Tag: artist

Art Prints—Finding The Best Value

You’re not in college anymore, and it’s time to take down the posters and replace them with original art. But, you don’t have the money yet for oils or watercolors. Art prints are an affordable alternative, yet they too can be pricey. How can you tell if that art print that’s caught your eye is more than just another pretty face?

Art prints are works of art in and of themselves, and may be handmade by artist-printmakers (artists’ prints), digitally printed (giclée), or photomechanical reproductions (offset lithographs).

Artists’ prints are handmade and are not reproductions of paintings: the print is a unique work of art. The term covers a range of printmaking techniques such as etching, woodcut, engraving, screenprint and linocut. Editions tend to be less than 200, partly because the materials used to make the prints wear out. This type of print is sometimes called an “original print.”

Limited edition reproductions are multiples copies of the same image, but produced in guaranteed limited numbers. This makes the image more exclusive. The market price can rise over time, if demand outstrips supply. Edition sizes vary but are limited by market forces, not by the physical constraints of the printmaking method. Most limited editions are signed and numbered in pencil by the artist with a commitment that no other reproduction of the image will be made.

An open-edition reproduction print can be produced in any quantity and the image may also be used in other ways, such as on tableware. Open editions tend to cost less than limited editions and are much less likely to increase in value.

Giclée prints are made using digital printing technology, usually inkjet. The technology enables users to produce small runs of prints. It also allows retailers to offer ‘print on demand’ services, where buyers select an image and it is printed out there and then.

Several factors influence the price of art prints:

Artist and Rarity
Certainly the name of the artist is a major contributor to value. But the art prints of even the same artist may have widely ranging prices. This added value is due to rarity. The more valuable print may be part of a limited edition run of only a few copies, while the more affordable from a larger open-edition run. But they are both original pieces of art by the same artist. It’s a good idea to be well acquainted with the works of a particular artist and his or her peers as well. Research into an artist’s place in the art world will help you ensure you’re getting a good value.

Editions, Signatures and Seals
Before the twentieth century artists did not routinely number nor sign their prints by hand. A signature can come from the plate but is not much of a value. What counts is an individual signature of the artist on the print, usually with a pencil (ink would eventually fade). Modern art prints are often numbered by the artist himself, i.e., “34 / 100” (number 34 out of an edition of 100).

Condition
It’s not unusual for older art prints to have some flaws. If there aren’t any, check again! It might be a reproduction. While minor flaws such as slight soiling are considered normal, depending on age, other defects, such as trimming into the image or heavily faded colors, can reduce the value of a print considerably.

Quality of Impression
Prints taken early from a plate or woodblock are more precise and detailed in lines than later impressions. Depending on the technique, a block/plate is worn out after a certain amount of impressions. Hardly more than 2,000 impressions could be taken from a woodblock without a rather visible deterioration of quality. Look to the numbering (i.e., 15 / 450) to determine what place in the run the print had.

Size
Larger prints tend to cost more than smaller ones. This rule of thumb is less valid for older prints than for modern ones.

Provenance
Provenance, or the item’s ownership history, can influence value. Prints from a famous collection will usually yield a premium.

Subject
Although a matter of opinion and personal taste, the subject of a print has a great influence on value. You’ll pay more for cute animals, pretty women, nice landscapes, interesting portraits. Commercially non-appealing subjects are ugly, gloomy, or war-related, no matter how classically significant the work is. After all, it’s being bought to put on the wall. People will pay more if they like the image.

In the end, it’s your own opinion of the value of the print that matters the most. You’ll be happiest with an art print that you personally like. Although art prints can sometimes be a good investment, the best way to get the most for your money is to enjoy it every day as it graces your home. The value of that? Priceless.

Supplies Used For Creating Art

Many artists will display their artistic abilities at an early age. These are children that often use walls as a canvas and might choose to use various shades of color that could come from a variety of pencils, pens and crayons that they find at eye-level throughout the home. The art that they create might not be purchased by a local art gallery but it may be photographed and placed in a family album.

