Prints and Paintings: Definitions and Distinctions
If you like paintings and want to make your home filled with splashes of colors and canvases with original images, you must have a clear idea about actual artworks and prints. Nowadays, finding a printed photograph of a famous painting is straightforward, but finding the primary picture is challenging. In the upcoming parts of this blog, you will find out about prints vs. paintings.
To differentiate between canvas prints and paintings, you need to understand pictures will have raw results; they will have actual brushstrokes, and it is possible even to get the natural smell of paints. Painters always put their signatures on their artworks, too. Sometimes, painters use different brushes for different paint mediums. You can research different paintbrush strokes from that too.
Prints have flat ink dots. Print work has been engraved, inked, and obtained on paper using a press. The printing of a picture may be carried out in several copies of that print. But artworks will be of only one copy of the original artist painted.
Source: WhataPortrait
Comparing Visual Aspects: Print vs. Painting
In this blog section, you will understand the visual aspects of prints vs. paintings.
2. Visual Characteristics of Prints
- Print quality: Print quality includes how well the characters conform to their intended shapes, uniformity of limb width, and uniformity of print density.
- Reproducibility: You can have multiple reproduced prints.
- Letterpress printing: It has sharp edges because of the direct contact of metal on paper.
Understanding Reproduction Techniques in Printing
There are different printing reproduction techniques available. In this blog section, you will find out.
- Half-tone printing: The picture is broken into tiny dots of different sizes.
- Lino block: A layer of linoleum is mounted on a wood block and carved using knives and gauges.
- Digital printing: Electronic files are used to print pieces in digital painting. Tools include scanners, inkjet printer, laser markers, etc.
3. Visual Aspects of Original Paintings
- Texture: Artists use various mediums to create a physical or tactile surface texture. You can see brushstrokes or palette knife texture.
- Shape: There are different shapes of original artworks available. Various conditions can evoke different moods and meanings.
- Tone: You can see multiple techniques used in original artworks. Tones contrast dark and light, the illusion of a dramatic atmosphere.
- Color: Colors make the most potent mood or atmosphere of a picture.
Cost and Value: Navigating Price Differences
There is a price difference between original artworks and fine art prints. Before buying any of it, you must understand this: this blog section will have every detail.
4. Pricing Factors: Prints and Original Paintings
Factors Influencing the Cost of Prints -
Art prints are usually inexpensive as they are not exclusive and are printed in mass quantities. The value of an art print can depend upon some factors, such as
- The print number of that edition
- Whether the image is signed
- The piece quality
- The production process
- Artists' investment in that print procedure
Valuing the Uniqueness and Rarity of Original Paintings-
Original artworks tend to be more expensive, though several factors are involved in determining the price of any original image.
- The rarity of the artwork: If the particular is only one of a kind, or the artist has made only one piece of art, then the value of such a rare piece is very high.
- The artist's reputation: The artist's reputation, the museum that sold the painting, or the painter who painted that painting is also of crucial value.
- Market's demand: The demand for such artwork in the market.
- Painting's ownership history and age: When any rare, unique picture is ancient, its market value rises very high.
- The physical condition of that painting: The painting's physical condition with its uniqueness is also a demanding factor.
- Genre and colors
- Mentions and exhibitions
- The painting dimension
Source: Google
5. Prints vs. Original Painting Price: Decoding the Investment
Art prints are usually inexpensive as they are not exclusive and are printed in mass quantities. The value of an art print can depend upon some factors, such as
- The print number of that edition prints
- Whether the image is signed with artist signature
- The piece quality
- The production process
- Artists' investment in that print procedure
Understanding Artistic Intent: Originality and Expression
Artistic intent is the artist's motivation, determining the end product of a work of art. Artists decide which type of material they will use. The artist's intent is visible in the output, what thoughts they had while painting the art piece.
The originality of any painting is the formal relation between all the elements in a sensible or imaginary particular. Artistic expression includes various functions such as texture, shape, form, medium, tone, colors, value, and materiality.
6. Interpreting the Essence of Original Artwork
In this section, you will understand the essence of original work. To define original artwork, it is the artist's first authentic piece of work. This definition is mainly for those artworks that are the artist's handwork, excluding digital prints, copies, or other reproductions. The essence of art and creativity lies in the originality. And faith in a non-plagiarized product.
Exploring the Connection Between Artist and Creation
Artists create art to convey their feelings and thoughts. Artists use medium, shape, texture, space, form, and value to make the best creation. They arrange these elements to create the art piece. The relationship between artist and their output is often intimate. The artist's stories are visible throughout their artwork.
Exploring Print Reproductions: Aesthetic and Accessible Alternatives
7. Original Artwork Prints: A Bridge Between Authenticity and Accessibility
A print reproduction is a copy of an original artwork. Reproductions can be made of artworks, drawings, and digital art. Making a reproduced artwork doesn't involve any creative process but rather a mechanical process.
The image is transferred from the source using a photo-mechanical process. The idea is then printed onto a new materials like paper or canvas.
