How to Buy Original Oil Paintings

The art world can seem quite confusing. It's can be tough to even know how to go about buying art. However, it's easier than you may think to buy oil painting on canvas. If you look around, and keep a sharp eye and mind about you, you will be able to find exactly what you are looking for, at a price you can afford to pay. Before you know it you'll have a piece hanging in your home that you can enjoy for many years to come. Not only that, you'll be supporting the arts.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Determine your price range. Oil paintings range from less than $100 to millions of dollars. You can get great paintings no matter your price range, but first you have to be aware of what that range is and work within it.
2. Determine the kind of painting you're looking to buy and what stipulations you have. You may need a certain size painting, or one that matches the color scheme of a particular room. You may want an abstract work, or you may want something more realistic. You may have a particular artist, or school of artists, in mind. It's always best to know what you want.
3. Shop around. Get a good overview of the oil paintings available to you for purchase. This means visiting local galleries and shows, going online, if you are comfortable shopping in this manner, and looking on sites that sell art online (there are many), and asking your friends where they got their paintings, if you see something you like. Don't just jump on the first painting you see.
4. Make arrangements with the gallery owner or artist you wish to buy from, once you have selected the painting you wish to purchase. Decide whether or not you will pay for all of it upfront, or with a payment plan. Don't be afraid to haggle a bit if you sense the price is flexible.
5. Make sure that the painting you are buying was in fact painted in oils and that it is an original and not a print. It can be very difficult to tell what medium a painting was done in just by looking, so you should check with the person you are buying from to ensure that the work was in fact done with oil paints and not acrylics or some other medium.
6. Keep the contact information of the gallery or artist you bought the work through. You may have a problem with the piece and need to get in touch with them. Or you may wish to purchase another painting through them or refer a friend. If you bought through a gallery see if you can get the artist's information as well, should they stop representing the artist, as this does happen from time to time.

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