When completed, I sprayed it with two types of fixative including a matte varnish to increase water resistance and smudge resistance.
Any work on paper needs to be framed under glass or Plexiglas. Your 12x9 artwork will fit easily into a standard store bought frame with glass. Black, gray, and silver frames work especially well with graphite.
Or you can choose to mat the art to a different shape and size for your decorating needs.
The purpose of a mat is to keep the art from touching the glass especially if condensation is an issue. If matting, I recommend using an offwhite mat similar to the Bristol. That will focus the attention away from the mat and onto the drawing.Matted work looks good with a narrow frame.
If leaving unmatted, “spacers” can keep the art from touching the glass. A framer should be able to sell them to you separately. They are long self-sticking strips which cut easily with scissors and stick to the glass. Alternatively, you or the framer can cut two thin strips of mat board and stick them along the long dimension of the frame to serve as spacers.
Here is a link to an illustrated explanation of spacers. The linked page is talking about framing a pastel..... a topic for another post.
As with any artwork, avoid hanging in direct sunlight.
Enjoy your heirloom quality portrait for many years.
