The Kiss, Gustav Klimt

Take a moment to imagine an exquisite oil painting reproduction hand-painted to the likes of your favorite Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir or even Rembrandt hanging majestically within the dining room or adorning the powerful walls inside your corporate office. That would be a sight indeed! Getting one is not really that hard; oil painting reproductions on canvas is an affordable way to decorate your walls with such masterpieces.

Fine art has always been known to project a light, positive effect to an individual’s well-being, whether he owns the art and proud to have it displayed on his walls or he’s just a passerby appreciating the art and what it is trying to tell him. Many observe how hospital institutions everywhere invest heavily in various art pieces and exposing them to their patients. They are perfectly aware of how fine art would affect and improve their patients’ conditions.

Big corporations are also appreciating what fine art brings to the motivation levels of their employees, its impact on their attitudes and to some degree, their efficiency at work. Before, fine art may be hard to come by, but with the increasing popularity and accessibility of oil painting reproductions, such masterpieces are now available for everyone.

Oil painting reproductions are the next best thing to fine art. With these, you can furnish your house with fine art masterpieces from great artists of the past and from our time. Of course, these reproductions will never be of the same worth as the original ones, but it will not be made too obvious on a canvass platform.

It is perfectly understandable that not all people can afford the original paintings; what art enthusiasts do is settle for high-quality oil painting reproductions, and everyone seems to have accepted it for what it is and what it means to them. Unlike prints and its complexities, oil painting reproductions do not really present an obvious difference to the original ones. You can even surprise yourself with museum-quality reproductions as long as you can get your hands on the right dealers.

The oil painting reproduction process usually follows these general procedures since these are hand painted or customized as per customer requirements:

Stage 1 – making the sketch

Stage 2 – crafting the first layer

Stage 3 – creating the main outlines

Stage 4 – putting the final details and final touch

Stage 5 – the final inspection.

After the application of the finishing touches followed by the quality inspection courtesy of the master painter, the oil painting reproduction is finally finished.

To appreciate the beauty that your art painting on your wall is trying to preach you, you have to understand first the essence of oil reproductions and what these represent. For starters, there are various levels of quality presented in oil painting reproductions. Understanding the four different quality grades is the key to your purchases based on your actual needs and desires.

Museum Quality

This particular reproduction level is virtually impossible to distinguish and characterize from originals. It plays by that unconscious rule of painstakingly duplicating all the details of original paintings, no matter how minor they may be. Only the expert and trained eye can possibly make the distinction between an original painting and its reproduction. Certain materials like the canvass and the paints used are also his specialty.

These materials are also matched in an exact manner to its original. The coloring, shades and all the other important details are also made identical. There are many reported cases where such oil painting reproductions of museum quality grade were signed. Various attempts to have them passed off as original were also a common thing. Surprisingly, such copies are sold to the market to an excess of $10,000. Paintings of this caliber usually take months or even years to create.

The Gallery or Collectors Quality

This particular quality level is considered among the best investments anyone can make on any oil painting reproduction. The matching of the elements such as the brush stroke features and the paint tone are conceived as excellent and almost identical to a point with a museum-quality reproduction. In most cases, the gallery and collectors level reproductions are not without canvasses made of high-quality linen complete with oil paints. These may take weeks to fully finish and become ready for display, which is big difference, indeed compared to the more meticulous museum-quality reproductions.

The Retail Quality Oil Painting Reproduction

This particular level is considered a generalized reproduction concerning the elements, shades, colors and other details of the original painting. Both the shades and the color will be made similar but will also be considerably distinct even to untrained eyes. The caliber and impact of the canvasses and oil paints are regarded only as medium quality. In short, the retail quality reproduction significantly lacks that attitude towards precise care to all the major and even minor details of such paintings. These are the kinds of reproduction paintings that you usually see proliferating at different travelling art shows, outdoor markets, and even department stores.

The Commercial Quality Reproduction

Reproductions with commercial quality levels are undeniably at the bottom. These types of painting reproductions are generally characterized as poor renditions of the real thing, especially when it comes to the shading, coloring and the details since they vaguely resemble those of the originals. The canvasses used are synthetic textiles, which are also of low quality. These painting types are usually found inside office buildings, hotels and restaurants.

