How to layer art prints without crowding a wall

Welcome to my blog, I am a professional cartoonist, illustrator, artist and writer. My site here is intended to promote a range of works that I think will look good on the wall. Included on my site is not just my own work, but some works by other artists whose work I love and hope to bring to a wider audience. I hope you enjoy your tour of my site and welcome any feedback. Prints are fulfilled by The Print Space for prints on paper, they are one of the UK's premier fine art print companies, and there is also the option of buying some images printed onto canvas, these are fulfilled by Printumo. All prints are available worldwide.

A wall does not need to be filled edge to edge to feel finished. In fact, the most interesting arrangements often look as though they have grown over time: a large print resting behind a smaller drawing, a favourite photograph leaning against a framed landscape, or a bold piece given room to do its job. Layering is a useful way to make art feel part of a room rather than something pinned neatly into position.

How to layer art prints with a clear starting point

Begin with one print that deserves to lead. This is usually the largest piece, the strongest image, or simply the one you most want to look at. Put it at the back and let it establish the overall shape of the arrangement. A broad Gloucestershire landscape, for example, can provide a calm field of colour and space behind a smaller charcoal drawing or a sharper black and white image.

Do not worry about making every print the same size. A little difference in scale is what makes layering work. One large piece and two smaller ones will usually look better than three equally sized frames trying to share the same importance. If the biggest print is quiet in colour or tone, it can take an even more prominent position without making the room feel busy.

Try the grouping on the floor first. This is the least glamorous part of the job, but it saves a great deal of unnecessary drilling. Stand back, shift things about, and look for a shape that feels settled rather than overly symmetrical. You are not trying to make a shop display. You are making a wall that suits your room.

Let the overlap be deliberate

A small overlap is enough. Aim to cover the edge of the print behind by a few centimetres, rather than hiding half of it. The eye should still understand that there are separate works there. If the front print obscures the most interesting area of the piece behind, swap their positions or turn one slightly.

There is no rule saying that every piece must be hung. Leaning framed prints on a shelf, sideboard, mantelpiece or low cabinet is one of the easiest ways to create a relaxed layered arrangement. It is especially good if you like changing the work around, or if you have not quite decided where something belongs.

Mix subjects, but keep one visual thread

Layered art prints look strongest when the images have a conversation, not necessarily when they match. A sketchy charcoal drawing can sit very well with a carefully observed rural scene, because both have an honesty of line and mood. A Los Angeles advertising sign can work beside an old shed from the Gloucestershire countryside if there is a shared strength of shape, weathered surface or graphic contrast.

I have always found old industrial buildings, corrugated iron, sheds and industrial metalwork full of artistic possibility. Rust, faded paint, patched roofs and awkward structures have a rhythm that polished new buildings often lack. Sites on the River Severn, with their working edges, old materials and shifting light, have provided plenty of subject matter. These subjects can bring texture and character to a wall, particularly when paired with cleaner, simpler work.

The same goes for the large advertising signs found around Los Angeles. They are wonderfully direct images: big lettering, strong geometry and plenty of sun-baked colour. Available as photographic images as well as canvas prints, they can act as the bolder note in a group of quieter drawings or landscapes. A canvas can be particularly effective placed behind a framed paper print, as the difference in surface gives the arrangement another layer without adding clutter.

Use frames to create rhythm, not uniformity

Matching frames are safe, and sometimes exactly right. If you are layering several busy images, a consistent frame colour can hold the whole thing together. Simple black, white or natural wood frames tend to let the work remain the focus.

That said, everything does not need to match. A thin black frame beside a slightly wider oak one can look excellent, provided there is a reason for the contrast. Keep an eye on the weight of each frame. A very heavy frame around a small print can make it seem lost, while a delicate narrow frame may disappear around a large, forceful image.

If you are mixing unframed prints with framed work, use care. Paper edges, clips or a simple print rail can give a wall a more informal studio feel, but they need some breathing room. This approach works best in a creative room, hallway or home office, where a little informality is welcome.

Give the arrangement room to breathe

The common mistake is not too much art, but too little space around it. Once you have your layered group in place, look at the wall around the edges. A generous margin allows the arrangement to read as one intentional feature rather than a collection of things that happened to land there.

This matters particularly above furniture. If prints are sitting or hanging above a sofa, sideboard or desk, let the furniture anchor them. The overall arrangement should generally be narrower than the piece below it, unless you are creating a much larger gallery wall. Keep the lowest frame close enough to feel connected, but not so low that it seems to be resting on the furniture.

Lighting changes the result as well. Strong direct sunlight may fade prints over time, so a bright wall can be better for work behind UV-filtering glass, or for an arrangement that can be moved occasionally. In a darker corner, choose an image with clear tonal contrast, a pale mount or a print with a little more colour. You want the work to be seen, not merely known to be there.

Change the front piece when the mood changes

One of the pleasures of layering is that it is not fixed. The print at the front can be swapped in a minute, which gives a room a different feel without redecorating. A new photograph might take the lead in summer, while a charcoal drawing could suit a quieter winter wall.

New charcoal drawing images and new photographs have recently been added, along with exciting new works by Steve Parker. These are the sort of pieces that can refresh an existing group without requiring you to start again. A single new image can make you see the older work differently.

There is also no need to treat prints as precious objects that must remain untouched once framed. They are made to be lived with. None of the works are limited editions, so choose the image you genuinely want to keep seeing rather than worrying about building a collection according to somebody else's rules.

A layered wall should have a little tension, a little calm, and at least one thing that makes you stop for a second. Start with the print you love most, give it a good companion, and leave enough room for both to look good on the wall.