How to Buy Art – Painting Buying Guide

Are you thinking about buying a painting?

Buying art can be a very complex and exhaustive process requiring a lot of time to research, study, compare and select. With so much variety in styles, sizes, mediums and colors, sometimes it can be very hard to make a decision about which painting to buy.

If you are looking for paintings to decorate your house, office or business, this article is for you. An Art Collector might choose a different approach.

From searching to selecting to buying, these basic questions will help you to find the perfect painting for you.

- What is your favorite Painting Style and Medium?

Defining what you like is the key. Popular painting styles are: Abstract Art, Impressionism Art, Realism Art, Expressionism Art, Surrealism Art. Some of the mediums are: Oil, Acrylic, Gouache and Watercolor. If you need more complete information, you can search for painting styles and mediums on Google.com, Yahoo.com or other source.

- Are you looking for an Original Painting or a Print?

An Original Painting usually has textured brush strokes, rich and vibrant colors, and overall, looks, feels and smells like an original. It usually has rough surface and uneven paint on the sides of the stretched canvas. Buying an original work of art is a magnificent experience and an investment opportunity.

A Print is a copy of the original painting. Also known as a reproduction, it usually has a flat image and lacks the true color and essence of an original fine art. It generally has even edges where the buyer typically does not look. If you see a dot matrix pattern, the same pattern you find in magazines or book images, it is probably a print. Some Giclee prints are very well done, may be hand signed and could be very difficult to differentiate from the original.

- Would you like an Artwork that goes with your current decor?

Look around at your furniture, wall color, rugs, lamps, curtains, etc and choose the colors you would like in the painting. Also, measure the area where the painting is going to be placed. With this information your search will be easier and faster.

- How much are you willing to spend?

Set a budget and consider the cost of the frame. Sometimes the frame can be very expensive. Paintings on Gallery Wrapped Canvases usually have painted edges and don’t need frame, saving you money and adding a contemporary look to your room.

- Would you prefer to visit Art Galleries or buy Paintings Online?

Visiting Galleries can be fun and you can personally see the artwork. However, it can be time consuming. Online you can find more variety and some artists will even re-create paintings that have already been sold (commissioned art).

- How reliable is the Art Dealer, Art Gallery or the Artist?

Scams and misrepresentations are part of the art business. Do some research about the Art Dealer, Gallery or Artist before purchasing. If you are buying an original painting, make sure it is really an original and not a reproduction.

- What is the Shipping and Handling and Return Policy?

Understanding the Shipping and Handling and Return Policies is very important. Insurance and tracking number or delivery confirmation are essential for proof of shipment. You should also be able to contact the seller in case you have any question or problem with the painting.

- Is a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) provided?

The Certificate of Authenticity (COA) provides assurance and verifies the authenticity of the painting you have purchased. Even though, a COA is not necessary to prove that the painting is original, it is recommended to ask if it is provided. Also, make sure the COA is legitimate and comes from the artist or a qualified dealer, agent, gallery, etc.

- How is your personal information protected?

Find out about the Privacy Policy, and make sure your personal information, including credit/debit cards and bank account information, is safe.

- How to contact the seller?

Any website where you can purchase online must have a contact link, telephone number or other way to contact the seller. So, if you have any question or problem with the painting, you should contact them right away.

Owning a work of art can be a fantastic experience. Fine Art brings harmony, glamour and sophistication to any room. It has the ability to beautify any space and transmit feelings and emotions to any spectator, somehow capturing all the attention.

At www.carmenguedez.com, Abstract Art Gallery, you will find 100% Hand-Made Original Fine Arts. All paintings have a Certificate of Authenticity, hand-signed and embossed with the official logo and a Fine Arts Registered number. Prices are competitive and the online shopping transaction is easy and safe. Shipping is fast and the customer service is outstanding.

Buying Yellow Paintings

I’ve been watching yellow paintings at an online auction site.  I wonder where these yellow paintings will end up hanging.  There were twenty bids on a painting of yellow daffodils.  It was really pretty.

I really liked the painting titled Red Flowers Yellow Ochre Morning.  It came in three panels that were each 20″X16″.  The picture online showed the painting above a bed and it just looked so clean and crisp.  The medium for this painting was acrylic.

The smallest paintings that I found were on a panel bracelet.  The paintings were of Indian and Near Eastern rulers.  The paintings were put in an openwork gold frame set with seed pearls.  This piece was created in the early twentieth century.

Another yellow painting that I liked was Yellow World by Karen Khachaturov.  There were a lot of contrasting yellows in it.  I could see yellow lemons and a beautiful yellow flower.  The lemons were painted so realistically.  This artist has paintings hanging in private galleries in over 40 countries.

I can only imagine that the oil painting of yellow roses by an unknown artist will hang in a lovely home.  The painting has a nice quality to it.  The petals of the yellow roses in the painting seemed to reach out as if they were still alive

There was a nice painting that had twenty bidders that was of a vase of yellow daffodils.  The feel of the painting was that of one of the masters in impressionist art.  The artist listed the item herself and she is also a poet and songwriter.  I can close my eyes and see that painting hanging in someone’s formal parlor.  It is so very elegant.

The future home of the French chic painting of yellow, lavender and pink roses must be that of a very feminine woman.  When I was looking at the painting, I could almost smell the roses.  I thought that the sale price of two hundred dollars was disappointing.  I think it should have sold for more.

My search for yellow paintings found a painting entitled Yellow Taking Over.  I don’t know why the artist titled his work like that.  There was some yellow in this collage, but not much.  The painting was done in 1956 by Nicholas Krushenick.  It came from the personal collection of a famous photographer that works for the Village Voice.  This would look good in someone’s law office.