Automated reproductions are also making their way to the market these days. Many have already learned to appreciate specific features and benefits of individually commissioned and hand-painted oil painting reproductions with the assurances of providing all the necessary elements and textures seen and felt in original paintings. These days, there are many prominent catalogue companies operating in the market that function by creating reproductions that utilize sophisticated computer-imaging technologies. Such techniques are brought about by printing a certain image into the canvass, just like ink-jet technology. Catalogue companies then task professional artists to add refinements, most particularly with subtle paint brushstrokes in an attempt to furnish the print with some depth. This should then create that texture illusion that gives life to oil painting reproductions.

An increasing portion of the market these days are now into giclees, or fine art digital automated prints while expecting the same elements and texture of hand-painted originals. Some were disappointed with the results, however since such prints must be considered commercial quality at best. Some distributors out there sell these digital automate prints as collectors or gallery quality paintings.

Seeking out good dealers is always a great advantage to oil painting collectors with a taste for oil painting reproductions. He can help novice and serious collectors alike in seeking oil painting reproduction masterpieces according to their specific demands and requirements.

Another great thing about reproductions though, is how collectors are able to customize the paintings they are looking for, from the paint color, the mood, to their overall size. Art painting collectors are urged to make thorough research about artists who will do the reproductions, how he looks into art, and his various commissions as well. A smart dealer can always find professional artists and experts that guarantee their work. Whether your plan is to decorate the house, the shop, or the office, you are rest assured you can have the next best thing to the original paintings from the right dealers with good access to painting reproductions for sale. Seek them out online.

Impression: Sunrise by Claude Monet

There are a lot of reasons why people buy oil paintings. Of course, people buy any kind of art form because of their inherent aesthetics and the symbolism (if any) behind it. But of course, oil paintings do stand out when compared to other types of art for their own simple reasons.

Of course, as always the case for most art forms, the foremost reason why people buy oil paintings as it is a very effective way to give visual impact to an otherwise bland home or office wall. A fine art sketched in oil is going to go a long way to making your place a more sophisticated looking one as artworks have a way of making a wall that much more elegant. As the message of the artist varies, as well as the tastes of the one that is going to purchase the work, there is a huge variation when it comes to painting art styles. With that said, the possibilities are practically endless when it comes to oil paintings. However, as there are touchy subject matters that artists occasionally take on with regards to their work, it all depends on the potential owner what paintings he/she is going to equip in his/her place.

Basically, there are three major types of oil paintings on canvas that you can buy on different venues. The first type involves modern art. This style is typically distinguished by a series of defined colors and shapes. In addition, these elements are placed in such a way that it is going to be pleasing to the viewer’s eyes. To read on this type of art is relatively subjective, but when accompanied by a thought provoking title, it is endowed with even more mystery. The second type of oil painting is the traditional style. The styling of these paintings are less subjective compared to the modern style, and yet has varying levels of complexity, depending on the painter who executed it. The third type of oil paintings is the so-called reproductions models. Focusing on the keyword reproduction, these are replicas of art forms created by the masters and legends of the arts. These reproductions are not as valuable as the originals, but are more or less cost effective as originals can literally cost a fortune to own.

There are numerous places wherein you can buy oil paintings. For instance, you can go to the traditional route and pick up your paintings in an art gallery. There are advantages in this method: you can see in the flesh if the artwork is executed right, and you can compare the artwork to other paintings in display on the same gallery. Another way to getting your fix of oil paintings is to go online. With the advent of the internet age, there are now a lot of people that sell their artwork online. And lastly, you can contact the artist himself/herself to make one for you, though that could take long before you receive it as painting an image out of oil can take some time.

If you want to buy oil paintings, the process is now much easier than ever. All you need is a sharp eye for detail, and that would be enough to get you a top notch painting.

Composition A by Piet Mondrian

It is very hard to not notice modern oil paintings. It is basically very hard for modern art to slip the eyes especially because of the boldness of the elements, colors and the texture of these kinds of oil paintings. The use of traditional oils to make things look and feel so modern is kind of ironic for many people, making them even more interesting. It is actually very hard to define modern art paintings. Even some professionals on the topic have debates on how they should be called, while some argue that the term itself is without a real meaning.

