Follow These 9 Tips To Avoid Buying Cheap Wall Art
Whether you have just moved into a brand new space or you are finally getting around to decorating the walls of your long-loved home, purchasing new wall art can be incredibly exciting! What is more fun than adding a splash of color, personality, and artistry to your otherwise blank walls? Before you head to the store, gallery, or art fair to begin your search, consider these helpful tips that will ensure you're paying the right amount for your favorite pieces and that once you bring them home they will last for many years to come.
Shop for high-quality paper
When shopping for wall art it is important to make sure the art was made or printed on high-quality paper, and you should see if it's acid-free. Acidic paper will yellow over time, but acid-free paper will better maintain the artwork pigment’s integrity.
Know your GSM
Speaking of paper, it is also important to know the weight of the paper your potential artwork is made on. Paper thickness is measured in grams per square meter, or, GSM. The higher the GSM, the thicker the paper. Newspaper is approximately 35-55 GSM and 350-450 GSM is stiff card stock. A 200-300 GSM is a sweet spot commonly found in paintings and prints.
Research the gallery before buying
If purchasing original art from a gallery it is important to research the gallery to make sure they are reputable and have a history of selling quality original works. Sellers without such reputation may be selling fakes or cheaper prints. If the price sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
Don't be afraid to haggle
You might not want to talk down price directly to an artist at a craft fair selling their hand painted greeting cards for $5, but when you're purchasing original artwork from a gallery, especially with a higher price tag, there is often some wiggle room on price. Even a 5-10% discount can be significant if the piece is selling for thousands.
Determine the rarity of the piece
When purchasing artwork you’ll want to understand the rarity of the piece you are buying. Is the piece an original work the artist created by hand, of which you will own the only copy? Is the piece part of an edition where limited quantities are printed and numbered? Or is it a standard print, of which there is no limit on how many exist? The rarer the piece, the more value it will hold.
Consider the lightfastness of the materials
If purchasing original artwork it is important, when possible, to understand what materials the artist used. Lightfastness is a measurement term for how well pigments in materials such as inks, watercolors and paints and hold their original color over time. Since the artwork will be subjected to either direct or indirect sunlight when hung on a wall, a high lightfastness rating means the colors will be more resistant to fading.
Shop archival quality frames
Once you’ve found a piece of art you’d like to hang, its important to put it in an archival grade frame that uses acid-free materials for any matting and UV protective glass, which helps minimize the negative effects of sunlight exposure over time.
Plan where you will hang up your art
Where you hang your art also has an impact on its quality over time. Environmental factors, such as light, heat, and humidity can destroy the integrity of the artwork with prolonged exposure. When shopping for high-quality art, have a safe location where you will hang it already in mind.
Enjoy the art!
Whether the art is an original or just a standard print, you should most importantly enjoy what you're purchasing and have an emotional connection to it. At the end of the day, that is what art is all about!
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