Some artists will choose to buy their art supplies from a local craft store. These stores tend to have a larger selection of paints because the paints can be used on a variety of projects that are for sale in the store. The selection of paints might be offered in tubes that can dispense paint onto boards where they can be combined with other colors as the artist paints a variety of images on a variety of materials.

The mediums used to display art can be canvas that is framed and offered in various sizes, or a sketch pad that is specially formulated to allow lead to adhere to the surface or be smudged a bit when the artist wants to show a bit more detail in the art that they are creating. The artists will be supplied with many types of lead to create silhouette paintings or landscapes that are roughly finished.

Many artists treat all of their supplies in a haphazard manner. Many friends might relate this treatment of the supplies as a form of creative expression. The artist always seems to know where to find the supplies that they need to accomplish any form of artwork that they are hired to make. A creative artist may have learned to improvise on supplies at times because they have not had a paying customer in a while.

Some artists prefer to sketch images out in rough draft before they apply those images to canvas. Canvas paintings are usually very expensive and artists will usually reserve their best paints to achieve a beautiful painting in the end. These pieces of art will usually be placed in real wood frames and later sealed on the back to project a professionally finished project that is ready for hanging anywhere.

An artist will keep a ready supply of all of the instruments that they use on a day to day basis including tools for sculpting and those tools and special pens that are used to write calligraphy. Every artist will always maintain an arsenal of brushes that they will use to apply a varied amount of colored paints to many surfaces. Some of those brushes will be synthetic and the better brushes will be made from horsehair.

Every artist will keep their best paintings in a portfolio that will be used to present art to customers. These protective folders are quite large in size and the artist can always be sure that the paintings remain safe inside when they tie the strings of the portfolio together and use it as a handy strap to carry the portfolio from one location to another. An artist will place a lot of value into the supplies they own because these supplies are the method that allows them to be creative.

Art Auctions For Sculptures

Art auctions for sculptures are a great way to find new art for your home or office. I like to peruse the online auction sites for nice sculptures. I have found some very interesting items when I’ve looked.

There was a sculpture sold on eBay recently that was entitled Love. The art auction for this sculpture went above the estimated value. The piece was red and blue and made of polychrome aluminum. The French artist’s name was Robert Indiana. The art auction listed the item as six feet tall, six feet wide and three feet deep.

I liked a hall stand that was carved from wood that I found in an online art auction. The carving depicted a playful bear climbing a fir tree. There was a young bear cub carved into one of the branches. The branches were there to serve as garment hooks and there was even a mirror on the piece in a carved oak leaf designed frame.

There was an exquisite sculpture by a Russian artist that was sold recently in an art auction. The subject of the sculpture was a Bar Mitzvah boy and the medium was marble. I think that marble statues seem so timeless and elegant. It is an excellent medium for a sculpture.

The wife of artist Yitzhak Danziger signed a certificate for the brass sculpture her husband completed in 1969. Danziger is an Israeli artist. The piece looked very abstract to me. It did not do very well in the art auction and sold for less than it’s estimated worth.

I found a lot of bronze sculptures in the online art auctions. Most of them were of people, but the ones I liked best were abstract. My absolute favorite was a Harry Bertoia bronze sculpture called Bush. This piece is also known as a Brain or Coral. The bidding for this piece of art in the art auction was started at thirty nine thousand dollars. It didn’t get a bidder.

I saw little interest in the bronze sculpture art auctions for animal figures. I’m not sure if the reasons they didn’t get bidders were because of subject matter or because of price. Bronze is an expensive medium for an artist to work in and it takes a lot of training to be proficient.

I have a favorite glass sculptor. His work goes for so much in online art auctions that I will probably never own a piece of his work. Dale Chihuly is magnificent. There are permanent installations of his tremendous work all over the world.

Crystal sculptures look more like paperweights to me. Online art auctions for glass representations of animals and sea life are really neat. My favorite art auction recently was for a hand blown glass jellyfish. It was magical.

I liked another online art auction for optical crystal that had been turned into a work of art by artist Christopher Ries. The piece was small and called Lotus. It would look so pretty in a well lit display case.

