How to spot the difference between original art and reproductions

In my travels through thrift stores, antique shops, flea markets and garage sales, I’ve seen thousands of works of art purported to be original; but how to spot the difference between original art and reproductions? Richard & Ellen DeFeo are here to help us figure it out.

Tips from the “THE SELECTIVE EYE” by Richard & Ellen DeFeo

Part One: How to spot the difference between original art and reproductions

Ok. so you’re in a shop and the owner says this is an original piece of art.  Signed by the artist. He may not be misleading you, he or she may not know how to tell the difference, but now you will. Here’s how:

You should always carry a jeweler’s loupe or magnified glass with you; if not ask the proprietor for one.  Look closely at the art in question. If you see dots you know it’s a print. This does not make it bad; it’s just not an original.

It could be signed by the artist, as you look closely at the signature, does it too have dots? If so I’d hesitate buying it. If the print has dots but not the signature, it’s a better buy.

There are many kinds of printing methods. How to tell them apart?

Lithograph: Dots will be even size, smooth edges. (See http://www.stonescrayons.com/litho.html for more information)

Letterpress: Dot will look like small donuts, hole in center.

Gravure: Dots have a fine saw tooth edge to them. This is very fine printing like National Geographic.

10x Magnification of Rotogravure

Silkscreen or serigraph: The paint or ink is pushed through a very fine screen so the dots will be in a grid pattern. This is a stencil process.

Detail of Warhol's Marilyn Monroe

Etchings or engravings. More commonly in lines that are not all the same. As in letterpress and block print the edges may have a very fine line around  them, like a tiny shadow, resulting from the presser on the plates. See http://www.collectorsguide.com/fa/fa096.shtml for more information.

Giclée or Canvas Printing: With state-of-the-art printing becoming quite sophisticated, almost anything can be printed by ink jet directly onto canvas, including high-resolution images of oil paintings.  Texture can be added to these canvases so that they appear to be original works of art.  A magnifying glass will help determine whether or not the work is original or printed; if brush strokes are visible and layers of color are distinct, it is most likely original.  However, it is becoming common practice for artists to print digital work onto canvas then paint a few brush strokes to give the appearance of handmade work.  The giveaways will be the overall depth of material on the canvas (if it is too even on the surface, this is telling), as well as the edges of the canvas itself where the painting stops – Giclée prints generally have defined edges surrounding the image, where original paintings show the paint’s overlap outside of the framed area.

Can't see brush strokes? Probably not an original.

Remember this; the state of the art of printing is quite sophisticated and because it’s printed on canvas does not mean it’s an original.

We were at an auction when an original painting by a guy named “Vincent” was up with a starting bid of $10 which we made and were the only bidders. Of course on closer inspection we knew it was a Van Gogh print on canvas.

Happy hunting! Richard & Ellen

Richard and Ellen DeFeo run DeFeo’s Manor Bed & Breakfast, a Trip Advisor #1 B&B in historic Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania.  In tandem with their beautiful Queen Anne Victorian home, Richard & Ellen run The Selective Eye, a shop full of antiques, curios and curiosities culled from decades of adventures across the globe.

Coming tips from The Selective Eye:

• How to tell if you’ve got a first edition book?
• What’s an artists’ proof or a limited edition?
• What’s a “Netsuke”? (And how can you tell a fake from the real thing?)

Note: There are more types of printing than “Carter’s got liver pills,” as my mother would say.  The images here are from Graphics Atlas, a fabulous and comprehensive resource from the Image Permanence Institute.

Want more? Check out Recession Proof Glamour