Reproduction of Paintings
What does personalized painting reproduction imply?
Can you guess which is the original painting and which is the reproduction?
If you guessed that the painting on the left is the original, you are correct!
The painting on the right is an oil reproduction made by a kuadros artist.
The differences in painting reproduction are marked by the time elapsed, the type of pigment used, the artist's skill, and the canvas utilized. However, buyers of painting replicas accept these small differences and some even prefer the vibrant colors of the reproductions to the originals!
Only in the major art forgeries is it very difficult to distinguish between the original and the reproduction, as special techniques are used there to age the paintings.
Let's look at some of the methods used in painting reproduction:
Reproduction of paintings printed on canvas
This type of niche in painting copies is on the rise, as traditional canvases, mainly cotton, are used, with ink prints made by large-format printers such as the Epson. Within this category, there are Giclee canvas prints, with traditional dyes or long-lasting or "archival" pigments. Also in this category are embellished canvas prints. The technique is simple: a painting is printed on cotton or synthetic canvas, and once the paint is dry, an artist adds oil to the surface, embellishing the painting and adding texture.
There is a marked difference between paintings printed on canvas on a massive scale (Lienzografías) and prints made with Giclee. Observe the following graphic:
In the image on the left, the painting is printed with regular ink. On the right, the painting is printed with the Giclee technique.
In Giclee, resolution matters! Any image you plan to use for art prints must be at least 300 DPI in relation to the physical size you expect to print.
Used interchangeably in the printing world, DPI means Dots per inch and relates to the number of physical dots printed within a given square inch.
That said, the look of a high-quality art print depends much on the quality of the digital image and its resolution. And we already know that images with such resolution are very scarce and very difficult to obtain. A simple Google search is not enough.
Reproduction of paintings printed on paper or sheet (posters)
When printed in offset, an image is divided into four "color channels" known as CMYK. This means cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.
These prints, also called offset prints, are also subject to the quality of the source image (resolution), the printer used, the inks, and the paper. There is always the risk that the source image is of low resolution and therefore the final product will also be of low quality. Although there are photographs of famous paintings freely available on the internet, very few can actually be found with the necessary resolution to make a worthy print. The only way to do this is by scanning the works with specialized scanners. Of course, this technique of painting reproduction has zero texture, and therefore the appearance of “cheap painting” is a characteristic of the reproduction. This is not the way for someone who wants a high-quality painting copy.
Offset printing is one of the oldest and most used printing styles and has been around since the 1870s, but it is not highly recommended for quality art reproductions.
Generally the result is not good and disappoints the buyer. Here it is worth announcing, without being sarcastic: you get what you pay for!
Reproduction of oil paintings authorized by the artist
The reproduction of oil paintings in visual arts dates back to the 16th century when it was common practice for art students to copy their old masters to learn how to paint. The process of copying a masterpiece allowed them to practice a skillful painting style while developing their own style. This allowed ordinary people to cling to reproductions of oil paintings worth thousands of dollars. Leonardo first learned to paint in the style of his master before following his own approach, and then copied his master’s painting style.
By copying a painting, the student learns the artist's method; his approach, the mixing, and color gradations.
At the end of the 19th century, Degas diligently copied masterpieces of his favorite artist, Ingres. He also made a careful large-scale copy of Poussin's The Rape of the Sabine Women, which is now in the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. The list of famous artists who copied the old masters is endless; from Landseer to Rubens; John Singer Sargent to Velázquez; Henri Fantin Latour to Titian and Veronese, Géricault to Caravaggio; Watteau to Titian, Van Dyck to Tintoretto, Matsys to Raphael, to name just a few.
So marked has this practice been that even Picasso himself made the phrase famous, "Good artists copy, great artists steal."
The roots of the medium are deeply embedded in history. It was especially employed in Far Eastern countries, China and Japan, as a technique for applying stencils to fabrics and screens. Serigraphy is allied with woodblock printing, which first emerged in those countries for similar purposes.
Night of Fantasy, Itzchak Tarkay
Both techniques were adopted by European artists and craftsmen in the 15th century and further developed for a wide variety of decorative and artistic applications.
At its most basic level, serigraphy involves covering portions of silk or a similar material with a coating. First, the silk is stretched over a framework attached with hinges to a base. Then, the image window is masked with tape and a layer of shellac or glue is applied. Any part of the silk left exposed becomes the design through which ink or another pigment, such as paint, is pushed with a squeegee or brush. This simplified description hardly does justice to the technical flexibility and artistic versatility of the medium.
Reproduction of paintings on photographic paper
A good reproduction of paintings on photographic paper is done on matte, archival-quality paper. This is the best paper for preserving fine arts, as it is a long-lasting specialized paper for painting reproductions and photographic prints. It has a smooth surface, heavy paper (230g), neutral white, and matte finish, designed for accurate color reproduction that provides high contrast and high-resolution output. Acid-free paper is preferred, making it the perfect choice for both photographs and fine art reproductions. It should be noted that this type of painting reproduction is also subject to the quality of the paper.
How to distinguish quality in painting reproductions?
Even within these previous categories, there are significant differences in quality, price, sizes, and color fidelity in painting reproductions.