I’m jealous of the buyer that gets to call this sculpture their own. They won the piece in the art auction for just under a thousand dollars. This artist uses blocks of pure, clear lead crystal cast from Schott Glass Technologies of Duryea, Pennsylvania. It is truly amazing art. His work is prominently displayed in numerous galleries and even in the Columbus airport in Columbus, Ohio.

Why You Should Learn Micro Airbrush Art

Micro Airbrushing is a valuable skill for all airbrush artists. Being able to do micro airbrushing will allow for the artist to create a more realistic and more in depth detail on all small areas of their airbrush design. It is in these small areas that a lot of artist miss the chance to really define the details because they are unable to fully create the detailed area. Micro airbrushing is needed to really capture the details of these small areas. Micro airbrushing is also a valuable skill for an airbrush artist if they airbrush small model cars. By acquiring the skills needed to do micro airbrushing the artist can capture more detail in their airbrush art on the model car.

Imagine being able to create realistic eyes on a dragon you just airbrushed onto the hood of a small model car? When a person looks strongly at your artwork on the hood of the model car they can really see the capacity of the skills that you have as an airbrush artist. Or imagine that no matter what size your project is, even the fine details are brought out to the point that they demand to be noticed. All this can be done if an artist takes the time to learn micro airbrushing. There are couple of ways that an artist can learn how to do micro airbrush art.

One way that an artist can learn how to do micro airbrush art is to obtain a video created just to teach micro airbrushing. AirBrush Action has a video titled Micro Airbrushing that features airbrush artist Robert Benedict. With this video you will be shown how to airbrush 23 skulls onto an area the size of a dime. This video will show you every thing that you would every need to know about working with micro airbrushing. A couple of great features of the video is that you will learn how to truly work with House of Kolors paints and how to work with low air pressures. Learn more about how to do freehand is also a great asset of this video. These are advanced techniques and will take you as an artist to the next level of airbrush art.

Another way an artist can learn micro airbrushing is to work directly with an expert. Take on a workshop that teaches micro airbrushing and you can learn with some hands on projects under the supervision of an expert. Working with an expert can also mean signing up for some private one on one lessons that will give you more direct attention from the instructor. This could give you a little bit more of an edge over taking a work shop where the instructor has many people to teach at one time.

Once you have mastered your skills in micro airbrush art you will be amazed at the amount of detail that you can place in any airbrushing project. This ability will help set you apart from the rest of the competition and allow you to reach the top of the airbrush art industry. Becoming a truly renowned artist in your trade is dependent upon just how much detail you can capture in your work compared to other artists.

How To Start Your Own Art Collection On A Budget

It is amazing how the art world seems to have taken a hold of general society. Many more individuals are inclined to forgo reprints and posters and start collecting their own unique art pieces for their homes and offices.

Are you interested in starting your own collection of original art? If you do not have thousands of dollars to spend on famous original artwork then you may wish to consider some other ideas and sources for your art pieces.
One avenue to consider, especially if you have not spent much time cultivating your tastes, is to rent art from a local gallery. You can have an original piece from local artists for a fraction of the cost of purchase. You can also trade in your selection for new pieces which may be refreshing in a business environment, or even a smart way to select art for personal enjoyment if you are not sure which pieces will suit you long term.

Another avenue is to go to local art schools or check your paper for shows by student artists. Here you can buy original pieces by up-and-coming artists for much less than established artists. It also allows you to invest in the growth of local talent, and possibly make an investment that will appreciate enormously in value should the artist truly excel in their field.

If you have an artist’s community in your area – studios that are rented by local artists, you may also find that they hold open houses during the year. You may find artwork on sale as they promote themselves through this avenue. It also gives you a chance to speak with the artist and get a real history on the work you select.

Often art collectors are interested as much in the career of the artist as they are in their work. Finding an artist that moves you may cause you to consider collecting from a single artist rather than creating a diverse collection. Following the career of a new artist may give you a more valuable, as well as meaningful, collection down the road.

