Buying Paintings: Prints versus Originals

SOLD "Gentle Surf", 6" x 6" original oil on cavas by Mary Hubley

 Why do artists sell prints of their paintings? To offer a lower price point. To make them more affordable to a wider range of people. To sell more. Prints mean extra "bonus" money for the artist. While it could take months to sell a $500 painting or longer for a painting in the $5,000 range, artists can sell ten $80 giclee prints during that time. And they can still sell their originals when the right buyer comes along.

When buying a print, however, the collector gains little more than a pretty image for his wall. He hasn't purchased art -- rather, he's purchased a copy of art. Serious collectors simply don't buy copies -- they buy originals.

I haven't gotten into selling prints. They may work well for some artists, but I'd rather sell originals. For the same price as giclees, I sell a series of 6" x 6" original paintings that I start and finish in a day. My small paintings sell quickly in galleries. And, rather than offering copies, I offer my clients real art. It represents an entry point for customers to build interest in my work. Later on, when these customers are ready, they come back and start collecting my larger works.