10 Simple Things Artists Should Know About Reproductions

Here are some simple points that artists considering reproductions should know.  It can save many questions and much cost if you are aware of these simple facts and educate yourself about the points that specifically apply to you.

1. A good reproduction has to come from a good painting.
2. A good reproduction needs a good quality starting file.  If printing digitally, you need a scan or photo of your artwork that is high quality, high resolution and in focus.
3. A good reproduction needs a good substrate – ie: quality canvas or paper, etc.
4. It is generally not a good idea to make a high quality Fine Art reproduction more than 10% larger than the original painting – no matter how good your file is.
5. There is much skill in colour matching your file to your original and this can take time and money before you even get a good proof that you like.
6. Always proof your prints before producing a run and ensure your printer matches the proof you approve.
7. We still don’t have the technology to match paintings exactly – there will always be differences between the original and a print – and that is a good thing!
8. Quality materials – paper, canvas and ink do cost something.  Be prepared to pay for qualiy.
9. Handle prints with care.  The ink sits on the surface of the paper or canvas and will be much more susceptible to scratching than your original.  Consider protective coatings in some cases.
10. Not everything you paint will make a good reproduction.  Consider that paintings that are popular will also likely be good prints.

Return of the Limited Edition (Was it ever gone?)

One of the things I have observed lately is the trend back to producing limited edition reproductions. This is a trend that fell way out of favour in the 90s due to the unethical production by some publishers of outrageous numbers of offset prints marketed to the uneducated public as having investment value.
However the LE has never really gone away. Artists and small publishers of quality art prints have long realized the value of a signed and numbered exclusive edition of reproductions. There is only ever one original. It is highly unlikely that an artist - no matter how skilled - would be able (or want to) exactly duplicate a painting. Therefore, if it is a popular image - a small edition of reproductions allows more people to purchase a copy of that image while not taking away from the value and uniqueness of the original.
The rise of the giclee market offers outstanding opportunities for artists to do that in small quantities and keeping investment to a minimum.
I see this trend continuing and unfortunately probably will see the same cycle of exploitation in the marketplace at some point as well. However, quality and integrity will always be in style!

Reproduction Sustainability

Sometimes it is hard for me to stick to a topic - it is easy to get involved and comment on all aspects of the arts as they come to my attention. However this blog is about the business of art and particularly reproductions.

• Lots of artists go the road of reproductions - why?
• They are not so prolific - yet have a high demand for their work
• They feel they can make some money selling copies of their work.
• They want to give to family and friends but can't afford to give away precious originals.
• There is a demand or request from a gallery, publisher or licensor.
• They want to provide work to a charity
• And many more.......

Artwork Courtesy of Patricia D. Arndt

Once down that road, though -particularly if the goal is to sell art - you will come upon the question of sustaining the market. This involves a commitment to a new group of people who will be expecting to see you continue. That can be a daunting prospect for many artists who are struggling just to keep originals flowing.

In short form - here are some of the ways artists have successfully accomplished that.

1. They reproduce consistently. That is, they don't do a whole bunch of reproductions and then stop. They consistently release good reproductions of their best work on a regular basis.
2. They know their market. Not everything you paint will sell as a reproduction. You must seriously respond to people's comments and ask them - if I print this, will you buy one? Then tally the results.
3. They have exposure to a variety of people. Don't just stop at family and friends - you must have a large sampling of people who comment positively on wanting one of your prints or you may only have a limited market.
4. They have a style that is recognizable and distinct. In order to succeed over the long haul - successful artists have a reproduction style that is recognizable by their collectors and distinct. It does not mean you don't paint anything you want - but what you reproduce needs to generally fit this category. People like to collect and they like to collect more of what they bought before.
5. They price reasonably and are not influenced by other's success. You must price for your market, your reproductions and increase prices on demand. Don't let the market for other artist's work unduly influence you.
6. They have a method of distribution and sale. Whether it is a spouse, publisher, the internet, a gallery or shows - you must have an outlet if this is to be a business.

Anyway - some basic thoughts. As always, I welcome yours!

The Menu

As per last weeks post - I wanted to take time to spell out a possible menu of services that artists may want and expect from a publisher distributor and I am hoping that if anyone reads this, they might respond with ideas and comments.

Some of the possible menu items might be:

• Your own website (developed for you by the Publisher and promoted by them- but also directly available to you for update, edit and promotion)
• A "Portal" website where your existing website - tied to the publisher for promotion can be exposed.
• Printing services - a place where you can get your printing of reproductions done at a reasonable price allowing you to wholesale and retail your work.
• Framing services - as above - the access to low-cost materials, labour and options to allow you to re-sell your work
• Fulfillment services - a place where you can count on the publisher to package, ship and ensure delivery for you of your work to a client.
• Show Services - rental of trade show booths, available to you for local or national shows, shipping, framing, display and graphic material support. All the logistics to assist you in getting to and from a show venue and successfully displaying and selling your work - originals and/or reproductions.
• Wholesale Distribution Services -where the publisher/distributor would stock some of your popular reproductions and sell them to retailers providing you with a commission.
• Art Licensing - the opportunity for you to have someone represent you and arrange for license contracts with manufacturers etc - where the publisher would oversee and negotiate the contract on your behalf - ensure your royalties and/or fees were collected and paid to you and ensure the terms of the contract were adhered to.
• Digital Services - Someone to work with to capture your work, digitize it at high quality and help you archive it as well as re-size as necessary for various projects.

Anyway - I am sure there are more - but here is a beginning list. Hopeing to hear from you!

Artist Services - Look for more from Publishers

I have been doing a lot of thinking about the current relationship between artists, their reproduction publishers and distributors - and the changing market landscape.
If indeed the person who buys art and art reproductions wants to get closer to the artist - to have a more direct contact - then that will mean a changing relationship between artist and distributor.

What sort of form could that take? One thing that seems obvious is that there will need to be a closer connection - where the artist and the publisher/distributor are working together as part of a team - not as two separate entities with their own role.

Another obvious is that it will have to be clear to the art buyer that the relationship is a close one and that they will not benefit from trying to "go around" a publisher/distributor to the artist - or even the other way in search of a better price or better service etc.

That means the team approach will include some key elements around pricing, contractual obligations by both artist and publisher/distributor, and a good understanding of what each brings to the market as a strength and ability.

This will by necessity be different for each artist. Many artists simply do not enjoy, nor wish to have much business contact with buyers around the business aspect of their artwork. However, there are others that enjoy this aspect of their career. As a result, individual and customized relationships will be developed with the publisher/distributor providing a list of services they can perform on behalf of the artist and the artist choosing from that menu.

I see an exciting time ahead and great opportunities for artists. I also see many of the current publishers having to reduce the amount of artists they work with in order to be able to provide a quality service to those remaining.

I noticed that thevgroove.com has a recent artist interview with Yukon artist Lynn Blaikie. I am sure many of you would find it interesting.