Art Investment

The painting you purchased to match your furniture might just improve your worth or it may possibly be as ‘sell-able’ as that piece of art you made as a kid in art class. As with any investment, you really have to do research and push beyond your  comfort zone.  Art in the marketplace is fickle and there are no assurances you will make a good profit.  Getting out there and looking at the art and really thinking about potential purchases can fill your home with a serious art investment that may perhaps prove a worthy investment in the future and beyond. From experience, the following  recommendations for picking fine art and identifying the Picasso from the puke.

 

Original Suggestions: Paintings and Giclées
You stroll into an art gallery and fall head over heals in love with a $6,000 piece of art’, but the price is simply just not affordable!  The owner of the gallery points you in the direction of a darn good copy at a very reasonable $600, explaining that this ‘replica’ is what is called a giclées. This giclée can be a machine-made print, or  reproduction printed on very fine paper or canvas with color and clarity that actually seems to surpass the original $6000 price tag. That said, it is still a very good copy.
Being an original is what contributes to this beautiful piece of art having a high value, so an original will always be worth much more than  a reproduction. Whilst a giclée may come labeled with superlatives like “museum quality” or “archival,” and the seller may possibly hawk a certificate of authenticity, it’s going to by no means be as precious as the original. Some artists and appraisers even view giclées as a gimmick for novice artists and neophyte collectors.  Thus, rarely is this a good art investment, but there is more to this story!
Nonetheless, there is no denying that a giclée puts fine art within reach of ‘starting out’ collectors, and while a certificate doesn’t add to the value, a fresh signature and specifically a remarque (an original drawing made by the artist within the margin in the giclée) could really bump up future value (and lend a smile to the purchaser!). You might hear stories of giclées being proudly exhibited at such noble institutions as the British Museum plus the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but the pieces held in these collections are limited edition Iris prints of digital images or digital manipulations – such as “Nest and Trees” by Kiki Smith in the Met. They are not reproductions of original paintings. Museums do, having said that, sell giclée versions of masterpieces to produce earnings (typically in their ‘gift stores’); these giclées, even though pleasing to the eye and soul, will not pull in any future earnings for you.


Carrying out the Loupe de Loupe: Prints and Posters
Maxfield Parrish and Courier & Ives brought art into the homes of America at the turn of the century with their mass-produced prints. These pictures are the predecessors to the giclee with the posters sold in malls and museum shops today. Posters, like giclées, allow you to sit with and admire the masterpiece, but a poster is not the same as a fine art print, which can be in the form of a hand-pulled silkscreen, lithograph or block print.
You’ll be able to often tell the difference between an artist print and poster without too much close investigation.  That said the process of reproduction is getting so much better that in some cases you could need to have a magnifying glass. The process of offset printing leaves a tiny dot matrix on the paper.  As an example, think of a comic book with its exaggerated dots of color.
There are several factors which determine the value of an artist’s print: the number of prints the artist makes of one work; how important the work originally was; the actual condition of the print; and whether it is signed and actually numbered by the artist.  Importantly, a low run of restricted edition prints is far more precious than a mass-produced image.


 

Cruising Through and Over Art Auctions
A cruise of an art auction is exactly as it sounds: it really is a sea cruise that displays and sells fine art. With name-brand artist prints, drawings and paintings that come hyped with certificates of authenticity, the cruise auction can seem like a real achievement and milestone to an aspiring art investor. The artwork changes each day as lots are sold off and written appraisals suggest pieces are offered at a fraction of their worth. You might feel like you’ve stumbled into a floating investment paradise.
The artwork at these auctions is genuine, but that does not necessarily make it a good investment. Cruise auctions operate on the principle that buyers believe authenticity equals high worth. Unfortunately, authenticity does not guarantee the rarity of a piece or its importance inside the art world. The critical guideline for buying art cannot be repeated too often: art that is valuable is rare.
But how can you know whether you are coming across a rare piece of art? Make sure to study before you buy! Hit the internet café on your ship before you lay down your green (or for that matter credit card). You may Google the artist along with the specific artwork to get some history, and check the big art sites