Original artworks are one of a kind; however, over time, authentic images can physically look older than art prints. Be it original artworks or art prints, it needs to be stored delicately.
Making Art More Accessible to a Wider Audience
If you make an artwork, you must want to make it visible to a broader audience. You can sell it. With art prints, your artwork can get recognition from a larger audience. Consider making various reproduced copies of your original artwork to reach a broader audience. With the advancement in printing process technology, you can make excellent quality art prints.
Here, you can find other ways to make your art visible to a broader audience.
● Display artwork in multiple places: One of the most effective ways to reach a bigger audience is publicly displaying your artworks. You can contact art galleries and museums to let them showcase your artwork.
● Social media: Instagram, Facebook, etc. Social media works great to display your work to a broader media. Consider posting your artwork there.
You should know about selling artworks.
Identifying the Authentic: Spotting Original Paintings and Prints
Spotting Originality: How to Distinguish an Original Painting from a Print
If you are a person who is utterly obsessed with the original painting, then you need to understand how you can distinguish an original image from an art print. In the following sections, you will understand how -
- Texture: Original artworks have visible brushstrokes on them. You can see the paint texture; for example, if you want to distinguish, and if it is an oil painting or gouache painting, you can see the paint texture over it. Prints have sharp and ink dots on flat surfaces and even edges.
- Signature: Signature is critical in analyzing the battle of prints vs. paintings. Hand signatures will have variations caused by pen pressure. Printed or automated signatures are more uniform. Sometimes artists use markers on canvas to paint.
- Old paintings: When distinguishing painting and print, old is gold. Old artworks have the olden essence of the framed canvas; most importantly, the paint can tell you the difference between painting and print. If the painting is new, you can smell it and quickly tell it is the unique smell of paint. You do not even need to be a master to tell the difference. Anyone can see the difference. If you want to practice it, visit museums and art galleries and observe the artworks.
- Authenticity certificate: You can look for authenticity certificates. It is a signed document proving the artist's original oil painting. This is a mandatory document to provide the actual picture you will buy.
Making Your Choice: Considerations When Acquiring Art
9. Choosing Between Painting and Print: Factors to Ponder
It might be hard for you to choose between original painting and art print. In this blog section, you will discover factors you should consider before buying any of them -
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- Your budget- Budget is the most crucial factor while buying anything. It will primarily determine what you should go for. This is very simple: the original painting of any famous artist might be quite high-budgeted for some people. If you have an ample budget and appreciate original srtworks, consider buying original ones only. Art prints are inexpensive as they reproduce copies of unique artworks. You can go for these if you are on a low budget.
- Colors and texture- Original artworks have a completely different texture and color vibrance, easily visible to the naked eye. But art prints lack texture and color vibrance. If you are a person who loves to have paintings that have deep brushstrokes with remarkable hues, then you should go for original images. Prints can not have these colors and textures as these are mechanically reproduced from the original versions. You can go for shots if you want fewer deep engraved signs of actual drawing.
- Color palette- Art prints do not produce the drawing with the natural color palette artists use. You can differentiate between original and art print drawing from the colors. Art prints tend to have loose color palette variation.
Source- Google
As in the real painting of Starry Night by Van Gogh, you can see the bright, vibrant hues of colors.
Source- Amazon
You can see the difference between the two artworks. The color palette difference says it all.
- Aesthetic appeal- Aesthetic appeal is significant nowadays. Art is intended to appeal to and connect with human emotion. Its content creation determines the aesthetic appeal of an image.
- Intention- Buying an original painting or art prints depends on your preference. Why are you considering buying it? If it's because you want to decorate your home or gift it to someone. It can be anything. You can choose an original piece for your home decor. It will give your home an artsy finish. People loved to see original artworks as home decor. However, depending on the budget, you can go for an alternative, art prints; they also give your home an excellent finish. If you are gifting, you can consider an original artwork, too. Giving them such an authentic gift may make your loved one happy. Also, you can grant art prints.
- Supporting artists- If you know painters very closely, you will understand getting support as an artist is tough. Nowadays, getting an art print is way more accessible, making it challenging for real artists. Please support them by buying their original authentic drawings from art galleries, museums, or artists.
Also read: How to Make Photos Look Vintage: A Guide to Achieving That Classic Vibe
Conclusion: Celebrating Diversity in Art Appreciation
The bottom line is that you must consider every element regarding your choice to buy artwork. As you read earlier, finding an art print of any original painting from the internet is relatively straightforward, but you have to find the real one. But if you are an authenticity lover, you will find a way to get your best original painting.
Diversity is appreciated in the art world. People accepted art prints as well as original authentic art. We live in a diverse world, so we must assume that many forms of original paintings are available in the market. The people who are printing the authentic images are also the ones who need to earn.
The choice is entirely yours to choose from, such a wide variety of options. Remember, if you buy an original artwork, you support the actual artist of that painting. Also, if you are someone who will buy an art print, then also you are helping someone in need. So, do not judge yourself if you buy art prints of original artwork. It is entirely your choice.
