I have been getting a lot of inquiries about buying my art as gift.
It makes me very happy to get these types of questions from potential clients, Knowing my art would be presented to someone as gift is something very special for me.
This list of tips for buying art as a present to answer any questions you may have and help you decide which painting or art print is best for you and the person you will be giving the gift to.
Art doesn’t have to be expensive
How expensive or in-expensive the painting or art print should not play a major role in your decision process.
What matters is that the person whom you will be giving the gift to will love the art work and you for choosing it.
Wether you shop for original abstract paintings or abstract art prints make sure you choose the art piece your subject would love the most even if it leaves a lot of room in your budget.
Choose a suitable painting for the room it would be placed in
If you happen to know which room the painting or art print would be placed in and you know what that room looks like – you can search for paintings by color.
Try to choose a painting or art print that would compliment the room and space it would be placed in.
Keep a picture of the room the artwork would be hanged in for reference.
When you find a painting or art print that you think might be a suitable choice, look at the rooms’ picture and try to imagine how that artwork would look in that room.
In my online art gallery i have a feature that allows you visualize an artwork on your wall if you upload or take a picture of the room.
I have an entire blog post designated to the subject of how to choose the right wall art for any room – go ahead and read that if you’re struggling with choosing an art piece for a specific room.
Trust your gut and first impression
The appreciation for art comes from our most natural core of being human.
If you see a painting or an art print and immediately think to yourself “they would like that” – you are probably right.
Go with your initial intuition and don’t question yourself too much.
Small paintings or art prints does not mean a small gift
Small art pieces are perfect for some situations.
Don’t be deterred because an artwork seems “too small” to act as gift for someone you love.
If the artwork touches the right points in their soul it wouldn’t matter how big or how small the artwork is.
Some art pieces might even have a greater impact when they are presented in a confined relatively small space.
Can’t seem to find the right artwork? Order a custom painting
If you find yourself browsing a lot of galleries and you can’t seem to find that “just right” art work – you could find an artist whose work you like an ask them to create a custom painting.
I get a lot of requests from people who browsed my online abstract art gallery, loved my work and ask me for a custom made painting with specific colors, features or size.
Most artists, Myself included love to create new artworks and it is probably not as expensive as you might think.
If you stumble upon a certain artist whose work you like, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask for a custom made painting.
It would be helpful for both you and the artist if you tell them which other works you liked – it would help the artist better understand your taste and expectations.
Timing is important
Finding the right artwork could take some time.
Also creating the artwork and or shipping it may take some time aswell.
That is why it’s important you start looking for the art you want to gift someone an appropriate amount of time in advance.
For my own work i can say that creating an original abstract art piece could take up to two weeks (depending on size) and shipping said artwork could take another two weeks (depending on where in the world you want it sent to).
Art prints are a bit faster to produce and ship, If you don’t have a lot of time until the date on which the gift needs to be ready for i would suggest you choose an art print.
Also note that most artwork is shipped rolled inside a tube and once it arrives you would need some time to have it framed.
In general i would suggest you start the browsing and choosing process at least a month in advance if not a bit sooner.
Art is perfect for conveying emotion
Art is a very powerful medium to convey and generate emotion.
Try choosing an artwork that generates the desired emotion in the beholder and \ or would tell the recipient how you feel about them or the relationship you have with them.
If the gift is meant for spouse you could pick an artwork that would go in an intimate space such as bed room or a study.
For a bed room i would suggest a painting or art print with rather soothing tones that would blend-in well with the rest of the objects in the room.
For a study you could look for a bolder piece that would immediately capture the visual attention of beholders.
Choosing art for your spouse
One of the most common inquiries i get from clients is about art as gift for an upcoming anniversary, In my opinion art is a perfect gift for such an occasion.
Art can very effectively convey to your loved one how you feel about them and how you feel about your mutual relationship.
For the case of a gift to your wife / husband / life partner i would strongly suggest you try to find an art work you would both love to have and look at.
It doesn’t have to be a surprise – let the recipient choose the artwork
Not all gifts should be a surprise.
When you give someone a painting or an art print as a gift you should keep in mind that it’s something they would look at a daily basis.
It’s very important the artwork would be something they love.
If you’re not entirely sure which original painting or art print to choose consider consulting with the gifts’ recipient.
Sure, It might not be a surprise gift but it would surely be a gift they would love.
Consult with the gift recipient without them knowing about it
If it’s important to you that the gift will be a surprise to the recipient and you’re not sure what kind of painting they would like – you could show them other works by same artist.
Try showing them a few works of the artist that are kind of similar or close in nature to the artwork you want to purchase for them.
Gauge their response, It would help you make a more confident decision.
More often than not, if they like the artists’ other works they would probably like the painting or art print you have chosen for them.
Framing the artwork
Since paintings are usually rather large and fragile – paintings and art prints are mostly shipped rolled inside a tube.
That allows for a much cheaper, faster and secure shipping.
This means once the artwork arrives in its destination you would need to have it framed at a local vendor.
The framing process may take up to a few days depending on the vendor.
This gives you the option to choose which ever frame you would like for the painting or art print.
A general rule of thumb is a thin frame for a small painting and a thicker frame for a large painting.
This rule can (and sometimes should) be broken – I would suggest you consult with the artist and the local vendor about a suitable frame before choosing one.