Your Art Investment
Most people who obtain paintings don’t end up selling them later on, and that fact can skew pricing samples for art. When a painting is auctioned, it is often because the owner very much thinks the piece will attain much larger levels then they themselves bought into. Auction prices are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of art resales.  With some art experts estimating that only 1/2 of one percent of paintings bought are ever resold.
On the bright side and very interestingly, Michael Moses and Jiangping Mei of New Your Universities Stern School of Business have compiled data over the past several years that tracks more than 9,000 pieces of art to verify the long-term appreciation of fine art. They state, “In 2005, the Mei/Moses Fine Art Index showed compound annual returns of 14.52%, whilst total returns for the S&P 500 were 4.9% along with the U.S. Treasury’s 10-year notes returned 2.68%” (“Add Picassos To your Portfolio?”, February 2006). This study says alot.

Art is a good investment
Should you have a true art find that is exquisite and is hanging on your wall and you’re ready to part with it, your best shot at a decent payout will be a fine art auction house, which will typically charge only a relatively small three % commission.  That said, they can also charge as high as 50% of the  sale price for auctioning expense purposes. The do-it-yourself internet auction sites usually draw far less coin. When you choose to sell on these sites, you will have to pay transaction fees that can be as high as twenty percent of the sale price.
After all is said and done, art can be a long-term investment, and even though the art marketplace can be stable or even show gigantic returns on an investment during boom times, it is one asset that may easily plummet to the ground when times are tough – as experienced in recent times.

 

Final Guidelines for Investing within the Art Investment Community
When you’re ready to start prowling and cruising through the galleries and invest into the future of art, go in with your eyes and ears wide open – be careful of ‘emotional reasoning’. Gallery owners will tell you that buying art is an emotional decision, but do not become trapped by this clever rationale to ‘buy it now’.  Accurate and realistic interpretation of the market and of course being open to what looks good, will take you far!  Visit and explore museums, galleries and art institutions in your local area often and without fail,  so you are able to recognize likely art movement ‘shifters and and shakers in your region. If you’re really thinking about a piece of art by a renowned artist, get an appraisal from a reliable source. Look for top quality and don’t invest in anything in bad condition.  We have come along way in terms of restoring art, but this is very expensive! Using even a small degree of effort, may allow you to make serious connections with emerging artists and be in line to purchase the next  masterpiece that commands a million eyes to take notice!

Artist Easels

If you ask any artist, he will tell you that the equipment that they use is crucial to the quality of work that they produce. Despite of the artist’s skill, he always seem to be on the hunt for the perfect thing to make his art the best. With a knitter, it may be that just the right skein of wool; for a carver, it may be that perfect piece of wood; and with an artist, it may be the right artist easels. This piece of equipment is very important to the artist to ensure they do their work properly.

Any artist that uses an easel will tell you that the artist easels are one of the most important supplies they use. As evident in most studios artists tend to work better when they are standing alongside their work. Maybe the creativity flows better, or by standing, their work becomes more accessible. In any case, each artist will more than likely have a different story. Not only is it important to have an easel, but also it’s important to have a good easel. There are many different kinds out there to purchase. It’s important to the artist that they feel secure in the easel they have chosen.
Artist easels, regardless of the kind, should be strong, easy to set up and take down, durable and portable as well. Many artists will tell you that an easel is not just a piece of furniture. A good easel actually becomes part of the artist and all his creations as well. The easel will be where the artist will create and possibly as well showcase his work. So the type, style and color are also very important as well. Artists are limited by the choices available to them. There are many different kinds of painting easels to choose from.

 

Artist easels are quite easy to find once you as an artist have decided the kind you want. Your local craft or art store will carry many different kinds for you to choose from. On the other hand, if they don’t carry the kind you want, check to see if they can order it for you. Make sure as well to check a few places out and compare prices. Also, there are many websites online that provide easels as well. Comparing the prices with all the ones you find will ensure you get the best deal for you. You will then have the perfect easel and you can let the creativity begin.

Easels for Kids

For all of those creative artists and painters out there, you know a painting easel is basically a stand that will hold the piece that is going to be painted. These are normally portable and fold open or close when the need calls for it. As there are various kinds of artists, they also make different kinds of easels. They even make easels for kids. Easels are a wonderful alternative instead of laying the work on a table and painting from there. An easel allows the artist to sit or stand and to finish their work from that position.

