Collecting art is an expensive hobby, but a skilled artist can get great work for very low prices. Whether you're looking for the best deals at a thrift store or at an exhibition, knowing how to determine the authenticity of a painting and its price can help you find the best deals in a sea of fakes and imitations.
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Method 1 of 2: Looking for High Value Items
Step 1. Look for paintings by famous artists
For most people, the goal of an art hunt is to find the lost work of a famous artist. While you most likely won't find Monet or Vermeer's work, you may find hidden firsts by lesser-known painters or popular local artists.
- Some of the artists whose work has been found in thrift stores are Ben Nicholson, Ilya Bolotowsky, Giovanni Battista Torriglia, Alexander Calder, and Pablo Picasso.
- To know what paintings to look for, study various artists through local galleries, art museums, and online databases such as the Web Gallery of Art.
Step 2. Use your phone to search for precious paintings
If you come across a work that may be of high value, try searching on Google or a similar search engine. If the painting shows up in search results, you may have found a valuable piece of art.
- If you don't know the name of a painting, search for it using keywords. For example, Thomas Gainsborough's "The Blue Boy" can be found with the keywords "painting", "child", and "blue".
- If you have a clear photo of the painting, try searching for it via Google's image search engine via the link https://reverse.photos. This method will make your search process easier.
Step 3. Purchase a special edition print or an artist's autograph
While most printed artwork has no resale value, there are some special exceptions. Look for prints that are part of a limited edition that were made in small numbers, as well as prints that have the artist's signature on the front or back.
Some special edition prints have a special number that indicates which copy you have, as well as the total number of copies available
Step 4. Don't buy small, abstract-themed paintings if you plan to sell them
Do not buy paintings that are very small or have unclear concepts that tend to be abstract unless the object is the original work of a well-known painter. Although the painting looks beautiful, most people are more attracted to large paintings with traditional concepts so they will be more difficult to sell.
This is very important, especially if you plan to sell the painting online, as small works of art with abstract concepts are difficult to depict through digital photos
Step 5. Purchase a high-quality framed painting
Even if you decide that a painting is worthless, be sure to check the frame. Painting frames have their own artistic value. So, a classic or quality frame can be sold at a high price, regardless of the painting in it. Look for frames with the following characteristics:
- Handcrafted designs
- Intricate or unique patterns
- Gold plated mold
- Few marks of use and the look of the wood is still good
Method 2 of 2: Determining the Authenticity of a Painting
Step 1. Find the artist's original signature
Often, the easiest way to verify the authenticity of a painting is to look for the artist's original signature on the front or back. Look for handwritten or painted signatures. If a painting is unsigned or has a signature that looks odd and fake, it's most likely a reprint or a fake.
- If you know the artist's name, look up their name online to match the signature on the painting.
- Signatures are very easy to forge. So, don't use it as the only proof of the authenticity of a painting.
Step 2. Use a magnifying glass to examine the printout spots
Before buying a painting, look at the work through a magnifying glass and look for small round dots arranged in a line. If you look at the painting, you can be sure it's just a copy made with a laser printing machine.
- While this method can help you identify a used printer, be aware that it may not be used to detect a high-quality printer.
- Unlike laser-printed copies, paintings made with the pointilist technique have dots of varying sizes and shapes.
Step 3. Examine the oil painting for texture on its surface
When determining the authenticity of an oil painting, examine the bumps and wavy texture of the paint marks on the surface. If the work has a very pronounced texture, it's most likely authentic. If the surface is very smooth, the object is just a copy.
If a painting only has one or two textured dots, it could be a fake item disguised as the real thing
Step 4. Check the roughness of the watercolor artwork
To determine the authenticity of a watercolor painting, hold the work from the side and take a close look at the paint. If the paper looks rough in the polished area, the work is likely genuine. If the entire surface of the paper feels smooth, it must be just a copy.
Step 5. Check the rough edges of the canvas painting
Oftentimes, artists who paint on canvas will make uneven or jagged strokes throughout the painting. However, they usually don't even out the section because people rarely see it. Thus, if a canvas painting has perfectly-looking edges, it's most likely just a copy.
Step 6. Check the back of the frame for signs of age
Often, the back of a frame can provide more information than the painting inside. Look for frames that are dark in color and have obvious signs of aging, such as peeling varnish and areas of worn wood. The older the frame used, the more likely it is that the painting inside is an original work.
- If the back of the frame is mostly dark but has some bright lines, it's most likely the original painting, only that the base has been replaced.
- Most of the old frames on the back resemble the letter X or H. This is very rarely found in contemporary frames that are commonly used.
Step 7. Look at the painting's attribution method to determine how old it is
If nails are used to hold the painting in place or if you find empty nail holes around the frame, there is a good chance that the work was an original made before the 1940s. If staples were used to hold the painting in place, it's more than likely an imitation, especially if the painting inside is an old work and you can't find any traces of the old hooks.