At Kuadros, we cater specifically to a discerning clientele seeking high-quality oil painting reproductions. These are copies of paintings made with extreme skill, where artists specializing in copying strive to get as close as possible to the original author's intent.
To achieve this, we have the support of more than 60 masters graduated from art schools. These artists are spread across different parts of the world, from Venezuela to Haiti in the Americas, and through China and Japan.
Who leads the market in oil painting reproduction commerce?
Currently, there are two schools for high-volume painting reproduction: the one using European artists and the Chinese. Companies that use European artists to make copies charge much more for their paintings than companies that use Chinese painters. But is the vast price difference justified?
What is the quality difference between these two schools of painting reproduction?
There is no marked quality difference based on the geography from which the painter reproducing the work comes. Contrary to many Chinese products, which (justifiably) have a dubious reputation for quality, Chinese art reproductions are often equal to or superior to European artists. The reason? The Chinese artist has a considerable advantage over the European in experience, as Chinese painting reproductions have been mass-producing paintings for three decades.
It's worth knowing a bit of this history. In 1989, an entrepreneur and artist from Hong Kong named Huang Jiang was visiting the city of Shenzhen and set out to transform the dilapidated village of Dafen into a factory-like oil painting reproduction workshop.
By renting several houses and recruiting a dozen apprentices, he created a business that operated like a factory production line, efficiently producing Van Goghs, Da Vincis, and Rembrandts and selling them worldwide. By the late '90s, Jiang's business had grown to include more than 2000 workers. Many apprentices eventually parted ways and started their own reproduction projects.
Several of the masters who work with Kuadros today come from the original batch of those first artists under master Huang Jiang.
But not all Chinese reproductions are the same. Today, you can buy cheap painting reproductions on Chinese portals like Aliexpress. Many of these replicas are of low quality, although buyers who don't know the difference are generally satisfied.
Specialized artists in China still charge quite a bit to produce their works, as the average production time for a 60x90 painting is at least 2 to 3 weeks. To that, you have to add drying time and international shipping.
What influences the price of oil painting reproductions?
The price of famous painting reproductions is determined by several factors:
- The artist who paints the painting. Good artists and experienced masters charge more than apprentices or new artists in the reproduction technique.
- The size of the painting. Here, size does matter. It is not the same to reproduce a painting of 60x90 as one of 120x200, since, of course, it takes more canvas, more paint, and, above all, time. In many cases, the artist who reproduces paintings charges more for their time than for the materials.
- The canvas. Synthetic canvases are cheaper than cotton ones, and cotton ones are cheaper than linen ones.
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- The artist who paints the painting. Good artists and experienced masters charge more than apprentices or artists new to the reproduction technique
- The size of the painting. Here it's worth saying that size matters. It’s not the same to reproduce a 60x90 painting as a 120x200 one because, of course, more canvas, more paint, and especially more time are required. In many cases, the artist who reproduces paintings charges more for their time than for the materials
- The canvas. Synthetic canvases are cheaper than cotton ones, and cotton canvases are cheaper than linen ones.
- The pigments.
- The number of figures in the painting
- The level of detail and complexity of the painting
Are art reproductions worth anything?
In general, art reproductions have a low value compared to originals that are auctioned for millions. Fine art painting reproductions are not an investment like original art.
On the other hand, there is also no guarantee that an original work of art will increase in value. Of course, there are exceptions in art reproductions, especially oil painting reproductions. For example, if Banksy were to paint a reproduction of Klimt's The Kiss, then this reproduction would be worth a lot since it would be painted by a famous artist. But in general, art reproductions are worth what someone is willing to pay for them.
Because the majority of copies after the old masters have long been undervalued, their authorship was rarely recorded, so today they often arrive as anonymous works. Yet, we make an effort to understand the influence of truly grandiose works on younger or later artists and students.
Famous painting reproductions are often fantastically economical. Buying a copy of a famous painting would put you in good company: King Charles I, England's most famous and sophisticated art collector, owned a large number of copies (nearly 70 in total), including numerous copies of paintings whose originals were already in his possession. Besides buying these paintings himself, Charles also received copies as gifts from members of the court.
As in the example of King Charles, it's evident that the satisfaction in owning a replica doesn't lie in its commercial value but in being able to admire a bit of what the artist intended to portray in the original work.
Some Tips Before Buying an Oil Painting Reproduction:
In the painting reproduction industry, you really get what you pay for. If you opt for a printed reproduction, don’t expect much.
Always compare the replica with the original to see the differences and judge for yourself how good or bad the reproduction is.
It is almost impossible to reproduce an oil painting with 100% accuracy. Don’t be fooled by misleading claims.
You should also check the warranty provided by the supplier.
Be realistic about the time you should wait for your reproduction. Unless it’s a printed painting, oil paintings take several weeks to be painted, carefully packed to avoid damage, and shipped to their destination. The average time for a buyer to receive a requested painting is 6 weeks, though in some cases, this time could extend to 8 or 10 weeks.
About KUADROS Famous Oil Painting Reproductions
Our museum-quality reproductions are 100% hand-painted by professional artists with many years of experience in creating oil painting replicas on canvas.
All of our paintings come directly from the studio. We do not work with intermediaries or have galleries or showrooms.
The result is a work of exceptional beauty, just for you.
Kuadros, a famous painting on your wall.