • FAQs
      • How it Works
      • Size Guide
      • Photo Guide
      • Framing Advice
      • Gifting a Pet Portrait
    • Blog

JO SHEPHERD
PET PORTRAITS

JO SHEPHERD PET PORTRAITS JO SHEPHERD PET PORTRAITS JO SHEPHERD PET PORTRAITS
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Pet Portraits
  • Testimonials
  • Prices
  • Contact
  • Portraits by Type
    • Dog Portraits
    • Cat Portraits
    • Rabbit Portraits
    • Memorial Pet Portraits
  • Portrait Guides & Advice
    • FAQs
    • How it Works
    • Size Guide
    • Photo Guide
    • Framing Advice
    • Gifting a Pet Portrait
  • Blog

Framing & Care Advice

Ensuring your pet portrait stays beautiful for years to come.

A little love and care goes a very long way! I want to make sure your pet portrait stays just as bright, beautiful, and full of life as the day it arrives.


Below, you’ll find my favourite tips on choosing the right frame, finding the perfect sunny (but not too sunny!) spot to display it, and keeping your artwork safe from damage for years to come.

What You'll Learn:

Take your time exploring and discover valuable tips & advice on framing and caring for your pet portrait.


  • How Your Portrait Will Arrive
  • Why Framing Matters
  • Professional vs Shop Bought
  • Framing Your Portrait at Home
  • Why I Recommend Professional Framing
  • Caring For Your Pet Portrait
  • Hanging Your Portrait
  • Finding a Framer

How Will Your Portrait Arrive?

Once your portrait leaves my hands, I want it to be with you as soon as possible.

If you're ordering from within the UK, your portrait will arrive with Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm® the next day. The service is fast and reliable with full tracking and a photo and signature upon delivery.


If you're located outside the UK and wish to order a pet portrait, please get in touch and I'll be happy to discuss your delivery options.

How your portrait be presented

Framing is not currently provided with my pet portraits, but I am careful to ensure that it is presented in a thoughtful manner.


All portraits are provided with an acid-free mount and backing board, and sealed in a clear envelope before being carefully packaged.

What are your next steps?

While a simple shop bought frame can absolutely work, there are a few things worth knowing so that your original watercolour artwork lasts the test of time as well as looking great in your home.

Things to Consider:


➔ Professional Framing: Is it worth it and what are the benefits?


➔ Hanging your Portrait: Does the location matter?


➔ Preserving your Watercolour: Ways to protect your painting.



All of these questions and many more are answered in this guide. If you have further questions, don't hesitate to get in touch.

Why Framing Matters?

Watercolour pet portrait reviews from happy customers, by Jo Shepherd, UK pet portrait artist

Watercolours are a delicate medium.

Your pet portrait is a hand-painted, original watercolour, and factors such as light, moisture and dust can affect it over time, which is why good framing plays such an important part in protecting it.


A well-chosen frame will also enhance the overall look and feel of your portrait - helping it stand out, feel polished and sit beautifully within your home.

Explore my Portraits

Professional vs Shop Bought Frames

Professional Framing

Professional Framing

Professional Framing

 ✔ Archival quality, acid-free materials

 ✔ Knowledge and expertise

 ✔ More choice of aesthetics/finishes

 ✔ Options for customisation

 

Professional framing will likely cost more, but it will be a worthwhile investment for a valuable/sentimental original watercolour painting.

Framing at Home

Professional Framing

Professional Framing

 ✔ Affordable off-the-shelf frames

 ✔ Convenient if you have limited-time

 ✖ Less Durabilty over time

 ✖ Limited options for customisation and aesthetics


Be aware that shop-bought frames can damage a watercolour over time, so do make use of the acid-free mounts and backing boards that I provide.

Framing Your Portrait at Home

If you’re framing your portrait yourself, here are a few simple tips to help you protect it:

1. Choose a frame with a mount

A mount is the white border around the artwork. It prevents the painting from touching the glass, which is important for watercolours.

2. Use acid-free materials

Acid-free mounts and backing boards help prevent yellowing over time. 


A backing board is the board that sits behind your painting inside the frame, supporting it and keeping it flat. You can find acid-free mounts and boards in most art or hobby shops.

