One of the things that I do is write about art. As an artist, I have a lot of thoughts on the subject and sometimes I share them with people who ask questions or comment on pieces that I have posted. One thing that has become glaringly obvious to me though, is that most people are not educated about art and the entire process from start to finish.
Telling someone how much it costs to paint a piece or what materials were used is like talking about plumbing to someone who doesn’t know anything about it. They need to know what you are using the art for and why. Is it for your home? To sell? To give as a gift? What colors and styles suit your decor? etc.
There are pitfalls everywhere and here are three things you should consider before you buy a piece or commission one from an artist!
1) Consider the frame**
2) Consider size*
3) Consider location**
It seems like common sense but if you have never had an original painting before, then you may not realize just how important these things can be. A lot of times people will message me because they want me to paint something for them but they don’t tell me what they plan on doing with it or where they plan on putting it
Buying art is intimidating. It seems like an exclusive club that you need to know someone to get in. The galleries and fairs are off limits to most of us, and we don’t know the artists. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
It was made for you.
Most of us love art, but very few people actually collect it or try to build a collection. We can look at it in books, on the internet and in museums, but most art collecting happens with buyers who have a lot of money to spend on something they really want.
Thing is that everyone loves art, and there is a lot out there that is affordable. I’m not talking about prints or posters – I’m talking about original works of art that aren’t even expensive by most standards. There are many pieces out there for $100 or less.
The first thing to consider when buying art online: how much do you really love this piece? If it’s just something you think would look nice on your wall (or a gift for someone else) then don’t buy it at all – keep looking until you find something you really love. If you’re an artist or involved in the arts then this process will be easier for you because you’ll already
Art is a subjective thing. Personal taste comes into play here and what you like may not be what someone else likes. It is important to keep this in mind when you are buying art.
There are some basic things to think about when you buy art. Below are some questions that can help you decide whether or not a piece of art is worth buying.
1. Who made it? A lot of the time, artists who do not have many sales or who do not have “big name” status still make quality work.
Art is one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented subjects in the world today. Art is not a true investment, the way real estate or gold are. The value of art is subjective, and it usually has little to do with its quality or artistic merit. Art can be a good investment because it’s portable, but that’s not a reason to buy it: even if you’re buying a Picasso because you love it, you’d better have some other reasons—or that piece of art will be lonely in your living room.
How art works as an investment mostly comes down to luck. You buy something that you like, and then a few years later you sell it for more than you paid for it. You win the lottery without having bought a ticket. If you want to make money on art, don’t think about what you’re buying: think about how much other people will pay for it when they see your taste.’
1. You need to know your taste.
This is the most obvious, but it is also the hardest. And by taste I don’t just mean what you like, but why. If you are an artist, you will have a better idea of where your tastes lie that someone who has not been exposed to art all their life. If you are looking to buy art on a budget to fill up blank spaces in your house/office, it’s even more important to know why you like or dislike something so that in the future you can make better decisions.
2. You need to know what will look good in your space.
This one may seem obvious too, and it is, but it’s also really important. A lot of people think they like a particular kind of art work, but when they actually see it hanging in their home they don’t like it as much as they thought they would.
Visiting the galleries is always a good idea because it allows you to see how the art works in the actual space and if you are passionate about art, visiting galleries can be an exciting and fun experience.
3. You need to know what will be affordable for you.
If you are looking at a piece of art that costs more than $50
The first piece of advice I have for anyone looking to buy a piece of art is to do your homework and know what you are buying. If you are interested in buying a work by an artist but don’t know much about them, do some research. Find out who they studied under, where they studied, what other artists they like, etc. The best way to learn about an artist is to see their work in person, but if that isn’t possible then spend some time on the internet looking at their paintings.
Art collectors aren’t all out to rip you off. Most of them are knowledgeable about the artists that they collect and want to share that knowledge with others. However, there are a lot of unscrupulous people out there trying to sell fakes and forgeries at prices that seem too good to be true. To protect yourself from being fooled look for the following signs:
1) Research the artist – Do your homework before making an investment in a work of art by doing online research or checking books on art history at your local library or bookstore. There are also many websites available on the Internet dedicated to art and artists. The best way to learn about an artist is to see their work in person, but if that isn’t possible then spend some time on
What do you see when you look at this picture?
If your answer was, “A pile of cans, an old desk and a chair,” then you are missing the point. The artist didn’t paint a pile of cans, an old desk and a chair. He painted a portrait of his father’s study.
Unless you have an extremely talented eye, or an unusual degree of empathy with the artist, it is impossible to see something in a painting that isn’t there. So if you don’t see what the artist saw, it’s not because he failed — it’s because you failed.
What did the artist see? The first thing to realize is that artists aren’t born with some magical ability to create beautiful images. They learn how to do it. And part of learning how to do it is understanding what makes one image beautiful and another not. To an artist, there is no such thing as “the way things really are.” There is only “the way things appear.” And the job of an artist — or anyone who creates art — is to figure out how things appear, and then show that to other people.
The reason this particular image seems so real isn’t that it reveals the way things really are; it’s that it reveals the
