How to Buy an Original Wall Art Painting (What You Need to Know)
Are you looking to buy a unique piece of art? Searching for an abstract painting, for example, the most popular type of modern art, can be a difficult and daunting process at times, especially if you are a first-time customer. This article will provide guidance, tips and advice on finding and purchasing original art. It is our aim to ensure you are as informed and knowledgeable as possible for you to find the perfect piece for your home or business.
There are several vital elements to consider when looking for an original wall art painting, regardless of whether you are a first-time buyer or a collector. The search can be an extremely intricate, complex, and an exhausting process, requiring a lot of time to study and compare. The sheer amount of options can be undoubtedly intimidating. With so many different styles, sizes, mediums and colors to choose from, it can be exceedingly difficult to make a decision.
If your goal is to find a hand-painted canvas art to brighten your walls, and bring life to your house, office or business, this article will be beneficial and valuable for you. The journey of acquiring art should be as easy, stress free and enjoyable as possible.
From searching to selecting and buying, these straightforward yet eye-opening questions will help you find your one-of-a-kind — dream painting.
Let’s get started!
1. What Is Your Favorite Painting Style and Medium?
Is abstract art your favorite style? Defining your personal preferences and the styles and mediums that you like is the key. In order to narrow down your options, it is important to ensure you are aware of exactly which type of visual art you like better. For example, several popular are:
Some of the mediums are:
It is essential that you investigate each one of them as you may find something you like or enjoy in one that you would not find if you limited yourself to another different style. Although it may be time-consuming, it will be worthwhile. How do you know what you like if you have not seen it yet?
Also, having a specific favorite style and medium of art will not only allow you to locate the pieces you like more efficiently, but it may also enable a quicker purchase.
2. What Is the Difference Between an Original Painting and a Print?
Both are great options and a beneficial addition to any home or business. However, it is important to understand how to distinguish one from the other. Here are some differences between an original painting and a print:
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- An original painting usually contains features such as textured brush strokes, rich and vibrant colors, as well as conveying the appearance, feel and smells of the paint used to create the piece.
- An original painting, very often, has a rough surface and uneven paint on the sides of the stretched canvas, something that can highlight the authenticity and uniqueness of the work.
- A print is a copy of an original painting — therefore less valuable, however still offering the style and attractiveness of the original.
- Also known as a reproduction, a print has a flat image and lacks the true color, vibrance and essence of a hand-painted art.
- A print generally has even edges, however this is not always the case.
Although most canvas prints are easily identified, some giclee prints are very well done, may be hand signed and can be very difficult to differentiate from the original. If you see a dot matrix pattern, the same or a similar pattern to those found in magazines or book images, it is most likely a print.
An original wall art painting may be a more expensive acquisition than a printed copy. Nevertheless, buying a one-of-a-kind piece is a magnificent experience that will bring style and class to any room or wall, while also being an investment opportunity. A print would be a perfectly suitable option if you do not wish to spend a large amount of money.
3. Would you Buy a Painting That Goes With Your Current Décor?
When browsing art collections, especially abstract canvas paintings, you should consider how a piece will fit with your current home decoration to ensure that the piece won’t stand out too much or seems out of place in your home. Look around at your furniture, rugs, lamps, curtains, and walls, and use these colors to choose a matching piece.
When you find a painting you like, try to imagine it in your home surrounded by your décor. In order to avoid being disappointed when you place your artwork, it is essential you do that before purchasing.
Also, it is critical that you measure the area in which the painting is going to be placed. The last thing you want to do is purchase a piece with the perfect style and colors only to find that when you attempt to fit it in place, it is too big or too small. Taking this information into account, your search for the work you desire should be much easier, faster, and more efficient.
4. How Much Are You Willing to Spend?
It is important that you have a fixed amount of money that you are allowing yourself to spend on the piece or pieces of art you require.
Set yourself a budget, and do not forget to consider the cost of the frame you will need for the artwork. Some works may be sold with a frame and some may not, while larger frames will usually be more expensive than smaller ones. Additionally, the more you pay for a frame, the higher quality it will be, allowing your artwork to have greater protection over the time.
PRO TIP: Paintings on gallery wrapped canvases may have painted edges and therefore they will not need a frame. Not only will this save you money, but it will also add a modern and contemporary look to your room.