Modern paintings, as some would say, are those made from 1860-1970 and they are characterized by bold elements. Contemporary, cubism and fauvism are not but subcategories of modernism. There are hundreds of painters known for modernism, Pablo Picasso, Henri Mattise, Claude Monet, Frida Kahlo, Wassily Kandinsky and Theo van Doesburg to name a few. They have made it clear that modern painting is not really something to understand; it is something that needs to be interpreted and that there is no right or wrong interpretations – only feelings towards certain paintings.

Seeing a modern painting, one would think how it differs very much from realism. Modernism actually is the revolting movement against realism. There were actually two painting styles that had a direct impact on it, making many believe that the two had gave birth to modernism. Impressionism is the school of painting that teaches how light means everything especially when it comes to painting. Symbolism is the belief that paintings should be drawn as they would have sounded. Together, these two were said to be the foundation of modernism.

One good thing about modern art oil paintings is the fact that everything could be their subject. While romanticism is about how people have started to see the world differently and while realism is all about being the third person seeing things as they are, modernism is about bringing something else into the painting and claiming it as your own understanding of something. Modern oil paintings are what they are: painters’ interpretations of things around them. They are not made to be understood. They are not windows that should be opened to see landscapes and things; they are blank walls wherein their meanings should be drawn and written, feelings well described and interpreted.

Some modern artists believe that the creation of a whole new world of ways of painting and art could be done if one is to reject traditional art. After the Second World War, many different kinds of modern movements have come to view. Abstract, minimalism, post minimalism, pop art, multi or inter-media, fluxus and postmodernism have been born. Some say that postmodernism and modernism are exactly of the same style, with postmodernism being simply a continuation, with which too many replied that postmodernism then has lost its whole sense. Either way, most modern oil paintings would always trace its way back to their real source which is, without a doubt, modernism.

Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee by Rembrandt Van Rijn

Oil paintings are very popular because most Classical oil paintings were made with them. Painting with oils could be very hard, and many things should be considered before they could be started and done. Owning an oil painting, especially one that is an original work of a famous artist, could give you pride.

Preservation of an Oil Painting

It could be very hard to preserve an oil painting in a home where the climate is not suitable for the painting. However, it could be hard to have a home that could ultimately be safe for an original painting too. If your home is not a museum, and you are not planning to make it such, an original oil painting would always be harder to preserve. But, as with most other things, it’s possible to create such an environment that could protect and preserve the painting.

1. Avoid hanging the painting in direct sunlight. Sunlight is known to mess with many things, including many works of art. Furniture, photographs, and oil paintings on canvas never work with direct sunlight, as it could cause dulling and fading and, eventually, cracking in these three. Incandescent and diffused light are best for paintings made from oil paints.
2. Too much heat and too much cold wouldn’t work with an oil painting. Hanging it near a heater or an air conditioner would make the deterioration of the painting faster. Plants shouldn’t be kept near original paintings. Cigar smoke isn’t good for them too.
3. A soft brush could be used to dust an oil painting. But for a cracking oil painting, this might not be a good idea. Dab the brush; don’t drag it.

Restoration of an Oil Painting

Protecting the painting should be done even before there is damage, but restoration is an option for paintings that have already been damaged.

1. Kneaded bread should be able to keep the dust away from an unvarnished oil painting. When the painting needs more than dusting, the combination of soft cloths plus a bit of water plus a bit of detergent could be very helpful.
2. To restore a varnished oil painting, you should first remove the varnish and replace it with a new one. If you aren’t satisfied with the work you’ve done with the varnish, wait for a day before you try to apply a second coating.
3. For the places that lost paint, you might need to retouch. Take a picture of the oil painting as this could help you get it back to its original state.

So much could be said about oil paintings. There is no word that could describe how oils could be better than many other mediums when it comes to painting. The introduction of other mediums such as acrylic, pastel and watercolor has done nothing to prevent many artists nowadays from using it. As a result, many modern paintings are made of oil, and most probably made on canvas. The preservation and restoration of these beautiful pieces of art are important tasks, so that future generations would see them as they were when they have been created.

Red and White Domes by Paul Klee

Abstract oil paintings are popular because of many reasons. Popular abstract artists make most of these reasons, and the medium used makes a good part too. It is a fairly new style of painting, though abstract art is present in very early history in the form of calligraphy and many others. Expressionism, Impressionism and Romanticism all contribute to the beginning of what is now known as abstract.

