Lithography

1 : the process of printing from a plane surface (such as a smooth stone or metal plate) on which the image to be printed is ink-receptive and the blank area ink-repellent. 2 : the process of producing patterns on semiconductor crystals for use as integrated circuits.

Lithography/Lithographic and offset printing, or litho printing for short, is where the image of the content you want to produce is placed on a plate which is then covered in ink and used for printing. This process can be used to print on paper, cardboard and many other materials.

An original piece of artwork by a famous artist is expensive. A lithograph print is more affordable but still carries a tag of exclusivity, quality and value as there is almost certainly not going to be many copies. Leading artists worked with leading printers and it became a staple of fine art printing.

A common way to tell if a print is a hand lithograph or an offset lithograph is to look at the print under magnification. Marks from a hand lithograph will show a random dot pattern created by the tooth of the surface drawn on. Inks may lay directly on top of others and it will have a very rich look.

Most modern lithographs are signed and numbered to establish an edition. Very often the artist signs a number of these “reproductions” but they are not true original lithographs. Seaside Art Gallery has a number of wonderful original lithographs that have been created by some of the most noted artists in the world.5

An authentic etching does not have any dots in the image. After the edition is printed by the master printer, it is given back to the artist to hand-sign each one. Prints or other fakes have copies of the signature.29

“Printmaking is the most democratic of visual art forms. Long revered by artist for its accessibility and for the opportunities it offers for innovation and experimentation through multiples, printmaking can reach a wide and disparate public, which serves, for many, as their first direct exposure to the art world.

How To Identify An Antique Oil Painting

1. Darkening of the canvas. The back of a painting will generally yield more information than the front, so the first thing to do is turn it over.
2. Relined canvas. Relining is the process of attaching an older canvas to a newer one for conservation reasons.
3. Dark stretcher bars.
4. Craquelure.
5. Raised paint.
6. Dots under magnification.

One good indicator of how to tell if a paint is valuable is to figure out who owned the painting beforehand. If someone who was high up or well-known in the art community owned the painting, then there might have been a reason for it. They knew that it was worth more.26

If you work thickly in oil and the picture dries, there’s not much you can do. But once you’ve accepted the artwork is a failure, you can completely paint over the canvas. There is no substitute for that “nothing to lose” feeling that comes with it.

Consider finding an appraiser to determine the value of your artwork. Appraisers are trained specialists who work for a fee. They evaluate your piece and give you a written statement of its value. Although the following organizations do not provide appraisals themselves, they each publish a directory of their members.

Look in the corners of the painting to see if there is a signature or monogram. If the name is easy to read, simply search the artist’s name up online to find the painting. If it’s harder to read, look carefully to see if you can break down the letters and read them.28