You may also finding interesting pieces in antique shops, markets and consignment stores. Always keep your eyes open for artwork that appeals to you and do not be too concerned with the value. Art is always subject to individual interpretation and only you can decide if a piece is worthy of your investment.

Do enjoy immersing yourself in your art collecting. Whether it is simply an occasional hobby or becomes an ongoing passion, art is an extension of our imagination that is one of the few truly human pursuits – it fills no need other than emotional – and yet has an impact that intrigues and fulfills us like no other.

The Online Art Gallery: Gaining Momentum

The Internet has expanded our world in many ways. Today, through the use of an online art gallery, we can buy, or just enjoy, works of art. If we are good enough, we can even sell our art work.

No one wants to be a starving artist, but can be hard for an up-and-coming artist to get enough people interested in his or her projects to want to purchase some of it. That’s only one of many reasons an online art gallery might be a godsend for those artists looking for their big break.

An online art gallery is a website that features art of various kinds. Whether the art itself is painting, sculpture, or any other form, the piece is first digitally photographed and then displayed on the website as a webpage image. Often, an online art gallery will display the works of several artists at once, or may offer several pieces from the same artist.

In return for this service, an online art gallery may make its money by receiving commissions from the sales of the work of the various artists. Usually, an agreement is tendered wherein any piece that is sold through the online art gallery is subject to a fee. The gallery withholds the fee once the art is sold and paid for.

This kind of arrangement works well for both parties. The artists can showcase their work to a broad audience, without the marketing expense having to come from their own pocket; the online art gallery benefits in that they collect a payment for the pieces that are sold and have a constant supply of art to draw in potential customers.

However, not all online art galleries use this type of arrangement. Some prefer to charge the artist a fee, which must be paid in advance. Generally, this fee is used to offset the bandwidth cost incurred by the site owners, as well as the cost for the website design itself. The good side of this is the artist will usually not have to pay a commission to the online art gallery once the sale is made.

An important added benefit to using an online art gallery is that the artist receives exposure as well. The online art gallery makes a profit only when people come to the website and buy from it. Because it is in their own best interest to do so, they will work hard at promoting their virtual space, which, in turn, promotes those artists showcased there. For the artists, this means more exposure, which can translate into more sales.

If you are interested in displaying your art work in such a manner, you should do some research as not every online art gallery is willing to feature the work of up-and-coming artists. Some of the more prestigious galleries prefer to focus on the works of more established artists.

Whether you are an artist, or simply an art connoisseur, you should browse the contents of an online art gallery. The level of quality and the sheer diversity of what you may find can surprise you.

Basics Of Buying Art: Whether You’re A Pro Or Not

Buying and collecting art intelligently can be done by
anyone. That’s right, anyone. You do not need to have
experience in collecting art, previous knowledge about
the art business, or even a degree in art history. The
truth is, all you’ll need is love for and appreciation
of fine art; plus a yearning to collect; lastly,
willingness to learn a some simple techniques that
would help you evaluate any kind of art work coming
from any period of history, whomever the artist is and
whatever his or her nationality is.

Anything Goes

Although you might read some specific suggestions and
recommendations describing specific works of art, you
should take note that there is really no right or
wrong kind of art and that there’s no right or wrong
method to collect or buy art.

Everyone has the freedom to collect whatever it is
that they feel like collecting and buy whatever pieces
they feel like buying. It doesn’t really matter
whenever and wherever you feel like purchasing art,
for whatever reason, and for how much you feel like
spending on the purchase. As a result, the following
tips are not for everyone, but are typically designed
for those who want to spend their money wisely on
worth it pieces.

If you happen to be one of those people, then here are
some tips on how you can be a better art collector.

Four Way Questions On Buying Art

If the time comes that you see a piece that you want,
whether it be a painting, sculpture or a print, there
are generally four questions that you should ask
yourself to start your decision making.

Who’s The Artist?

