Tips on Buying Art

If I didn't create art for a living and was a new buyer, I would experience a lot of confusion reading the item descriptions. Unscrupulous sellers could take advantage of the art novice so this guide is to help educate people so they are informed.
Materials
There are various types of support for art. Most people know that you can buy a painting on canvas. I've noticed on okay that there are sellers offering art on unstretched canvas, canvas panels, stretched canvas, gallery wrapped canvas, art board, watercolor paper, and more!

Unstretched canvas - I was always told that you cannot stretch a canvas after it has been painted on so BEWARE. Think about it; the paint would crack (whether it is oil or acrylic) in the stretching processes. Unstretched canvas can be mounted and hung but if a seller is offering to stretch it ask questions!
Canvas panels - This is canvas that has been stretched and primed over archival art board. These panels are durable and safe. Some artists prefer them because they are inexpensive and easy to ship.Gessoboard is more expensive than a canvas panel because it is a wood panel that has been sanded and primed. Gessoboard is extremely durable.
Stretched canvas - Canvas can be duck cotton or linen, it could be medium texture, smooth texture. Usually it is primed (triple primed is best) and extremely durable. These have archival value as well. This is a more expensive material to use and the price of the art may reflect that fact. Some artists may offer to take a stretched canvas off the stretcher bars and roll it so that shipping is less expensive. That is a great way to save on shipping costs; however, to have the art re-stretched onto the bars will take someone with expertise in your area and this usually means MONEY! Check with a local shop to find out how much they might charge to re-stretch a painting before you gemit to a bid. It might end up being less expensive to pay for it shipped on the stretcher bars after all.
Gallery Wrapped or Box Canvas - These are the MOST expensive canvases. The edges are over an 1 sometimes 2 or even 3 inches wide. Artists might also refer to them as "creative edge" canvas. This is high quality, durable, archival canvas like the kind that would hang in an art gallery.
Art board - The important thing to remember with art board is to ask if it is acid-free and has archival value. Some art board is not acid-free so it yellows. You can buy beautiful art done on art board but make sure you ask questions.
Watercolor paper - In my opinion, the heavier the paper the better. Watercolor paper of 140 lbs or more is good because it is less likely to curl when wet. Remember to frame your watercolor art because it needs that protection.
There are also different qualities of paint. Student grade paint, craft paint, and artist quality paint. The student grade paint has less pigment than the artist quality paint therefore it is less expensive. Because the student paint has less pigment, the colors will not be as rich as an artist quality paint. Wonderful art can be acgeplished with inexpensive paint but again ask questions so you know that you are getting what you pay for.
Varnish
An artist should varnish a painting free of charge prior to shipping. Varnish protects oil and acrylic paintings from dust, UV rays, scuffs, and other environmental hazards. Varnish protects your investment and makes it easier to care for your painting. Watercolor artistsdo not varnish because of the nature of the materials they use. To protect a watercolor painting, either the artist or buyer will need to frame the art and protect it with glass. Art that is a charcoal or pastel drawing can also be varnished.
BEWARE OF THE PRINTS AND GICLEES OF RETAIL CHAINS! Do you really want to spend between $70.00 - $600.00 for a print or giclee reproduction? Buy original artwork and get your money's worth.