Transform Free Public Domain Art Into an Expensive-Looking Masterpiece

This TikTok hack is an affordable, customizable option for art lovers of all kinds.

When you want to level up your home's interior, wall art is typically one of the easiest things to update that also delivers a big impact. However, not everyone has a bottomless budget to splurge on expensive artwork. Here enters the magic of public domain art and a little DIY know-how.

What Is Public Domain Art?

When a piece of creative work is no longer protected by intellectual property laws like copyright, trademark, or patent laws, it's considered public domain art. This means it is available for public use without any form of permission. You can find art with this open access on sites like the National Gallery of Art, NASA, and Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Plan Your Art Arrangement

Rebecca Rajs, a home DIYer at @rebs_home on Instagram and @rebshome on TikTok, used public domain art for her hallway gallery wall when she realized buying all new artwork wouldn't fit in her limited budget.

Rajs knew that she wanted her gallery wall to be a mix of vintage landscape prints and personal photos. Once you've measured the size of your gallery wall, start collecting frames. Rajs recommends thrift stores for an affordable array—and don't be afraid of their color as they can always be painted. Rajs opts for wooden frames over plastic, as they offer greater durability and longevity.

"Another cool perk of being able to download art is that you can use screenshots of them to make a mockup of your wall in a platform like Canva. Then you see how the pieces and estimated sizes will look together. It makes planning super easy," Rajs says.

Related: 23 Unexpected Items to Put in a Picture Frame

Select and Download Your Art

Since the public domain is quite large, it can sometimes be tricky to find what you're looking for, especially if you have something specific in mind.

"There's a wide variety of art available—modern, vintage, landscapes, portraits, etc. A Home is Announced highlights public domain art by categories, which I found really helpful. I also used the Google Arts & Culture search engine to find prints. The key is you have to find pieces that you are able to download for free at a size large enough for your needs. It's a little extra work but there are so many options," Rajs says.

Tyka Pryde, a designer, art director, and content creator, says that the quality of the image will depend on pixel size. She used Walgreens Photo for her printing, which automatically tells you if there were not enough pixels for printing at her desired size after she uploaded her image.

"You may have to go down a size, but I typically have had no problem finding quality downloads to print at large scale," Pryde says.

The Nations Photo Lab has a chart to help you determine the minimum pixel size allowed for your desired size of print. When downloading, it's often easiest to download the image to your desktop so it's easy to navigate when you are printing.

Print the Downloads

There are many ways to print your selected artwork file. Beyond Pryde's choice of Walgreens Photo, you can print at Amazon Photos, Shutterfly, or your local print shop. If you have a printer at home, you can even use that with the use of matte photo paper and colored ink. Printing is typically affordable, just be sure to check your resolution to avoid a reprint.

Related: How to Hang Pictures and Paintings Securely on Any Wall Surface

Make It Realistic

To make printed art look like a real-life oil painting, Rajs suggests painting a layer of decoupage and letting it dry with the brushstrokes visible. She also doesn't use any glass with her frames, letting the texture show on the print even more.

To infuse vintage charm into a basic frame, Rajs applies a coat of Rub 'n Buff to achieve a matte gold finish. These final embellishments are the key to transforming the prints and thrifted frames from a clearly budget-conscious DIY project into a sophisticated, high-end work of art.

No one will ever know the difference, and your secret is safe with us!

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