A Beginner’s Guide To Buying Canvas Paintings

If you are interested in collecting art you may be unsure where to begin. The art world is so diverse with a range of styles available from contemporary wall art to classical styles such as abstract, impressionism and realism. There are also paintings that have been created on a variety of bases. You can find canvas paintings, paintings on board or paper, or even mixed media or collages that use a variety of unique items to make up a piece.

If you are deciding where to begin, consider your home’s architecture and furnishings. Most open concept homes feature very modern architecture so a piece of contemporary wall art may be more fitting. Contemporary wall art is available in a range of styles and mediums including oil, acrylic and watercolor. They are available as canvas paintings, pieces on board or paper so your choices are really limitless.

Where will you be purchasing your pieces can have a large impact on what you can choose from. If you are buying canvas paintings from a gallery, you can often request that they reframe a piece in a way that suits your décor. If you are purchasing from an online website, you may be more interested in purchasing canvas paintings as they can be less expensive to ship than a piece painted on board or which has been framed under glass.

You may wonder why paintings are done on different materials. Oil paintings need a canvas or a board background that will not move and crack the paint. Acrylic should also be done as canvas wall paintings or on board. Watercolor, ink or graphite pieces need to be painted on paper.

Contemporary wall art can evoke a range of very strong feelings in the viewer. Pieces can be painted in a variety of styles varying from completely abstract to highly representational. Abstract or non-representational pieces usually use color or pattern to fill a space as opposed to a structured piece that composed according to set rules.

There are a few very famous painters of contemporary wall art. One of the most notable is Andy Warhol who created amazing pieces of pop icons and images such as his famous Campbell’s Soup Can series. Contemporary wall art is similar to modern art and there are many crossovers. Basically, contemporary wall art has been created by artists who have been active after the 1970’s, whereas modern artists such as Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollack were active from the mid 1900’s to the 1970’s.

If you are looking for canvas paintings in any style, you may be unsure about what you can expect to pay. Artwork can range significantly in price even among pieces that are painted on the same substrate (a canvas wall painting versus a painting on board) or are the same size. The fame of the artist, the rarity of their work, the size of the piece and the style it is painted in can all affect the price of an original piece of artwork.