Buying reproduction art

I'd like to buy a lot more impressionistic art for my home. Of all different sizes (but mainly 20x30 - in that range).

I'm looking to buy a few masterpiece repros from Monet and Renoir, but am also interested in local artists of the region (that is how I buy most of my art - at markets when I am on trips in Europe) and unknown artists in the US.

I'm interested in landscapes, nudism, and whatever else strikes my fancy (I mainly like landscapes). Can anybody recommend a site to visit to buy art from? What I don't understand is the printing methods - I'd like to find art that you can see the brush strokes in, and if you touch the canvas, you'll feel them.

BTW, I decided not to build a Provence-esque home but rather a New England type home - it is just too expensive. I've decided to take the one person's advice and buy a home in France when I see one I like. I put an inquiry into Century 21 there, and will get weekly updates of what is available. And I may be able to use it as a rental property. All things I will need to discuss when I fly over there next month.

N.B. This is one painting I really love, as an example, http://www.overstockart.com/popfielinarc.html

I bought a very cool hand painted abstract from http://www.art.com/ last year. They have a pretty extensive selection of prints, posters, and repro's as well.

With the exception of well documented silk-screens or vintage lithographs, most reproductions are just 4 color posters or ink jet printing on canvas. There is nothing wrong with nice posters but the term "limited edition" hardly means anything anymore as far as lasting value. For collecting buy original artwork or well documented vintage printed pieces. Also, buy original artwork if you want to feel paint texture. Anything else is just an effect.

Originally Posted by pocketsquareguy

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With the exception of well documented silk-screens or vintage lithographs, most reproductions are just 4 color posters or ink jet printing on canvas. There is nothing wrong with nice posters but the term "limited edition" hardly means anything anymore as far as lasting value. For collecting buy original artwork or well documented vintage printed pieces. Also, buy original artwork if you want to feel paint texture. Anything else is just an effect.

I believe the repros he's referring to are of the hand-painted variety.

I think the right thing to do is put an addition onto your house and have a visual artist do an installation.

Originally Posted by triniboy27

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I believe the repros he's referring to are of the hand-painted variety.

If that's what it takes to be able to see the textures, and to feel it, yes. One of the main reasons I don't buy anything at MFA is because most are on posters.

On the link I sent, it says "Medium: Handmade Oil Painting On Canvas". Does that mean I'll get the aforementioned? I really am unfamiliar with art terminology.

Originally Posted by johnapril

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I think the right thing to do is put an addition onto your house and have a visual artist do an installation.

I'd like to incorporate the art into my home - not have it in a separate room.

And right now, these paintings will be for my townhouse - my other house will take some time as I am starting from scratch with the architect.

Originally Posted by savvyibd

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I'd like to incorporate the art into my home - not have it in a separate room.

And right now, these paintings will be for my townhouse - my other house will take some time as I am starting from scratch with the architect.

I was just having fun witcha.

I like paintings of flowers: Sandra Meyer does nice ones: http://www.sandrameyergallery.com/

Originally Posted by johnapril

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I like paintings of flowers: Sandra Meyer does nice ones: http://www.sandrameyergallery.com/
Pretty, bad.

Originally Posted by savvyibd

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What I don't understand is the printing methods - I'd like to find art that you can see the brush strokes in, and if you touch the canvas, you'll feel them.
In short: you can't print a painting. To get a proper painting, with tactile/visible brush strokes, you have to get the brushes out and actually paint it. There are very dubious "oil-prints" being sold, - these things combine the worst of printing and painting techniques, and are actually "paintings" printed using oil paint(or most often acrylic, I think), and pasted on the canvas, with a type of "brush-stroke" die-plate being pressed into the paint while it's still semi-wet. These are assembly-line-made, and are generally embarassments. Prints, on the other hand, are generally on paper, and there are numerous techniques. A good signed and numbered print from a good artist is much preferable to a mediocre painting. There are very good chances that the "Medium: Handmade Oil Painting On Canvas" you're looking at is a copy made by a poor, mediocre art student in China. In the art "world", having stuff like oil prints or made-in-China copies are respected on the same level as badly faked Louis Vuitton stuff has on this forum. I understand that this is just some pictures you want to use as decor, but if you have any guests with an interest in art, you should prepare for some sniggers and embarassment. I'd rather buy some good, decorative original paintings by an unknown artist - they aren't very difficult to find.

Originally Posted by Lucky Strike

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In short: you can't print a painting.

To get a proper painting, with tactile/visible brush strokes, you have to get the brushes out and actually paint it.

There are very dubious "oil-prints" being sold, - these things combine the worst of printing and painting techniques, and are actually "paintings" printed using oil paint(or most often acrylic, I think), and pasted on the canvas, with a type of "brush-stroke" die-plate being pressed into the paint while it's still semi-wet. These are assembly-line-made, and are generally embarassments.

Prints, on the other hand, are generally on paper, and there are numerous techniques. A good signed and numbered print from a good artist is much preferable to a mediocre painting.

There are very good chances that the "Medium: Handmade Oil Painting On Canvas" you're looking at is a copy made by a poor, mediocre art student in China.

In the art "world", having stuff like oil prints or made-in-China copies are respected on the same level as badly faked Louis Vuitton stuff has on this forum. I understand that this is just some pictures you want to use as decor, but if you have any guests with an interest in art, you should prepare for some sniggers and embarassment.

I'd rather buy some good, decorative original paintings by an unknown artist - they aren't very difficult to find.
Can you recommend any art websites to look at? But just so I am clear, that is the correct medium I want? I'd prefer to start looking online rather than local places.

How about Thomas Kinkade?

There are some fairly commercial artists out there that are doing smaller run limited editions in either litho or silk screen on canvas and then do varying amounts of original overpainting. Sort of a mixed media type piece. Kinkade is certainly one of those barf: ), although in his case he doesn't do the overpainting himself, he has a staff artist do it. (Why do I know that much about Thomas F'ing Kinkade???)

I have some smaller silkscreen prints on canvas that have heavier oil textures painted over them that are difficult to distinguish from a painting without very close inspection. Because they are hand done the artist will often make each one slightly different to add some (minimal) individuality to the piece. These can get pricey, but they're much less expensive than an original by the same artist.

It's kind of a mixed bag. I don't know where you could get much of anything like that in an old master work that is going to be much more than a glorified (and expensive) poster.

I would go VERY slowly at buying art if I were you. You can sink lots of money quickly only to find out that (a) you have lots of high priced crap, and (b) as you learn more your tastes refine and you don't like what you bought any longer.

In the art "world", having stuff like oil prints or made-in-China copies are respected on the same level as badly faked Louis Vuitton stuff has on this forum. I understand that this is just some pictures you want to use as decor, but if you have any guests with an interest in art, you should prepare for some sniggers and embarassment.

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Polite guests don't snigger. There are some very well done Chinese and Vietnamese oil-painted reproductions, and they're a hell of a lot more interesting than posters. There is a whole town (Dafen Village) just outside of Shenzhen (near Hong Kong) that specializes in reproductions. Provided you don't hold them out as the real thing (not that many people can afford an original Chagall!), there's nothing wrong with buying and displaying them.

Some vintage posters are quite nice. Much nicer than a badly painted fake Velazquez, or more appropriately given the audience for reproduction masterpieces, a fake Monet--aesthetic poverty at its best.