Top Ways to Differentiate Printing from Painting

Top Ways to Differentiate Printing from Painting

Being able to distinguish the difference between a print and a painting can be tough, particularly when the piece is behind glass and disguising as a watercolour, or is an increased "textured" print aimed to trick us with an application of realistic faux-brushstrokes. For decades artists have found unique method to create art work, lithographs, and images. Lithography is the process of creating a blueprint for art using big flat stone– to be replicated in large volume, and has slowly been substituted with the invention of new printing technology. Prints are merely reproductions of original works, typically using pictures or Mylar transfer. To the untrained eye, distinguishing between an original painting and a print or lithograph might be difficult, but by learning to detect a few tell-tale marks on the art, you can readily identify the difference.

Not everyone can afford an original painting, but prints offer a cost-effective way to bring art to one's life and walls – an immensely essential consideration in a society that is more focused on facts, figures, and the bottom line. We become spiritless, difficult, and cynical without art.

What is a print?

Prints are copies of the same work made using a printing method. A photo-mechanical process print is one of the most frequent forms of print. The picture is photographed and mass-produced after being transferred from a source. This is not to be confused with original prints.

What is painting?

Paintings, on the other hand, are one-of-a-kind works of art that are often fashioned from a single metal plate, stone block, wooden block, or screen by the artist. The artist or artisan creates each imprint, and the foundation is later destroyed. The paintings are often signed and numbered in pen by the artist and are referred to as "Limited Edition Prints."

How to Differentiate printing from painting

  1. Brushstrokes in a painting are textured. Watercolour or gouache oil paintings are often on rough paper with a distinct texture, but a print is occasionally flat and has a dot matrix pattern, similar to that found in magazine or book illustrations.
  2. A Painting contains irregular and uneven paint on the stretched canvas's edges, but a Print commonly has crisp, smooth, and clean edges; areas where the customer usually does not look.
  3. When inspected under a strong light, a painting may reveal pencil lines from the artist's initial drawing as well as alterations made by the artist while painting, whereas a print normally includes some identification and a copyright mark printed in small letters.
  4. A painting has rich and brilliant hues, and it looks, feels, and smells just like an original. A painting will survive for how many years because of its natural layers of paint, however, a print will normally endure for a very short period of years will past print paintings fade.
  5. Examine the painting carefully to see whether there is any paint texture visible. For oil and acrylic paintings, a brushstroke will leave a thickness of paint on the canvas, whereas a watercolour painting will leave an imprint on the paper. Using a magnifying lens, look for any signs of texture. The texture will disclose that the painting is a one-of-a-kind piece.
  6. Use a magnifying glass to look closely at the surface of the painting. Look for visible printing evidence, such as parallel lines or a dot matrix. If you can see these, you have a print from an ink-jet or laser printer. The colour will appear to flow from a distance, but close inspection will reveal the proof of printing.
  7. Look for any indications on the back of the picture that indicate if it is a lithograph, print series, or edition. These labels are frequently applied to the back of a picture before framing. Some labels are concealed underneath a brown paper wrap secured to the back of the picture. If this is the case, carefully peel aside the paper to find the label.
  8. Check for any copyright marks or print series proof. If the piece is an unique print or print series, the artist will usually sign it and provide a number, such as 2/30. This indicates that the piece is the second in a series of 30 unique prints or lithographs.
  9. Take note of the materials used in the piece. Prints and lithographs are sometimes manufactured on card stock paper or cardboard and are not genuine paintings.

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