 

Many of the painting easels, including the easels for kids, have a little tray or shelf that can hold stuff. Quite often, the painters will place their paints and brushes in there. This is great so when the artist is painting, everything he will need is accessible to him. You will find most easels are made of wood, aluminum or steel and are made quite durable. Mostly easels are made to stand on the floor and be used, but there are ones that can be used on tables as well. They as well do come in all different sizes as the easels for kids would be shorter to accommodate their size.
You will see that easels for kids are quite popular in classrooms and daycares. Children are always encouraged to be creative and to use art as an expression. The easel allows them to do this. It’s rewarding for people to be able to view their work standing up and at the same time they can see what others are doing as well. Easels for kids work well as most children detest being confined or being told to sit. This easel allows them the freedom to be mobile and creative at the same time.

There are many different types and styles of easels to choose from. The best thing to do before looking for one is to know who will be using them. Then you will know what kind to look for. They can be easily found locally in craft, art or department stores. Teacher’s stores will sell them as well. You may want to check online for them as well and do a comparison on their prices. Quite often, when looking online you can find some great deals and discounts. Some may want to charge for shipping which may make it more expensive than buying locally.

Portable Easel

There are so many things to consider when purchasing an easel. For one, it may be used by an artist in an art studio or by a child in a daycare. Regardless of who uses it, one of the key things to consider is to make sure you have a portable easel. This way, you have the flexibility for it to be used anywhere and anytime by anyone. When looking at easels, you will see that there are so many different ones to choose from. The main thing is to consider what you will need the easel for, where it will primarily be put, and who will be using it. This will more than likely determine what kind of easel you will purchase.

A portable easel is a great idea as it does not limit one to where he can use it. If an artist is using it, he may want to move it around to different locations to do his work. In addition, they possibly may want to use the easel to display their work as well. This is where the flexibility of a portable easel comes in handy. This will allow the user to be able to take it wherever he wants to go and to do his work. The same holds true if it is being used say for children in a daycare. It would also be nice to have them portable as well. They can be moved when not in use to make room for something else. Or they can be taken outside on a sunny day and let the children do art out there.
There are other things to consider as well when purchasing an easel. One is what media is going to be used along with the easel. Depending on the media used, the easel will be different. This is extremely important to the artist and to his work. For example, an artist who uses watercolors will need an easel that tips horizontally, otherwise the colors would drip too fast. There are many things to consider when looking for an easel.

It’s nice to keep in mind that any kind of easel that you choose can be a portable easel. When looking for these painting easels, whether it’s locally at a store or online, you will find that they are quite reasonably priced. Do make sure to compare prices from a few different places to make sure to get the best deal. It’s also nice to purchase it from a place where you can get all your other supplies as well.

Acrylic Painting Techniques

Searching for types of acrylic painting? There are many acrylic painting techniques used by artists today. Acrylic paint is a very versatile substance which contributed to the various technique used for acrylic painting. Artist can adjust the viscosity of acrylic paints unlike other painting medium like oils. Acrylic paints can have a consistency of glue paste and can be thinned down to water like consistency. Artist can use water as thinner for acrylic paints which gives it ease in using. Due to this characteristic of acrylic paints, various acrylic painting techniques emerge.



Acrylic painting techniques differ through the medium used in using the acrylic paint. Painting using brushes must be the most common among all the acrylic painting techniques. Paint brush shapes for this technique used for acrylic painting includes rounds, long flat, short flat, filbert, fan brush and rigger brushes. Acrylic painting techniques also vary in the difference of brushes, different kinds of strokes are generated in different brushes. There are also two types of paint brushes used for acrylic painting techniques, oil paint brushes and water color brushes. Oil paint brushes have coarser filaments thus gives the artist a slightly smoother brush stroke which generated a slight difference in acrylic painting techniques among paintbrushes. The next common and a more modern approach among acrylic painting techniques is by using airbrushes. Since acrylic paints can be thinned down to water-like thickness, it enables airbrushes as one of acrylic painting techniques as medium used. Other acrylic painting techniques include painting with body parts since acrylic paints are non-toxic.