Abstract and Abstraction: Definition and Difference

Abstract art is one of the most enigmatic styles of art there is. Some people have trouble distinguishing abstract from abstraction. While abstraction seeks to show a person the essence or the point of the subject without capturing it directly, abstract is still some concepts away.

An abstract painting does not seek to make people see the direct interpretation of a subject, but rather makes people think about what is represented in the art. It seeks to represent something and it would all depend on how the artist would interpret the subject. It is much too far from realism and it is pretty much closer to modernism in many senses. For some people, trying to interpret an abstract painting beats the purpose of the art entirely. For many others, it is a challenge for them to interpret and wrap their minds around something that could be quite unexplainable.

Interpreting Abstract Art

Interpreting an abstract painting is a fun experience. The point of view matters just as much as the painting itself. A painter of an abstract painting would ask himself questions far from the questions that a viewer would have to ask himself. Abstract oil paintings have hold this beauty of being something that someone would have to think about for hours and days without being able to fully understand it.

Some people look at a painting and see something unveil right before their eyes. It doesn’t happen most of the time though. Ask yourself if you feel or see something in the painting. If you don’t, then don’t fret. Most people don’t understand abstract oil paintings in a glance after all.

Sometimes, when you see an abstract painting, you look past the colors, the elements and the textures and try to jump directly into figuring out the painting and trying to interpret things as you see them. However, abstract paintings without colors, elements and texture is very similar to having nothing to look at, at all. These ingredients of an abstract painting interact with one another, giving the viewer something to interpret.

How do you feel when you look at the painting? Abstract oil paintings are popular to not even stir up emotions in any way. But if you really want to understand an abstract work of art, you need to be able to pick up emotions and heighten them up to a sense that it feels solid to you. Titles of paintings sometimes have influences on how you look at one. And last of all; make sure that you have spent an adequate amount of time looking, feeling and trying to interpret a painting, because time and art are two very interrelated things.

Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh

Oil is the most popular medium in painting, and canvas is the most popular support medium or painting surface, making canvas oil paintings one of the most widely-known types of painting in the world. Rembrandt, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh are painters known for being adept in painting with the oil and canvas combination, though history could give examples of other famous works and painters.

Painting on Canvas

Paintings on canvas, like many others, started as minority. What was popular back then was the use of wooden panels. Panels were beautiful and exquisite, but they aren’t fans of transportation. Travelers who brought oil paintings had problems especially when the paintings are to be transported to another, far away place. They could also be quite expensive at the time too, which adds to the fact that paintings on wooden panels were fairly smaller than paintings done in many other support mediums.

Paintings on canvas, on the other hand, were quite easier to transport. They weren’t susceptible to damages since they could be wrapped and transported easily. And because they are cheaper than the panels, painters could afford to use bigger pieces of them. They were much lighter than wooden panels so transporters usually had no problems with carrying them all over the place. All canvasses back then were pretty much made of linen which was considerably sturdy and perfect for making canvas oil paintings. Nowadays, linen canvasses are still very popular choices among professional painters working with oil paints, but cotton canvas have become more popular.

Painting with Oil

Jan van Eyck was known to invent oil painting. But on 1125, a man named Theophilus Presbyter explained oil painting in a book entitled On Various Arts, way before even Jan van Eyck had been born. Believers suggest than Theophilus is actually the same man in history who is known as Roger of Helmarshausen, goldsmith, artist and monk.

There are many oil painting techniques that artists use because different artists consider different factors that would definitely result to different outcomes. For example, a certain drying oil would usually have a different drying time with another drying oil. What you need to have and how to make them suit your needs is an important part of learning mediums, drying oils and other oil painting techniques. Some techniques could be done to thin the oils, lengthen or shorten the drying time, make the paint appear gloss, matte or opaque. With unlike properties, oil paints and drying oils need to be studied real closely if one is to work with them.

Canvas Oil Painting

Each medium and surface would always have a different feel when it comes to painting. It is very easy for a painter to fall in love with his medium and surface and to never try anything else. Canvas and oil paints are very good combinations when it comes to painting. Many art styles are better when they are painted as canvas oil paintings. They also make up one of the most popular combinations reproduced and sold nowadays, and this fact makes them very easy to look for.