Need help shipping an oil painting.

[LuckyDevil]

Hello all, last night i decided to grab some oil paints, brushes, and canvas paper sketchbook.

I friggin loved painting and it was my first time painting in oils. It came out better than i expected for my first painting and i would like to mail this particular painting.

Before i do anything i would like to know if i could send the painting with out being framed as in rolling it up and shipping it that way? or will that crack the paint once its dried?

or should i just frame it and the ship it.

I searched the forums and google but didn't find a clear answer.

Cheers :drinkup:

[Noah Bradley]

Someone more experienced than I may come along and tell you differently, but I'd say roll it up if you can. The paint should have enough elasticity that it won't crack. Shipping costs once you frame it are going to be a beast.

[Craig D]

You can roll it once it is dried. Freshly dried, even a few months or more, is still very flexible.

But roll it paint side out.

[DSillustration]

But roll it paint side out.

It may seem counter-intuitive, but Craig is right.

By rolling it paint-side out, you are essentially stretching the paint.
When you lay it flat, it then relaxes.
Rolling it paint-side in would cause the paint to stiffen in that shape, and then when you lay it flat it will stretch and crack.

[LuckyDevil]

Sweet thanks for the help guys.