3. Secure the painting safely

Never use masking or sticky tape directly on the artwork — it can damage the paper over time.


Use archival photo corners to hold the corners in place, or an archival hinge along the top edge if extra stability is needed. This keeps the painting secure while allowing it to expand slightly with humidity.

4. Check the back of the frame

Many shop-bought frames have a thin brown cardboard backing behind the artwork, which can attract moisture and damage your painting. 


If you see this, replace it with an acid-free backing board. Make sure the outer back panel is securely in place to keep everything snug, helping prevent dust, moisture, and insects from getting inside.

5. Make sure the portrait isn't squashed

Your artwork shouldn’t be pressed tightly against the mount or glass.
It should sit comfortably inside the frame with no bowing, bending, or crinkling.

6. Keep everything clean before closing the frame

Wipe the inside of the glass and gently dust the mount so no bits get trapped around the artwork.

Professional Framing: Benefits

Extra Protection

Personalised Touches

Elevated Aesthetics

Professional framing protects your custom portrait from environmental damage over time. A professional framer will use:


 ➔ Acid-free mount & backing board


 ➔ UV-protective glass


 ➔ A professionally sealed frame


This helps prevent the delicate paper from yellowing and the watercolour artwork from fading, while keeping out dust & moisture, so your portrait remains perfect over time.

Elevated Aesthetics

Personalised Touches

Elevated Aesthetics

Professional framing doesn't just protect your painting - it enhances its overall appearance. You will have many more design choices such as:


 ➔ High-quality frame materials 


 ➔ Coloured or textured mounts


 ➔ Various widths and sizes


Professional framers will advise you on what will best suit your portrait, for a high-quality, carefully thought-out finished look.

Personalised Touches

Personalised Touches

Personalised Touches

Professional framers can add unique, personal touches to a frame that make it even more meaningful. Options can include:


 ➔  A personalised engraved plaque


 ➔  Your pet's name tag


 ➔  A favourite collar


These sentimental features can be beautifully integrated into the mount or frame itself, creating a deeply personal and unique finished portrait.

Caring For Your Framed Portrait

Watercolour is a delicate medium and your portraits require a little care to keep them looking their

So what are some of the factors that can actually damage a watercolour artwork over time? Below you'll find some of the main culprits:

Environmental Factors

➔ Light Exposure


➔ Humidity & Temperature Fluctuations


➔ Insects and Mould

Material & Physical Factors

➔ Improper Framing


➔ Poor Quality Materials


➔ Contact with Glass

This is advisory information. Please remember that following proper framing guidelines will help to protect your portrait from any of these potential problems.

Hanging Your Portrait

Custom cat portrait in watercolour of a ginger tabby cat in a black frame

When you're ready to hang your pet portrait, make sure to consider the following advice.

Once your pet portrait is framed, professionally or otherwise, you'll want to choose the right place to hang it, where it can be admired every day but where it also stays in perfect condition, for years to come. For that reason, you'll want to be aware of the following considerations:

➔ The Lighting

Avoid direct sunlight or harsh artificial light, as this can cause fading over time. Soft, indirect light is best for maintaining vibrancy.

➔ The Wall

Try not to hang your portrait on the inside of an external wall. These can be colder, increasing the chance of condensation forming behind the frame.

➔ Room Temperature & Humidity

Keep your portrait in a room with stable, moderate conditions. Avoid bathrooms, kitchens or areas prone to steam or large temperature changes.

➔ Nearby Airflow

Avoid placing it directly above radiators, heaters or air vents, where heat or airflow can affect both the frame and the paper inside.

Finding a Professional Framer

Watercolour pet portrait reviews from happy customers, by Jo Shepherd, UK pet portrait artist

When looking for a professional framer, it's worth looking around and comparing your options.

If you decide to explore professional framing, a quick Google search such as "picture framing near me" or "custom framing [your town]" is usually the best place to start.


It can be helpful to visit one or two framers in person and chat with them directly.


Let them know it's an original watercolour and show them photographs so that they can talk you through possible options. You'll be able to compare styles, see examples and get quotes.



If you do have your portrait professionally framed, don't forget to share your photos with me. With your permission, I'd love to share them on my website.


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