I wish that I could have purchased the antique oil painting of exotic yellow flowers.  The auction said that it was painted in 1897.  The pictures made the painting look like it was in great shape for being over one hundred years old.  It would look good on the wall of my guest bedroom.

Artist Heidi Vaught had a listing for a painting she titled Ambiance numbered 10.  The painting had only one bidder and sold for the opening bid, one hundred dollars.  I think the winning bidder got quite a bargain.  This painting was abstract with lots of teal and yellow.

Another painting by Heidi Vaught went for sixty five dollars.  This was another bargain, if you ask me.  The painting was entitled Yellow Squared and it had a really dizzy feeling to it.  I liked it at first sight.

I have a friend that would have like the painting I found of a yellow cat.  It looked just like her cat.  The painting was an original acrylic contemporary painting in yellow ochre.  It would have complemented her modern furnishings.

Yellow roses make a wonderful subject.  I never tire of paintings of yellow roses.  My favorite recently was done by Joan Cobb Mayer.  The interpretation was stunning.

There was one other yellow rose oil painting that caught my eye recently.  This one was painted by Berniece Meyers.  The bloom extended to all sides of the canvas and the center seemed infinite.  I felt good after viewing it.

A Beginner?s Guide To Buying Canvas Paintings

If you are interested in collecting art you may be unsure where to begin. The art world is so diverse with a range of styles available from contemporary wall art to classical styles such as abstract, impressionism and realism. There are also paintings that have been created on a variety of bases. You can find canvas paintings, paintings on board or paper, or even mixed media or collages that use a variety of unique items to make up a piece.

If you are deciding where to begin, consider your home’s architecture and furnishings. Most open concept homes feature very modern architecture so a piece of contemporary wall art may be more fitting. Contemporary wall art is available in a range of styles and mediums including oil, acrylic and watercolor. They are available as canvas paintings, pieces on board or paper so your choices are really limitless.

Where will you be purchasing your pieces can have a large impact on what you can choose from. If you are buying canvas paintings from a gallery, you can often request that they reframe a piece in a way that suits your décor. If you are purchasing from an online website, you may be more interested in purchasing canvas paintings as they can be less expensive to ship than a piece painted on board or which has been framed under glass.

You may wonder why paintings are done on different materials. Oil paintings need a canvas or a board background that will not move and crack the paint. Acrylic should also be done as canvas wall paintings or on board. Watercolor, ink or graphite pieces need to be painted on paper.

Contemporary wall art can evoke a range of very strong feelings in the viewer. Pieces can be painted in a variety of styles varying from completely abstract to highly representational. Abstract or non-representational pieces usually use color or pattern to fill a space as opposed to a structured piece that composed according to set rules.

There are a few very famous painters of contemporary wall art. One of the most notable is Andy Warhol who created amazing pieces of pop icons and images such as his famous Campbell’s Soup Can series. Contemporary wall art is similar to modern art and there are many crossovers. Basically, contemporary wall art has been created by artists who have been active after the 1970’s, whereas modern artists such as Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollack were active from the mid 1900’s to the 1970’s.

If you are looking for canvas paintings in any style, you may be unsure about what you can expect to pay. Artwork can range significantly in price even among pieces that are painted on the same substrate (a canvas wall painting versus a painting on board) or are the same size. The fame of the artist, the rarity of their work, the size of the piece and the style it is painted in can all affect the price of an original piece of artwork.

Everything you ever wanted to know about Buying a Canvas Painting

If you have decided to you want to become a collector of art, you might be unsure of how to begin and what you need to know. The world of art is a very diverse place that offers a huge range of varieties from modern art to the classics. You will also have to consider if you are interested in the abstract, realist, or impressionist type of paintings. Next, you have to determine if you want to concentrate on painting created from one type of medium and what type of base such as board, canvas, or paper.

First, look at your home and the items you have furnished it with. Many homes have modern pieces of art hung in them to match the contemporary style of the architecture. You might be interested in hanging some canvas painting but will need to consider the mediums such as oils, watercolors, and acrylics that are available. If you want, you might even consider the paper or board base. The actual number of possible combinations can be very high, so you will have many options to consider.

If you have decided on a canvas type of painting, you will have to think about where to purchase your art. A traditional gallery is an excellent place to begin and many will reframed or frame a piece to suit the décor of your home. Another option is to consider using an online site to buy a canvas painting, as it is often not as expensive to send you pieces that have been created on canvas than on other bases such as board or something that is covered with glass.

If you are curious as to why so many different bases exist that can be used to create art, each medium is often best suited to different bases. An oil painting usually requires a canvas to work on to help prevent cracking of the paint and because it is unlikely to move. Watercolors, graphite, and ink pieces are best created on paper. Acrylics can require the use of canvas or boards.

Contemporary art refers to painting done since the 70s up until today. This type of art usually will bring out strong emotions from the people who view the art and it will be created in two styles from abstract to representation. The abstract is often a swirl of colors that may not look like anything in particular but it can bring out interesting images when gazed upon. The representational piece usually has an image that one can recognize.

Modern art pieces usually include works created from the 1900s to the 1970s when contemporary work began. Picasso and Pollack are just a couple of the artist you might associate with this time of work. Of course, classical art includes work from before the 1900s such as the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci.

Canvas paintings can come in many styles and if you are unsure about which you are looking for, check out the Internet for some help. Prices can be significantly different depending on which artist you choose. How famous the artist might be, how rare the work is, the size and style used to paint the work can all have an effect on the cost of the final piece you are interested in.