 

Acrylic painting techniques also differ in the canvas used by the artist. Difference in the canvas surface requires different acrylic painting techniques. Some of the common canvas used by artists are different kinds of paper, fabric, wood and sandpaper. The best way to paint with acrylics is any acrylic painting technique you would prefer using. For a more detailed description on acrylic painting techniques and painting easels, better ask artists about it.

Easels for Sale

Looking for painting easel for sale? Painting easels or not just for artists or people of the same field. Painting easels are also for anyone with a good sense of artistry for home or office. Buying easels for sale could be the next big thing in your house. Painting easels are not just for paintings but also for photos, plaques, art decorations and other objects you might want to display, so buy easels for sale now and further beautify your house or office. There are easels for sale for any kind of painting and decorating needs.



Painting easels for sale come in different designs to address different taste and preference of any artist. There are simple art easels for sale for painters and there are decorative display painting easels for sale for paintings and other art decorations. There are also different types of easels for sale in terms of frame. The two common frames of easels for sale are the A-frame and the H-frame easels. Easels for sale also differ by purpose. These are art easels for painting or drawing, display easels for artworks, marketboard easels for business purposes, tabletop easels and other easels for sale. 


So whether your an artist or art collector, you might have thought of buying a painting easel for your house or office. The best way to find sale on painting easels is to get in touch with local artists and people who know the subject best. Best way to find cheap easels for sale your an amateur is to have a good network with local artists, garage sales and other informal businesses are the next best thing. Generally, its easier to find easels for sale in the internet or art shops found anywhere. Whatever painting easel you buy for any purpose in mind, it sure is a grand and unique way to display and work on art.

Picture Easels

A picture easel is defined as a tripod used for displaying or supporting something. But actually, picture easels have developed into more than just a tripod. Easels are not limited to tripod easels but also other types of picture easels. Picture easels have evolved into something more complex and now in a variety of types and designs, picture easels still serve the same purpose of displaying and supporting stuff but now in different ways other than on the floor. Modern art gave way to a new wave of picture easels, innovative types of picture easels emerged.


Types of picture easels and painting easels include the common floor tripod picture easels along with newer types of picture easels which are tabletop picture easels, wall picture easels, picture stands and picture holders. Floor picture easels come in two different material used, there are wooden floor picture easels and iron floor picture easels. Each type have different designs depending on the attribute of the material. Typical iron picture easels are made from brass, bronze, iron and other metals. Antique picture easels can also be found in different types for a more classic design. 


The best easels for pictures can be any design or type that fits your picture at home or at the office. Since there are many picture easels to choose from today, you can even make your self your own picture easel made from cheap or unique materials like clothes hangers, barb wires, and other materials you can think of. Pictures are sure not to be left unnoticed with an alluring picture easel to accompany it. Whatever picture easel you decide to use at home or at office, picture easels are sure to amp up your overall artistic design and create a more wholesome environment.

Decorative Easels

There are many kinds of easel used for decoration. Decorative easels are anything that display or support any object in a very attractive and alluring manner. Decorative easels aims to complement the object to be decorated and not overwhelm the object thus becoming the main attraction. Decorative easels can also make ordinary objects become attractive by the way it is portrayed. Decorative easels for painting easels come in different types for different objects, from classic paintings and artworks to ordinary and unusual objects.



Types of decorative easels include displaying and supporting usual artworks like paintings, pictures, books, and others. These decorative easels for artwork may come in different kinds in terms of where it is placed, either on the floor, table or wall. There are also decorative easels for other objects such as antique chinaware, different kinds of ceramic ware and glassware, bottles or any object you consider worthy of displaying around the house or office. Decorative easels are typically made from wood, plastic and selected metals such as brass, bronze and iron. You can also try to make your own custom decorative easel made from materials found in your home to have a more personal touch on displayed objects. Just make sure the your homemade decorative easels functions well and supports the object well. The best decorative easels might be the ones made at home, having a personal artistic touch will surely impress any onlooker.

As to where to find decorative easels, there’s a lot of places to look at. For new decorative easels, you can always search in shopping stores and the internet for decorative easels of any kind and any price range. You can also find antique decorative easels in auction houses, internet and garage sales for a more classic touch. Whatever kind of decorative easels used in your house for different objects, displaying art and other objects wouldn’t be easy and more attractive without decorative easels.