I am often asked about buying art, with regard to prices and values and also prints, and the risks of buying online. For what it's worth here are a few of my thoughts on the subject. You are completely free to disagree with everything I say, I shan't be offended... promise.
Guide to buying art:- Many people are wary about buying art, particularly from new or unknown artists, and unsure how much to pay, and wonder whether is it value for money. There is also the question of buying online where you don't get to see the actual work for real. Since this is a website I shall tackle this first.
Buying art online appears to present a problem for the buyer as they cannot physically see the painting, just an image which may or may not do credit to the actual piece for sale. The most important issue is does the seller offer a refund service if, when you receive the painting, you are dissapointed. Any worthwhile artist selling online should offer this as I do myself. Frequently the real thing will look far better than a representation on the computer screen. So can you trust the seller is the next big question. Despite comments that you read on the sellers website or auction listing, check that the feedback is genuine. A search of the web for the sellers name will usually bring up some results that you can check. Places like Ebay or eBid which operate seller reference systems. Has the seller won any awards, Do they belong to any Art Societies, this can all give you peace of mind. You can also check the web for evidence of this. If you have doubts ask the seller for some information to assist you. It is all a matter of building trust and confidence. Most artists are looking to establish a relationship with the buyer so they may purchase future work, so will not want to jeopardise this. You could of course arrange a cash on collection, most artists welcome personal contact with their patrons.
View:- What is the visual stimulus that catches your eye. You may be instinctivly drawn to a particular watercolour or acrylic painting. Stand back and consider it as a whole. (This may be difficult on the Internet!) I have often seen people peering closely at a watercolour painting trying to decide whether to purchase or not. Whilst this is useful for examining technique, most paintings in the home are viewed from across the room, sitting in your favourite chair! Stand back, view the painting from the same distance as you would view it at home. Even Constable's 'Haywain' looks totally different close up and may not encourage a purchase!
Value:- How much should I pay, and is it worth it. Value is different to price. Several million pounds for a painting may be the price for a work by a famous artist, but is that its value. You value a painting because you like it, the price should be what you are prepared to pay to have it on your wall, as opposed to someone elses. An artist usually spends considerable time on a good watercolour painting, and in addition to the overhead costs of brushes, paint, paper,mounts, and frames, also needs to feed themselves. If they spend 30 hours on a watercolour painting for example, is £120 expensive, that's less than the miniumum hourly wage, they'd be better stacking shelves at Tesco.
Most artists paint because of an inbuilt creative urge, driven to make a statement about the subject that inspired them to put brush to paper or canvas in the first place. So assuming you had the skill as an artist and spent the time painting it yourself, ask if you would be prepared to sell the painting you are considering for less.
Prints:-Are prints worth buying? A print is never going to have the same appeal as an original painting. It is a copy, albeit a good copy, even difficult to tell apart sometimes. An original painting which you purchase will always bring pleasure both to the purchaser who views it and also to the artist who has the satisfaction that his work is appreciated by others.
A print will provide the same visual stimulus as the original, but does not carry the same kudos as owning the original work of art. They are of course more affordable and bring pleasure to the viewer. I have only recently started to produce prints of my work to place it within reach of the modest collector.
Top celebrity artist's prints sell for hundreds of pounds, but then their originals often cost thousands. It is all a question of scale. The fundamental question with any piece of art is "DO YOU LIKE IT" if so, and you can afford it, buy the original, or if that's too expensive then buy the print.
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