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Art as an Investment
People generally buy art because they love
the picture, however it is becoming more and more collectable with
the growing reputations of artists such as Fabian Perez, Doug Hyde,
Henderson Cisz, Malcolm Teasdale and of course Sherree Valentine
Daines to name but a few. Limited editions are an affordable way
into the art world and most are now highly sought after by avid art
collectors worldwide. Some images change hands at ever increasing
prices, making the collecting of art even more exciting.
However as a general rule please buy the piece
because you love it and not its investment potential. It must also
be said that not all art purchased from us will gain in value. We
can advise and at Platinum we will always tell the truth and offer
our personal honest opinion. Be very wary of galleries that insist
everything you buy will make you money trust it most won't.
To guarantee your art, Limited Edition prints
purchased from Platinum Galleries come with a certificate of
Authenticity direct from the publisher.. Many collectors follow and acquire the works of a
number of our artists. By joining our mailing list you will receive
information of forthcoming releases by post or email.
Printing Methods
A number of different
printing methods are employed in the reproduction of fine art. Below
is a brief description of the main methods used to reproduce the
limited edition prints in our collection.
Giclee
is a relatively new method of producing high quality usually,
limited edition prints and is often used for short print runs. The
artist’s original is scanned and converted to a digital format, then
printed on to fine art papers utilising specialist printers. The
Giclée process is now used by many of the major publishers of fine
art and prints using this process are exhibited in museums and art
galleries throughout the world.
Giclée is a French term, roughly translated as
‘little squirt’ – ink is sprayed onto the substrate (fine art paper)
in variable sized dots depending upon the amount of colour required
using lightfast pigment-based inks.
Fine art papers (the substrates) used for Giclée
are produced by paper mills that also produce similar acid-free
papers for artists. Suppliers of these fine art papers include
Hahnemüle of Germany and St Cuthbert’s Mill in the UK. The use of
archival quality inks and papers ensures the long-term stability of
the artwork produced by the Giclée process.
Lithographs – using a planographic process: prints are pulled on a
special press from a flat stone or metal surface. The surface has
been chemically sensitised so that ink sticks only to the design
areas and is repelled by the non-image areas. Lithography was
invented in Solnhofen, in Germany by Alois Senefelder in 1798. This
method of reproduction was favoured by great French artists such as
Daumier and Delacroix and later by Degas, Toulouse- Lautrec, Picasso
Braque and Miro
Offset Lithographs – A Special
photo-mechanical technique in which the image to be printed is
transferred to the negative plates and printed onto paper. Offset
lithography is very well adapted to colour printing. In the process
of producing limited editions the finest reprographic techniques are
used to split the colours. High quality mechanical printing then
enables the translation of this image onto paper. The plates are
destroyed in order that the authenticity and integrity of the
limited edition print is maintained.
Silk-screens – this is one of the oldest methods of
printing believed to have been developed in Japan from stencilling
methods used by early cave dwellers. Nowadays the original is
photographed and saved digitally on computer where the colours are
separated in preparation for the silkscreen process. Screens are
traditionally made using fine weave silk, although more frequently
polyester is used over aluminium. One screen is required for each
colour/shade. The process is lengthy as each colour is applied
separately through the screen and must dry before the next is
applied. The artist works closely with the printer and approves each
stage, sometimes making changes to ensure the originality of the
piece.
Hand - Embellished – these are limited edition prints that have been hand
finished by the artist who may apply additional paint, silver or
gold leaf and/other material to each piece making it unique.
DeMontfort fine art are using this technique more and more as our
demand for the finest quality reproduction artwork continues to increase.
Artist Proof
– Occasionally you may come across an Artist’s Proof.
Commonly up to 10% of an edition may be reserved and are intended
for the Artist’s personal use. When an Artists Proof is available it
will normally be numbered as such and will indicate the number of
artist’s proofs for example AP 6/25 means the sixth print in a set
of 25 authorised proofs. Washington Green also produce Printers
Proof (PP) HC pieces and will also number editions with Roman
Numerals this is in addition to export numbered pieces. Check first
to ensure which edition size you are buying as it can have a
detrimental effect on re-sale prices.
The prints are also signed by the artist and
although sold in the same way as limited edition prints, they do
often attract a slightly higher price. However at Platinum Galleries
we make no distinction and all edition pieces are priced the same,
Publishers RRP. We do get a lot of AP prints and these are sold on a
first come first served basis.
Limited Edition Prints
High quality Limited Edition prints, such
as those reproduced using lithography, silkscreen and Giclée
printing methods have enabled an artist’s work to be enjoyed by more
collectors. It is vital however, that all limited edition prints are
signed and numbered by the artist as a guarantee of the authenticity
of the edition and that the print has been made to their
satisfaction.
Print Quality
The Fine Art Trade Guild Standard requires
paper to be at least 250gsm thick, with an acidity level of between
pH7 and pH10 to minimise discolouring. Colours should be relatively
light-fast, scoring 6 or more on the Blue Wool Scale, the industry
standard measurement in the UK, or its equivalent. Reproductions
should normally be close facsimiles of the original work. Printing
should be clear with a good depth of colour. An artist’s signature
endorses the visible quality of the print quality.
(COA) Certificates of
Authenticity
Whilst not essential, many publishers do
now provide Certificates of Authenticity as further proof of the
edition and quality of the print. Certificates may be signed by the
Artist, Publisher or both and should show the title, artist, edition
size, and year of printing. The Certificates will also show the
print number.
Open Edition Prints
An open edition reproduction print can be
produced in any quantity and the image may also be used in other
ways such as on tableware. Open editions tend to cost less than
limited editions and are much less likely to increase in value. At
Platinum we stock and sell very few open editions as we believe they hold no
future value. In addition many galleries mount and frame greeting
and gift cards by
well known artists and sell them for inflated sums of money. Most of
these cards cost less than £1.50 and they are sold by galleries for
around £20-40. At Platinum we do not do this as we believe it
cheapens the artists images. We will mount and frame cards for customers
at a fraction of the cost other galleries charge.
Boxed Canvas
Are canvas pieces that has been stretched over a deep wooden frame
so that the image is around the edge of the frame. Box canvases do
not normally have a frame added and can be hung straight onto the
wall. Increasingly we are starting to float frame this type of work
which makes the canvas look even more special.
Commissions
We are able to commission some artists
to produce a specific piece of art just for you. Please ask for
details but the most popular ones are, Duncan MacGregor, Jonathan
Shaw, Malcolm Teasdale and Toni Goffe to name but a few. Within the
art world we work to image size and all prices for originals are
based around this. We do not charge more for this unique service but
we will need time.
Secondary Market
Some galleries say they deal in the secondary
market but ask them to get you a piece and it quickly becomes
apparent they don't.
At Platinum we do!!! We have a vast network of
contacts and tracking down a rare or older piece is more often than
not very possible. If you are looking for an older or rare image
please contact the gallery and we will make every effort to find it
for you, sold out or not!! If one is available we will get it for
you.
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