Q: I recently purchased several old architectural blueprint
drawings on blueprint paper dating from 1900 to 1930. I would like to
mount the drawings on canvas or art board and create an abstract
acrylic painting over them allowing certain areas of the old blueprints
to show through. What is the best way to safely mount the drawings on a
stable surface (canvas or board)?
A: I would suggest taking the blueprint drawings to a
professional framer, who can dry-mount the paper smoothly onto an
archival backing. Blueprint papers are delicate and could buckle if you
do not have experience mounting them. I do not suggest mounting the
papers on canvas because they may not adhere smoothly, and using a wet
glue with blueprint paper may cause the ink in the drawings to bleed.
--by Camille LaPointe-Lyons