Understanding Artwork

First of all? buy what you love!? Unless you are going to become an art investor and in which case you need a lot of knowledge and deep pockets, you should buy art because it speaks to you. Sorry for the clich? but you will know when you like a piece. You may like light and airy landscapes or stormy ocean scenes or paintings that have animals or children in them or architectural renderings and Botanicals. You may like pale colours or bright, bold colours. There are so many styles and subject matters of art all over the world so get out there and enjoy it. You can buy anything from $5 posters and prints to pieces worth millions. ?There are endless choices and art can really finish off you room or office just right.

What types of art are there?

Original Artwork

There is original hand-painted artwork.? This can be an oil painting, a watercolour or even a mixed media encompassing many different forms.

There are also pencil drawers (etchings) and pastels.? Just because a piece of artwork is an original does not mean that it has value however.

There are also hand-painted copies. Often a famous painting is reproduced by hand by another artists. Depending on the quality of the copy and other factors, good hand-painted copies of a famous painting can still fetch a decent value although nowhere near the value of the original painting.

There also carvings, sculptures (metal, stone, glass), glass work (blown glass pieces, etched etc.)

Prints

Is the painting a print? If so, who is the artist? How many prints are there in the series? Is it 1 of just 10 of one of 3500. A print can be classified as limited but it lacks rarity if it is one of several hundred or several thousand and rarity is a big factor in art value. Is the print hand-signed by the artist? Is the print a lithograph or serigraph? ?A?lithograph?is an authorized copy of an original work created by the artist himself or other skilled craftsmen, production numbers are often lower than regular prints. A serigraph or silk screen is created when paint is ‘pushed’ through a silkscreen onto paper or canvas. A?Woodblock?is a primarily Asian or Japanese technique for printing text or images on fine paper.

Many places ask a lot of money for limited edition prints, bear in mind that for the foreseeable future with rare exceptions, prints will not have a lot of money until an artist passes away and if the print run is very small.? If you like it and have the money, buy it!? Don?t worry about what it may bring you in return in the future.

Factors affecting value in a piece of artwork include:

Physical Condition

Is it in good condition, clean, tear and rip free, un-faded, the canvas in not dried out and is the frame in good condition. Often a very good frame, especially in an antique painting can be a large part of its value.

Provenance

Who is the artist? What is there story? Are they ?listed? meaning that have a history of auction sales to help estimate a value? Does the artist have any designations or belong to any important Artist groups such as the Canadian Group of Seven?

Rarity

Rarity is one of the most important factors in value.? People are willing to pay more money for an item that is rare and one-of-a-kind.? Rarity makes something special and unique.

Demand

Demand can vary. Like furniture, clothing styles and interior design and architecture styles, demand for artwork can vary based on economic conditions, trends and all of the above factors. An artist may trend very high for a decade buy then due to over saturation of the marketplace, their work can become unpopular and people try to sell it therefore pushing its value down low and fast.

Consignment Canada carries a vast array of artwork from antique to contemporary originals to prints, lithographs, carvings and sculptures.? If you have questions about artwork or need a piece appraised, please don?t hesitate to call us or come in and see us. We love to discuss artwork and enjoy many styles and kinds of artwork ourselves. ?Here are just a few samples of the many pieces we currently have in store.

 

 

Subject Matter

Subject matter is also important and can often depend on trends.? Right now, very good Canadian landscapes in the style of the Group of 7 sell well.? Most of these paintings were painted in Ontario and Quebec early to mid-20^th century.? Sometimes paintings with animals in them can sell well. Portraits are not as in demand as other paintings due to their personal nature and if the portrait is of a person that you don?t know or don?t recognize.? Dark, violent scenes with the exceptions of some Old Masters are not favoured or in demand either.

Consignment Canada carries a vast array of artwork from antique to contemporary originals to prints, lithographs, carvings and sculptures.? If you have questions about artwork or need a piece appraised, please don?t hesitate to call us or come in and see us. We love to discuss artwork and enjoy many styles and kinds of artwork ourselves. ?Here are just a few samples of the many pieces we currently have in store.?