How to Display Sketches

Make an accent wall. Hanging art on an accent wall makes the art stand out more, because an accent wall is painted a different color than the walls surrounding it. For example, paint one wall in the room Chinese red or cobalt blue, and paint the walls next to this wall a color such as cream or honey yellow.

Frame them. Since sketches are art on paper, plan on purchasing mats as well as frames for these pieces. If you choose archival quality mats, the sketches beneath them will be better protected and last longer, because these types of mats are designed to protect papers from the elements that break down paper over time. Experiment with pairing different colors of mats and frames together.

Mix up the styles of frames and mats to add visual interest to your display of sketches. Look for these items in your room's color schemes, but choose mats and frames that are shaped differently or that have some sort of decorative element on them such as beveling. It isn't necessary to make every frame and mat different. Just choosing a couple of different ones to display in various spots throughout your display will provide the contrast you desire.

Lay them out on the floor to experiment with different arrangements. This allows you to see which sketches look best next to each other. A couple of ways exist to help you determine the best way to display your sketches. For example, if you have several sketches of boats on the water, hang these together. Hanging them by color scheme also offers you an option. This would play out on your wall by hanging a series of red pictures or frames together in a group.

Hang your sketches at or above eye level when you do hang them up. It's OK to allow some fudge room on this, because a large picture will rise above and fall below eye level. Additionally, you might decide to hang a series of pictures with some on top and some below a center line of pictures. This type of arrangement works well when you have a gallery of pictures you hang in front of a couch or chair, because your eye level sitting down might be different than when you're standing up. Generally speaking, however, this is about 60-inches or so.