what is the difference between a painting and a print?

Answer 1

A painting is an image painted directly by the artist onto paper, canvas, board, etc. Each is a unique original.

As for prints, well---there are prints, and then there are prints.

There are print forms that are considered "original" as well, such as etching, engraving, silkscreen, wood cut, and stone lithography. These forms are also created by hand and can be as labor-intensive as paintings, if not more . The result is multiple images in an edition, signerd and numbered by the artist. These are considered "original" because the prints weren't "done" FROM a painting or anything else. The artist's creation is all on the metal plate, or silk screen, or limestone, or whatever. When the edition is printed, the plates are effaced or the film is removed from the silkscreen, so that no more can be produced. If the edition size is low (repeat, low, the fewer the better), original prints can be a good investment. No, they're not as valuable as something that there's only one of---but some artists work exclusively in prints, because they love the medium and process, and their work is not worthless simply because it comes in multiples..

Problems with original prints---artists fail to destroy their plates and prints continue to be made in perpetuity, signed and unsigned. Or, sometimes artists sell out a popular edition and instead of destroying their plates, they issue a "second state" (another edition of the same exact image, with a minor change in color). This decreases the potential value of the original edition. Not to mention damaging the rep of the artist.

There is also a problem when an artist who doesn't know how to do original prints takes one of his paintings to an expert printmaker and says "Make an etching out of this". It can certainly be done, and the result can be very good, but it doesn't make the etching into an original work by the painter, and it doesn't make a printmaker out of the painter, either. If the painter isn't known for his original prints, I wouldn't buy one, because they're probably not his work in any way.

Now to those other prints. Photo-offset lithography is not to be confused with the other kind of lithography. Thousands of copies can be made very quickly. There's almost no contact with human hands here, and certainly none from the artist. It's the method that was used to make most posters on the market. If you look closely at the surface, you'll see a pattern of tiny dots. These are not worth anything at all. Sometimes the artist signs them, which only confuses matters---you're basically paying for a signature on a worthless piece of paper. Sometimes the artist signs and numbers them, which is even worse---then you're paying for a signature on a worthless piece of paper that maybe 500-10,000 other people own. It won't go up in value. With an edition that size, the retail market is already pre-saturated.

Then there are digital reproductions (giclee). These are basically very high-quality posters. You can reproduce a watercolor right onto watercolor paper, with no telltale dots. You can repoduce an oil painting onto canvas. The reproductions can be excellent, good enough to fool uneducated buyers. But, aside from their decorative value, they're still not originals, they're not worth anything, and they'll never go up in value. Even if they're signed.

Answer 2

A print is made up of millions of little dots (like a tv picture) if you have a look at the picture through a magnifying glass you will be able to tell the difference. Looking for numbers on prints like 24/34 will not work as not all prints are limited editions.

Answer 3

A painting is the original , a print is a photo copied from an original painting.

Answer 4

A painting is an original work of art. A print is a copy of it.

Answer 5

A PAINTING IS more value for money an its better art for someone mainley puts a lot of time,feelings an passion into the pitchure where as a print is just a pitchure put in a machine then thousands of copys made an a artist dont do that even if someone said to the artist i like that pitchure can you do me one they probabley would but it wouldent be completely identical it will look that way but the paint strokes etc would be different

Answer 6

A painting is a picture painted by hand with either oils or watercolour and a print is a picture of a painting taking with a camera.

Answer 7

You don,t know ,prints are printed copies of original paintings,made usually,so that many people can have the picture without the cost of the original,plus everyone can hang a copy in their house.

Answer 8

One is painted the other is printed.

Answer 9

A painting is hand made- first and only. A print is/or can be reproduced over and over-

Printmaking changed the world when it made the books and art available to those who couldn't afford original art-

Answer 10

Painting is a unique HAND MADE work... a print is a product of some kind of "machine"...
Painting has a value of "human touch" with all mistakes, which makes it unique...