THREE SAVVY TIPS FOR PURCHASING ART ONLINE
Buying artwork alone or with your partner usually means visiting art galleries or art fairs, and then deciding on the perfect piece, bringing it home, and, finally, hanging it on the wall. This can be a very enjoyable and rewarding experience. Shopping for fine art online, however, can be a little more complex. The challenges can be, visualizing the right size for the artwork, imagining how it will look on the wall and, finally, understanding how it will coordinate with your current colors and decor. Buying fine art online doesn’t have to be distressing, however. With these three savvy tips you can make the process smooth and stress free, and you’ll never regret your buying choices.
UNDERSTAND YOUR SPACE
A number of factors will influence your choice of artwork, with the primary one being the size of the available space. In my experience as a gallery owner, the four most common places that art is purchased for are over a couch, bed, mantelpiece or in a dining room. These are usually sizable spaces that may accommodate pieces of up to 72” wide, and sometimes even larger. But not every space is that large, so know your interior. A piece should be neither too large or too small. If it’s too large it looks out of scale, and if it’s too small, it will just feel inadequate. The best artwork is that which works with your home, so take into consideration your color scheme and design style. A home with a more rustic, “cabiny” feel will benefit from an image with earth tones, while a more modern, minimalist home may be a good place for a black and white image.
2. ASK QUESTIONS
Ask as many questions as you need to in order to become comfortable with the artist and his/her business. Any good business person will go out of their way to address your concerns.
What is the best media and finish for your space?
All modern printing methods are very fade-resistant but ask the artist if she has a warranty against this slim possibility.
How will the artwork be packed for shipping and does the artist have a damage warranty?
Ask if you can contact any of the artist’s previous buyers to find out what their experience was like.
3. LOVE THE ARTWORK
I advise against buying photography as an investment. Photo gallery sales people will often try to influence you by using the pitch that the artwork may increase in value over time, but in the world of photography this almost never happens. If the artist has a name like Ansel Adams or Annie Liebovitz then OK, but for 99.999 percent of photographers this is just disingenuous salesmanship. Buy fine art prints because you love them and because they’re meaningful to you.
Bill Stevenson
To learn more about our fine art landscape photography prints please go to our Prints Page
If you have any questions, concerns, or just want to talk about landscape photography, please Contact Us