5. Would You Prefer to Visit Art Galleries or Buy Paintings Online?
Visiting galleries in person can be fun, enjoyable and can allow you to personally view and examine the artwork. However, it can be time consuming as you must travel to the art and their selection is limited.
If you browse online, you can find much more variety, as well as a wider selection of sizes and colors. In case you find a painting that you like but has been already sold, the artist might be willing to create a similar piece for you. That is called “Commissioned Painting”.
The counterpoint to this is that, while online, you are only looking at edited images of the artwork. Also, you would have to pay for the piece to be delivered to your home — which can be expensive especially when purchasing larger paintings.
6. How Reliable Is the Art Dealer, Art Gallery or the Artist?
The hunger for the art world has led to the creation of shortcuts, resulting to a suffering industry and more importantly, a lack of credibility. — Art Business News
Unfortunately, scams and misrepresentations are part of the art business, much like any other business. Therefore, we highly suggest that you do some research about the art dealer, gallery, and artist before purchasing any work. This is especially true when you are obtaining an original painting as it can be easy for dealers to trick you into believing you are getting the “original”, when in reality it is a printed copy.
For this reason, make sure the painting is really a hand-made work from the artist and not a reproduction, in particular when purchasing art online.
7. What Is the Shipping, Return and Refund Policy?
Before purchasing, always ensure that you trust the seller and have no worries or reservations about your painting being delivered on time and in excellent condition.
Nowadays, companies require you to provide them with an email address to ensure smooth communications throughout the delivery process. At the very least you should receive three emails from the chosen company; one when you initially order the wall art confirming your order, one when your order has been dispatched and finally one when your order has arrived at your specified location.
You should also be provided with a tracking number for your order which allows you to follow the location of your order throughout the delivery process.
SIDENOTE: The tracking number and delivery confirmation are essential for proof of shipment as without these you may have no evidence of your transaction if it were to fail to arrive.
Also, look for and read the return and refund policy of the seller before placing your order, so that if you are unhappy with the delivered artwork, you know what your options are remedy. You should also be able to contact the seller through their company email address or phone number in case you have any questions or problems.
8. How Is Your Personal Information Protected?
When sharing your personal information, you must ensure that it is not being given to anyone untrustworthy.
When browsing artwork online, check the reviews of the websites before doing any transaction to ensure it is not fraudulent or in some cases even illegal. Sites like Trustpilot, can be very helpful for the reviews. Likewise, it is important to read their privacy policy before providing your personal information, including credit/debit cards and bank account information, as well as your home address. Some sellers may disclose some information with third parties, for example, advertising companies. It is up to you to decide if you are ok given them your personal information or not.
9. Is a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) Provided?
The Certificate of Authenticity (COA) is a document that provides assurance and verifies the authenticity of the original painting you have purchased. Although a COA is not necessary to prove that the artwork is original, it is recommended to ask if it is provided.
It is also advised that you make sure the COA is legitimate and comes from the artist or a qualified dealer, agent, or gallery. If a COA appears unprofessional or has any errors or abnormalities, it is likely a fake one.
Some buyers may not be overly worried about the authenticity of a piece of art; however, others may be more concerned and may be extremely disappointed if they discover a piece that they have bought is not authentic.
As mentioned earlier, scammers may try to deceive you and sell printed copies disguised as original works. Therefore, it is important that you are certain of the reliability of the gallery, artist or any other seller, especially when buying abstract art online.
BOTTOM LINE: The certificate of authenticity of an original wall art painting will give you the peace of mind that you do not own a copy or a fake reproduction.
10. How to Contact the Seller?
Any website through which you can purchase art online must have a contact link, that includes a telephone number, email address or another way to contact the seller. Any authentic online art selling website will want to make the process of purchasing paintings as easy as possible for you. Therefore, if you have any questions or issues regarding the artwork you wish, you should have no problems contacting them and they should be as pleasant and helpful as possible.
Conclusion
Owning an original wall art painting is an amazing experience as there is a special connection with the artist. A hand-painted abstract art, for example, allows you to discover new exciting features each time you look at it. These works can add beauty to any space and enhance the feelings and emotions of any spectator while also dramatically capturing the attention of the viewer.
Here at CGMODERNART, you will find 100% handmade original fine art. All paintings include a hand-signed and embossed Certificate of Authenticity. Prices are competitive and the artist, Carmen Guedez, prides herself on creating beautiful and high-quality wall art and providing an online shopping transaction that is easy and safe. She also offers outstanding customer service that is second to none.
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