Here are some rules and tips for taking care of your new oil painting. 

Canvas Paintings:

• Never lean the painting on anything where the canvas, front or back, touches any object, especially corners or pointy objects. It will create a dent of stretched canvas that very likely will permanently disfigure your painting. Any time you lean the painting on something, make sure that only the wood frame contacts any object.
• Dust your painting regularly but only with a soft brush. Cloth of any kind can catch on peaks in the paint and either damage the paint or leave behind bits of cloth that is surprisingly hard to get rid of. Never use any kind of Pledge-like products or soap and water.
• Never use any kind of cleaning products to clean your painting. If something is spilled on it, or smoke damage, the best solution is to take it to a professional. Even water or damp cloth if used wrong could damage the painting.
• Exposure to direct sunlight for long periods of time may fade the colors in your painting. Choose a spot to hang it that is not in direct sunlight.
• Don’t hang in areas that can expose the painting to extreme heat or humidity, such as next to heaters or showers or in damp basements. 
• If you must transport the artwork, wrap it in glassine (or wax paper if you must). Use a flat piece of cardboard ON TOP OF THE GLASSINE to provide flat protection against anything contacting the painting surface. Never let bubble wrap touch the painting directly. Store or transport your paintings upright, never flat. Don’t let solid objects touch the front or back of the canvas. Be careful with the corners also. 
• When you hang the painting, make sure it is secure and that the hanging hardware can handle the weight. It’s best to hang a painting at eye level.
• If your painting gets physically damaged such as dented, scratched, torn, take it to a professional to repair.
• If you ever need or want to get rid of the work for any reason, always contact the artist, who should be informed of the work’s new whereabouts so he or she can update the artwork’s provenance records. Never, ever destroy or throw away an original work of art!!! If you absolutely can’t keep it for some reason, offer to give it back to the artist.
• Please note that the artist will always retain copyright in the painting. This means that nobody except the artist can copy, reproduce or photograph the artwork for distribution or commercial gain without the prior consent of the artist.
• Enjoy your work of art!

Paintings on boards:

• The same rules apply to artist’s board paintings, but on boards, the most vulnerable physical part of the painting is the corners (besides the surface of the painting). Extreme care should be taken not to let the painting fall, be dropped, or be rested on the corners.
• I highly recommend that any paintings on boards be framed so they are protected from damage.