The art market can seem like a daunting place and reserved for those with a lot of cash to spend. Especially if you are just decorating your house or starting as a fine art collector. Fine art collecting is a hobby for some and an investment for others. Art is available in many different shapes, sizes and prices. Don’t be intimidated as everyone can enjoy buying and owning quality art in an affordable way. The key is to search in the right places and look for something that you genuinely love.
The question is where do you start and how do you find quality art that you genuinely like? It's important to understand why you are collecting in the first place and secondly what the art market looks like. We will explain all the ins and outs of collecting art and why collecting emerging art is worthy for both novice and experienced collectors.
Why are you buying fine art?
You are already here reading about buying and it might feel redundant to talk about your intentions on fine art collecting. Yet, it is key to simplify your next steps. Some people collect for decoration purposes, others collect because they genuinely love the artist or artwork, and others collect because they want to earn more money than they originally invested.
No matter the purpose, everyone is allowed to buy art without needing to explain why they bought it. Buying fine art gives opportunities to all kinds of artists to make a living out of their artworks. Knowing your intentions makes the process of acquiring fine art a lot more freeing and less intimidating.
If you want to buy quality art because you want to update your home decor, there are plenty of artworks that can fill up your blank space and create a more liveable space by displaying art. If you want to buy art for the sake of art, look for pieces that fit your style.
Lastly, if you want to buy quality fine art as a collector make sure the art is certified or from an acknowledged art supplier. In all cases, it is good to consider buying certified art as it does no harm and allows you to be confident that you are supporting the artist and not buying counterfeits.
Art markets
There are two markets that you can look into which play a significant role in the global fine art development: Emerging artists and established artists. These two markets are important to be aware of, mainly because of their prices. The established artists are more expensive, which often reflects the popularity and recognition of the artist. The emerging artists are often defined as young, developing and less recognized. They may have recently started creating art. All emerging artists have the following in common: no or little gallery representation and their artworks are considered less valuable and costly at this point in time. It does not necessarily mean they are completely unknown, they are just less well acclaimed nationally and internationally.
Buying from emerging artists
The benefit of buying fine art from emerging artists is that the artworks are less costly upon initial purchase. This does not mean their art is less valuable nor that it has less potential. Additionally while buying their fine art you are funding an unrecognized artist to sustain their career. It allows them to continue to develop and invest more into their art and over time establish themselves more within the quality fine art ecosystem. Emerging art is where the next wave of creativity is born. They are the ones paving the way for new art forms, styles and mediums. When buying art from emerging artists make sure, in case of an investment, that these are certified in a way. This will make sure the art will retain its value over time and potentially increase if the artist does well.
Where to start when buying art
1. Define a style
When you are starting off, it is good to look at some inspiration to figure out what kind of fine art you might want to buy. Inspiration can be found on social media, websites, and especially in galleries and museums. Seeing quality fine art in person gives you an impression of styles, sizes, colors and artists. Once you have found enough inspiration, you can probably define the style that you prefer most. Trust your instinct, if you like it, you like it and it does not necessarily need an explanation.
2. Connect with your potential fine art investment
Within the style there might be several art pieces that you like most. Explore the artists behind the art works. Explore the websites of the artists and perhaps while browsing you will stumble upon other fine artworks of the emerging artist that you prefer over the original work. Some art you might like more because of the background story of the artist, therefore it is not only important to explore the art but also the artist. Through the biography of the artist a deeper and more meaningful connection may develop. This might simplify your decision in the end.
3. How much do you invest in art?
Budget is a crucial part of purchasing art. Your budget might limit you in whether you are able to buy art from established or emerging artists. The price limit will then define whether buying from established or emerging artists is a choice or a restraint. However, it is important to go through the previous steps without limiting yourself in budget, because it is harder to find a style that you like when you are already considering your budget.
4. Value certified art
When making a decision about the fine art to buy, consider the long term art value before making a choice. When purchasing art, you can buy limited editions, certified art or just a print. The smaller the limited edition is the more valuable it might become. However, the more limited a piece is the steeper the initial price will be when investing in the artwork. With a certification the art piece is guaranteed from the artist and will retain its value or potentially increase over time. “Just an artwork print” does (most often) not retain its value as nothing defines its connection with the artist.
5. To love your living space, fill it with art that you love
The reason you buy quality art is to enjoy it in the space you decorate it with. Art can be calming, therapeutic, thrilling and much more. Whatever you desire your space to embody, art can amplify that. Art is an extension of your personality and values. Buy quality art that fits you and it will bring joy to your life every single day
6. Get it framed
The last thing to consider when buying fine art is when you have purchased your art, how to frame it. Make sure the frame does the artwork justice. The frame is an extension of the artwork and can make it feel smaller or bigger depending on how you frame it. For example do you want it in a floater frame or a custom frame by framing the paper print? Depending on your needs,where and how you want to display your art, you can make a frame choice. When purchasing framed art, the artist has done the work for you and you have one less thing to think about. Instantly hang the artwork in your house to exhibit your own piece of quality fine art for you and others to admire.
The Emerging artists of Tones gallery
Tones gallery deals in emerging art from emerging artists. Artists and their art are thoroughly evaluated before they are accepted as an emerging artist. At Tones gallery we take pride in offering certified quality art from emerging artists. All prints are offered on paper and in floater frames. We make sure the art you buy at Tones gallery will stand the test of time in both value and appearance.
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