To answer this, you have 2 reliable sources: spoken
and written information. Spoken info usually comes
from the artist himself, gallery exhibiting the piece
or the dealer. It can also com from other collectors,
friends, family, and other people that are familiar
about the art or the artist being considered. On the
other hand, written info could come in a number of
forms like artist career resumes, gallery exhibit
catalogues, art reference books and exhibition
reviews. How Important Is It?

This could be answered by simply looking at as many
possible pieces done by the artist. Try to be familiar
with the range of the artists’ art and see where that
particular piece falls. You can start by asking the
seller to show you a number of pieces done by the
artist, whether original, in print, or in photographs.
Also try to see works from all periods of the artist’s
career; doing this can teach you a lot about the
artwork and the artist at hand.

Where Has It Been?

Third, it’s also important to know where that
particular piece of art has been. This is done by
accumulating all incidental information about the
piece. It’s similar to making a biography of the
piece, from its birth, which is the artists’
completion of it, up until the present day.

This can be helpful since good provenance and
documentation can increase an artwork’s desirability,
collectability, and market value. Having a good
provenance in the art world is analogous to having
good pedigree in the pet world. For example, if a
painting was exhibited at a notable and important art
show, then it is more collectible than a similar
painting that wasn’t; just the same with awards and
prizes.

Is The Price Fair?

For this question, it doesn’t really matter what the
piece’s value may be in the future, since nobody can
really answer that. What you should want to know is
whether the piece is fairly priced today or not. This
is a very important question, because just like other
services or goods, art can sometimes come overpriced.

Struggling artists have been coming up with new ways of getting their name out into the mainstream

Online art galleries are sprouting up all over the Internet. Many of these sites are created by the artists. Some online art galleries are a part of a community or talent pool. No matter which method an artist uses these resources are probably the most useful, convenient and productive tools for the modern artist.

The artist can create his own online art galleries by purchasing domain names. There are several sites that offer free web space but they often lack enough room to display the art adequately. You really want to use a source that offers a lot of options as well as a lot of space.

The great thing about these online art galleries is that they give the artists control over the presentations. When working as part of a talent pool or in a collective project, you may find that your own work might not gel with the rest of the online gallery. Creating an individual site is a great way to promote your work as a whole.

Maintaining the site and updating the art quickly becomes second nature. Online talent pools are also great because they help the artist promote his work. Even though these online art galleries do not showcase one single artist they do help in circulating the images.

Many talent pools require a percentage of the final cost of the project. Using online art galleries is a great way for an artist to apply for projects without carrying a portfolio or maintaining a one-man gallery that no one visits.

The talent pool online art galleries are also very useful for telecommuting jobs. The entire working relationship between artist and client can be handled over the Internet and by telephone.

The advances in art through computer generated images are astounding. The use of online art galleries for professional use is also incredible. Today’s artists have so many more opportunities to be exposed to a wide audience. Whether you want to find work or whether you just want to share your creations, online art galleries are the perfect vehicles for your craft.

Ten Tips for Buying Art – and Getting the Best Bang for Your Buck!

Investing in art can be rewarding on a personal and financial level. The following tips will ensure you get the best of both worlds!
1. Get online. Like everything else, comparison-shopping will ensure you find the best product for your situation. The Internet is the only efficient way to take advantage of the vast array of different styles, prices, mediums and sizes of art available to collectors.
2. Avoid art without a price. When you are directed to inquire about pricing, it is most likely an attempt to gauge your interest and charge you the highest possible price according to your circumstances.
3. Look for an independent artist. Commercial galleries have their place, but you get far better value when you purchase directly from an emerging or “not-yet-established” artist. Keep in mind, as well, that a gallery’s cut is usually 50% of what you pay.
4. Find a unique, consistent style. A contemporary work of art that looks “just like” a Monet or Picasso, for example, might have aesthetic appeal, but will not prove to be “valuable” over time. Ultimately, you want to find an artist who can eventually be identified by his or her style (without looking at the signature).
5. Study the artist’s biography. Knowing some fundamental information about an artist can help you gauge their potential for growth and often provides insight into their work.
6. Look for dedication, not education. When looking for a great doctor or lawyer, academic accreditation matters. When looking for great art, however, it really doesn’t matter at all. Artists whose work appreciates the fastest exhibit a strong work ethic and a lifelong dedication to their craft. Picasso, for example, had no formal training past the age of 16, but was the most prolific artist of the 20th century.
7. Interact directly with the artist before buying. Like hiring a good employee, the best way to “prospect” a particular artist is to speak with them. When buying art online, this also allows you to verify contact information and ensure a safe transaction.
8. Negotiate. If you find an artist whose work falls well within your budget, offer to by multiple pieces at a discounted price. Alternately, you could suggest buying successive pieces over time for a predetermined amount.
9. Frame the work yourself. A frame should not only enhance your art, but should also compliment the space in which it hangs. It is also less expensive to buy and ship unframed art.
10. Promote “your” artist after the deal is done. There is a direct correlation between the value of an artwork and the name recognition of the artist who painted it. By encouraging others to explore “your” artist’s work, you increase the value of your personal collection.

