how can i tell if a watercolor painting is real or fake? it is signed in the lower left corner?

Question

it is signed by a well known artist

Answer 1

Check the paper and the color. If it is a reproduction you should be able to see that. Instead of smooth color you will see dots or lack of 'natural' flow of the color. also the paper will be heavy if it is real and flimsy when fake.

A signature is no guarantee. They probably are easiest to fake.

Answer 2

Good question. At one time I would have said "look for the dot screen"---photo-offset lithography produces a pattern of tiny color dots, visible to the naked eye (or aid of a magnifier if you're farsighted). There's also the paper. Watercolor just has a certain "look"---you can see pigments collected in the tiny hollows of the textured paper.

However, modern giclee reproductions can be scary accurate, and they can also be done on watercolor paper. You have to get very close to it indeed to determine if you're looking at watercolor on paper, or a digital reproduction of it.

The only way I know for sure to tell is to get it wet---the giclee will self-destruct immediately and look like what would happen if you did a color print off your own printer and dropped it into a puddle. The real watercolor will be a lot more stable. But you probably shouldn't go around wetting pictures in a gallery.

Price is probably going to help you determine this. If it's by a well-known artist, and the "watercolor" is unexpectedly cheap, it's probably a fake.

Are you buying this from a reputable place?

Answer 3

ok, when you mean fake, do you mean a print/reproduction, or someone that has copied the original painting?

if it is a print, the paper will be quite thin and not thick like normal water color paper. now to tell whether someone copied it by hand, compare it to the real orginal painting idea from an online website.