Buying art online can be an intimidating process to most people. What style of artwork should you buy? What size of artwork goes with my home decor? What colours are in trend? These are all valid questions and artist Maria Al Zoubi has a few tips to help you pick that perfect artwork for your home and hopefully make the process of buying artwork online a more enjoyable and rewarding process.
1. Buy something that you like
It goes without saying this is the first thing you should consider when you buy an artwork, but you’ll be surprised to learn that when you start taking other things into consideration you can sometimes lose sight of why you like an artwork in the first place. This immediate connection that you have with an artwork is not to be ignored, and sometimes you have to trust that connection and make the artwork work for your space.
2. Consider the artistic style
Do you find yourself more attracted to abstract art? Or perhaps you’re more of the pop art lover? If you’re unsure, take a look at how you styled your home and go from there. Take a look at these examples of different artistic style and movements.
An Abstract Expressionistic Artwork By Sam Francis;
Courtesy Sotheby’s and Sam Francis
An Impressionistic Artwork by Claude Monet;
Courtesy Claude Monet
This is an example of Pop Art by Andy Warhol;
Courtesy Andy Warhol
And here’s an Example of Surrealistic Artwork by David Alabo
Courtesy David Alabo
3. Consider your space
Are you buying art for your living room or bedroom? Or maybe it is for a children’s space? Take into account what effect an artwork has on your mood; a calming artwork with soft colours maybe the best choice for a bedroom, while a playful artwork can make the perfect fit for a children’s space.
4. Size matters
Say you’re purchasing an artwork to go above the sofa, you’ll need to consider the size of your safe. Larger pieces of furniture will generally require larger artworks to go with them, while a smaller artwork would go perfectly on a side wall or in a corner.
5. Consider different arrangements
Sometimes a single artwork is enough of a statement on its own, but a diptych or a triptych are other ways to display artwork. A diptych is basically when an artwork is crelated onto 2 panels, where a triptych consists of 3 panels. You’re more of an avid collector? A gallery wall could be the way to go. It lets you display a collection on one wall, and you can start with a small collection and grow it with time, which adds to the joy of collecting art.
Courtesy Spacejoy
6. Consider your budget
Original art can be expensive, so if you don’t have the budget to splurge, a good strategy is to look at emerging art. An emerging artist usually hasn’t made a big name for themselves yet, so they have their artwork set at a reasonable pricing point. Your budget is even tighter? Another way to go is to buy art prints. Many artists release prints of their original art. Prints are a great way to purchase art that is really affordable. The other advantage to buying prints is that there will be usually be multiple sizes on offer, so you are more likely to find the size that suits your space. But don’t forget to consider the cost of framing when buying prints. Canvas prints can be hung without framing while prints on paper, although more affordable, they will need to be framed.
7. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with the artist
As an artist herself, Maria says she loves it when people get in touch with her to chat about her work. Chatting with the artist can give you an insight on the art and you will find yourself making a personal connection with the artwork. Some artists also accept commission request, so if for example you love an artwork but you prefer it in a different size, the artist might be able to recreate something similar for you. On other occasions, you might love an artwork and intend to purchase it but someone else snatched it before you. Try getting in touch with the artist and they might be able to create a commission artwork for you.
In conclusion, with just a few simple guidelines, buying art should become a really enjoyable process and a way for you to express yourself and add that personal touch to your space, so your home becomes an extension of you.