Original Work, Print or Copy?

Is it an original work of art, a print or a copy? I am asked these questions every day. Let’s explore what the differences are and how one can tell the difference between them.

Art has probably been enjoyed from the beginning of time. It has been a way of expressing one’s feelings and thoughts. Viewers are pulled into it and have a visceral reaction. Most of the art we at Mitchell Sotka look at has been produced over the past 200 years. Themes range from paintings depicting landscapes, portraits, still life, and interior views—to abstract images. Paintings can be labeled as a gauche, watercolor, acrylic or oil. These colorful renditions are created one at a time by hand. And although they may depict a famous work or have a repetitive theme, they are still one-of-a-kind and not mass produced.

Take a Close Look

Paintings have color applied by hand to build up shapes and surfaces that create shadows, depth, light and detail. These qualities are also clues that you are looking at a painting. With the naked eye it may be hard to see, but oil paintings have peaks and valleys.  With oil paintings, the more color that has been applied, the higher the area. Brush strokes are also noticeable and not necessarily consistent in size, direction or width. Watercolor or gauche is trickier. The color is typically applied to paper. Watercolor paint is not as thick as oil and overlapping color does not build up a "body". However, the color has depth and where colors overlap, there is a color change. Signatures, too, in ink or pencil are darker where lines intersect. These clues all help us figure out if a piece of art is an original. 

Many times people bring me a “treasure”, a masterpiece. Upon a quick review, these so-called fine paintings are quickly debunked as mass-produced images. Oil paintings can be executed on canvas, paper, panel, artist board and other material, but sturdy cardboard is more than likely not the stuff of an original oil painting. Look carefully. See if the brush strokes are repetitive, going in the same direction, the same shape and same size. This gives the texture to the surface and depth to fool the eye.

However, compared to an original painting, a copy is flat and void of a full range of color. The signature will also be flat where the lines cross; there will be no change in tone. Lastly, depending on the type of copy you’re examining with a magnifying loop, pixels or dots create the image. These dots represent shades of color, definition and line. This is a pretty cool trick of the eye. Grab a loop or magnifying glass and start exploring your art.

So if it is not a painting, is it still an original work of art? Sure, it can be. Original work is more about the artist's creation and involvement in the production process. Some prints are skillfully created, such as wood block, linoleum and copper. These prints are art forms in which the artist directly influences the plate or the medium by transferring an image to paper. There may be duplicates, but the work is still original.

Do not be fooled, if you examine your artwork and see pixels, you are looking at a cheap copy.  A quality print, such as a steel plate engraving, has a “plate mark”.  When transferring an image to a piece of paper, the engraving plate leaves a mark. These marks tend to be in pencil, and where the lead rests or lines cross, the marks are darker. Signatures are not even and have variation in shade.

The more exposure one has to paintings, prints and copies, the easier it becomes to identify an original. No one wants to pay original art prices for a copy. Use the keys I have given you along with some personal research to make sure you are buying what you want. Buy from people you trust and ask questions. Like the English language, there are exceptions to every rule, so you need to be savvy.

Build your collection as wisely as possible. And remember that copies do have a place too. If you like it, buy it, but know that it is a copy. Happy hunting!