How to Tell If You’re Looking at Real Art, or a Reproduction

~ by Maria Benner

The name of our business is Real Art Is Better, and people often ask, “What is real art?” Although there is no widely-accepted definition, generally people know it when they see it. Right after buying one of Scott’s original oil paintings, customers often exclaim, “This is my first piece of real art!” But simply put, when speaking about wall art, real art is original paintings that an artist actually created by hand. They can be oil, acrylic, pastel, water colors, etc. The reason I’m writing this post, is because I’ve noticed that often people have a difficult time differentiating between real works, and reproductions. And that’s largely due to the way art reproductions are often presented by artists and galleries to look like “real art”.

Reproductions of art come in many forms, and often they are hung on walls of galleries without a proper explanation, masquerading as real art, when in fact, the piece is a reproduction. So, pay close attention if you’re about to buy a piece, to be sure that you’re getting an original, if that’s what you want. There’s nothing wrong with buying, or selling reproductions, just as long as the customer is aware that he/she is not getting the real thing. The best way to tell the difference is by reading the details on the price tag.

Giclée – a high quality reproduction using an inkjet printer. These are often printed on canvas, and look almost like the real thing. Pay attention to the price tag, it should tell you whether the piece is a giclée, often also referred to as a “print on canvas”. Often they are framed to make them look even more like originals.

Prints – these reproductions are easier to recognize, because they are printed on paper most of the time, but can also be printed on canvas, metal, wood, you name it. Sometimes these are framed as well. The price tag should say “print”. Some prints are limited-edition, which means there’s a number under the image like 112/500. This means that only 500 copies will be produced, and you’re looking at copy #112. Sometimes prints are signed by the artist. The smaller the number of total prints produced, the more valuable the print.

So, next time you’re perusing art at a gallery, pay close attention to the price tags to see how art is labeled. If the tag says “oil on panel” or “acrylic on canvas” then you know you’re buying real art. Sometimes artists will paint a few strokes onto a canvas print, which is a nice touch, and makes the painting look more like an original. In this case, the tag should say “painted giclée”, or “painted canvas print”, or something similar.

Scott sells original oil paintings and limited-edition, signed prints. You can differentiate easily between his prints and originals. At an art show, or at the studio, the art hanging on the walls is real. Each piece is an oil painting on panel, framed in a natural wood frame. There is only one in all of existence, and the value of it will increase over time. Limited-edition, signed prints are in the black print bins. They are printed on paper with archival ink by an inkjet printer in our studio, signed by Scott, and numbered. Prints can also increase in value, but not as much as originals. We chose to make prints, because we realized that some people don’t have a budget for originals, but still love the images, and we want them to be able to enjoy them.

To see the latest Clendaniel originals and prints, I invite you to attend Scott’s art opening on June 7th at Midnight Sun Brewing Co. in Anchorage. He will kick off the art show at 5pm by tapping a firkin of Sloth Belgian-style stout barrel aged in bourbon barrels and cask-conditioned with tart cherries soaked in Cabernet! Scott’s paintings and prints will be on display at the brewery and available for sale until July 4th. If you’re on Facebook, here’s a link to the FB event.