The most widely collected form of aviation fine art are limited-edition prints by "name" artists. Limited-edition prints are very high quality reproductions of original paintings or drawings, produced in strictly limited quantities by specialty printing firms under contract to a fine arts publisher. The edition is printed, with input and final approval by the artist, on high quality acid-free archival paper. Each individual print is hand-signed and numbered by the artist. Often it is also "countersigned", or personally autographed, by the pilot or air crew depicted or by someone figuring prominently in the history represented by the piece.
Each limited-edition of prints is issued by a publisher and sold to collectors by the publisher or through the publisher's dealers at a specific preset retail price called the "issue" price. The length of time it takes for an edition to sell out varies. When all prints in a limited edition are sold, continuing demand usually causes the print value to appreciate - often substantially. Typically, a smaller edition is more exclusive and will appreciate more quickly due to increase in demand.
The publisher of a limited-edition supplies a Certificate of Authenticity with each print, certifying the number of prints in the edition, giving historical information on the subject and confirming that the plates and negatives used in printing the edition have been destroyed and no more prints will ever be produced, thus making the edition limited. An edition of 500 prints would be considered relatively small; an edition of 1,500, large.
Another form of collectible art prints are
called "Open Editions". These are typically larger initial print runs and
can be re-printed when supplies run low or are depleted. Because they are
not limited to a specific quantity, they are called open editions and can be
re-printed in any quantity at any time, like books. This type of print
edition is often, but not always, signed by the artist and there are no
countersignatures on them. They also are not consecutively numbered, like
limited editions. The potentially never-ending supply of prints makes them
less valuable in the marketplace, but, from a collector's view point, the
smaller price of open editions can be very attractive and still allows one
to own a desirable piece of art.
Many people I've talked to refer to art prints as "paintings" and vice versa. An original oil painting is the actual original work of art created by applying paint to some sort of ground. A completed painting is unique and no other one exactly like it exists in the world. Art prints are numerous copies of the original painting reproduced on paper. Original oil paintings, therefore, are the most unique and valuable form of two-dimensional art available in the world. A well executed original painting can appreciate in value more quickly than other kinds of art. There are many factors that affect the value of a painting — the skill and reputation of the artist, the demand for the artist's work, the number of pieces the artist has produced or will typically produce in a given period of time (less paintings equals more demand). The amount of recognition and awards an artist has received for their work can also increase the value. Ultimately, an art collector buys art for its' quality, potential value and for the pure personal enjoyment of the painting. With these considerations in mind, a collector can be reasonably assured they have made a good decision when buying an original piece of work.
Giclée is a French word meaning, "a spraying of ink" (pronounced "zhee-clay"). Giclée is a digital printmaking technology with great advantages in beauty, quality and durability. The process can be used to print art that has been digitalized from the original, a transparency, photography or from original digital artwork. The digital files are worked using sophisticated graphics software to fine tune the images. They are then translated into a format usable by digital printers in preparation for the print files. Giclée prints are not usually produced large in quantities in advance, but are made on demand in very small quantites -sometimes one or two at a time. The giclées I produce are printed on canvas to resemble the look and feel of an original painting. Canvas giclées can be matted and framed flat, or stretched on a canvas stretcher to further emulate the look of an original painting.Under circumstances similar to home and office conditions, tests have demonstrated that Giclees can last as long as 32-36 years before noticeable fading begins. It’s important to note that all colors fade. Depending on the composition of the paints, many original watercolors will fade faster. The same goes for Cibachromes, which can fade in 29 years. Dozens of museums have mounted exhibitions or purchased Giclees for their permanent collections. These include The Metropolitan Museum (New York), the Guggenheim (New York), the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston), the Philadelphia Museum, the Butler Institute (Youngstown, OH), the Corcoran (DC), the National Gallery for Women in the Arts (DC), the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts (DC), the Walker Art Center, the Smithsonian Institution Libraries, the New York Public Library Print Collection, the High Museum (Atlanta), the California Museum of Photography, the National Museum of Mexico and the San Jose Museum, among others.
A remarque is a pencil drawing done in the white border area of an art print. The subject of the remarque can be decided by the print buyer or the artist. Each remarque is piece of original art which adds to the value of the print by making that particular print unique and exclusive from the rest of the prints in the edition. There is an additional charge for a remarque to be added to an art print.
If you are interested in commissioning an original oil
painting, here is a brief guide on how the process works. I would prefer
that you first contact me by e-mail or with a brief letter outlining your
request. I will then respond to you to discuss a proposal of cost and time
to complete the work. If we agree to proceed, then together we will
establish a concept for the work and decide other details of the painting. I
require a 1/3 advanced deposit to begin work. Initially, I will submit a few
concept sketches for the you to approve. After the concept is
developed, the next phase would involve making the final drawing and
transferring it to the canvas. Then the painting itself is begun and you
will be kept informed of it's progress. When completed, a photo can be
mailed or e-mailed to you for final approval. After your approval and full
payment has been received, the painting will be shipped to you unframed. An
oil painting needs to cure for approximately four to six months before a
final varnish coat is applied. You will have options concerning the
varnishing of your painting and we will discuss this at the beginning of the
commission. After your approval and full payment has been received, the
painting will be shipped to you unframed.
Privately Commissioned painting - A privately commissioned painting is requested by a private individual or party for their own personal use. They own the painting but cannot reproduce it in any way or form unless consent is given by the artist.
Commercially Commissioned Painting - A commercially commissioned work is requested by a business, corporation, or publisher and it's end use is usually for reproduction in a book or magazine, They usually receive only a transparency or digital scan of the painting.
Digital art is art work that has been completely created on a computer without the use of any other conventional art mediums. The art is made up of millions of colored "pixels" which are the tiny, individual units of color projected on a computer's screen. When millions of pixels are viewed collectively, the pixels form a beautiful color image. These images can also be printed on two dimensional media, such as canvas, watercolor paper, or photo paper, to mention just a few examples. When digital art first began to emerge, the advertising industry quickly embraced it. In fact, ad agencies welcomed it with enthusiasm because it eliminated many problems previously associated ad production and printing. The traditional art world, on the other hand, did not recognize digital art as a viable art form at all. However, as software became more sophisticated and digital artists more skillful at creating the art, it was apparent that digital art was here to stay and even hard line art purists had to admit the possibility that legitimate art could be produced on a computer. Digital art has not only been accepted as an art form , but is now displayed in museums, art galleries, and art shows. Computers are now simply another tool artists have at their disposal to create an infinite variety of artwork. I have been working with computers for some time, initially using them to do conceptual work for paintings, such as scanning my thumbnail pencil sketches and modifying them digitally. Eventually, my digital illustrations became more elaborate and realistic and I now produce quite a few of them for reproduction in books and other publications. I'm actually painting with the computer, but using pixels instead of paint. Sometimes it's difficult to distinguish digital art from actual paintings when you see them in reproduction. Each method of working presents it's unique problems and advantages, and I enjoy either method. However as far as I'm concerned, pixels will never replace the rich look of oil paints on linen or canvas. It's an art form that for me is too difficult to duplicate by another method and certainly not as personal.
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