The Essentials On Authenticating And Attributing Art

You can find art for sale almost anywhere, most of it
coupled with a variety of forms of certification,
documentation, authentication, provenance,
attribution, and all other claims that the piece is by
this artist, etc. But guess what? None of these
papers, claims, certificates of authenticity,
documents or even tall tales mean a thing if they’re
not stated, authored, or else traceable to or directly
associated with accepted, recognized, and qualified
authorities about the art in question, and also the
artist themselves.

So here are some of the essentials to know on
attributing and authenticating art, how it works and
who the people to be trusted are.

They’re All Connected-Not!

One of the most pervasive problems in selling art
deals with “attributed” art. It’s so common that every
kind of unqualified individual would attribute
artworks to different kinds of artists, sad to say
100% of these attributions are considered to be
worthless.

How come? Simply because in the art industry,
legitimate attributions are only made by known and
recognized authority figures that have legitimate
authority on the attributed artists’ names.

Defining “Attributed”

Officially and technically speaking, “attributed”
means a specific work of art, which is most likely an
original, is at the hand and is certified by a
qualified authority on the matter. Take note that your
keywords here are “qualified authority”. Thus, if the
attribution is done by an unqualified person, then it
would be meaningless.

Who Are The Qualified Authority?

A qualified authority is someone who really knows what
he/she is talking about and has the proof to anything
he/she says. Qualified authorities are those people
that have deliberately studied the artist under
consideration, have already published papers about the
artist, and have curated major gallery shows or
museums catering the works of the artist.

They can also be someone who have taught courses about
the artist; bought or sold at least dozens or even
hundreds of artworks by the artist; have written
magazine articles, books, or catalogue essays about
the artist, and the like.

The artist him/herself can also be a qualified
authority, along with his relatives, employees, direct
descendants, and heirs. Also, people who have formal,
legal, or estate-granted sanctions or entitlements in
able to pass judgment the artist’s works are
considered to be qualified authorities. Most
importantly, they should be recognized throughout the
whole art community to the people in charge when it
comes to the matter of dealing with works by that
artist.

Who Are Not Qualified?

The list of people whom are not qualified could take
forever to complete. However, here are some of the
general characteristics of those unqualified people
who most likely say that they are qualified.

First off, you should watch out for those who think
that the piece they are selling is by this certain
artist just because the work ‘looks like’ it is done
by that artist; also, those who think that the piece
is by that artist because they saw some illustrations
from art books that are similar to the piece at hand.

Additionally, sellers that answer you with “that is
what the previous owner told me” kind of questions are
not to be trusted. You really can’t rely on
tattle-tailing to very if the work is an original or
not. This is just the same if they say that the work
is by such artist because the previous owner is rich
and famous.

You should also watch out for art appraisers, since
they only appraise and not authenticate; unless they
have qualifications to do so. Take note that appraisal
and authentication are two different things.

So, if you’re planning on buying a so-called original,
then you must make sure that the person you’re talking
to is a qualified authority, or better yet, the artist
himself!