Original paintings versus reproductions

Welcome to my blog, I am a professional cartoonist, illustrator, artist and writer. My site here is intended to promote a range of works that I think will look good on the wall. Included on my site is not just my own work, but some works by other artists whose work I love and hope to bring to a wider audience. I hope you enjoy your tour of my site and welcome any feedback. Prints are fulfilled by The Print Space for prints on paper, they are one of the UK's premier fine art print companies, and there is also the option of buying some images printed on to canvas, these are fulfilled by Printumo. All prints are available worldwide.

A painting can be a lovely object in its own right, with brush marks, a physical surface and the small accidents that happen while it is being made. But that does not automatically make it the right choice for every wall. The question of original paintings versus reproductions is less about which is superior and more about what you want to live with, how you buy art and which image has genuinely caught your eye.

I have always thought the image comes first. If it has atmosphere, strong composition and a bit of character, it has a fair chance of earning its place on the wall whether it began life as charcoal, paint, photography or a carefully made print.

Original paintings versus reproductions: the real difference

An original painting is the one-off artwork made by the artist. It carries the evidence of its making: the thickness or thinness of paint, altered lines, exposed ground and perhaps an area that changed direction halfway through. This is part of the pleasure. It is a particular thing, made at a particular time, and no other version will be exactly the same.

A reproduction is an image printed from an original painting, drawing or photograph. That word can make people think of a flimsy poster, but it covers a huge range of quality. A well-produced fine art giclée print on good paper can hold subtle tones, crisp detail and a real sense of depth. It gives more people the chance to own an image they enjoy without pretending to be the original object.

Neither choice needs defending. An original may suit somebody who wants the direct connection with the artist's hand and has the budget for it. A print may be better for someone building a collection gradually, decorating a new home, or looking for a larger, more dramatic image. A good wall rarely cares about art-world status. It responds to scale, colour, light and whether the work keeps giving you something to look at.

What a print can bring to a room

Prints are often the more practical choice, but practical does not mean second best. They allow an artist to offer work at different sizes, and size matters. A small original can be beautiful up close, while a generous print of a landscape, a charcoal drawing or an architectural photograph can hold a whole wall together.

They also make it possible to choose the format that suits the room. Fine art paper prints tend to have a quieter, more traditional presence when framed. Canvas prints have a different sort of confidence: they are immediate, wall-ready and particularly effective with bold photographic images or painted subjects with strong blocks of colour and texture.

The work on this site is not issued as limited editions. That is deliberate. I would rather make an image available to anyone who connects with it than create artificial scarcity around it. The value is in the work itself, the quality of the production and the fact that you want to see it every day.

A reproduction also gives you permission to buy with your eyes. You do not need to understand print terminology or collect art in any formal sense. You only need to recognise the moment when a picture changes the feel of a room.

Texture, subject and the pleasure of looking

Much of my own work begins with things that are easy to pass without much notice: an old shed, a battered door, corrugated iron catching a dull light, or industrial metalwork with a shape that is both useful and oddly elegant. These subjects have their own visual language. Rust, patched panels, shadowed openings and weathered surfaces often make better pictures than something polished and perfect.

The Gloucestershire countryside is another continuing source of ideas. There are fields, rural buildings and quiet corners around the River Severn that can look entirely different depending on the weather. I photograph much of the subject matter when I am out and about, then paint it later, generally when the weather turns bad. The camera records the starting point; the drawing or painting decides what deserves to be emphasised.

That is one reason a print can work so well. It can preserve the marks of a charcoal drawing, the grain and atmosphere of a painted building, or the detail of a photograph without asking the buyer to compromise on the image they actually want. New charcoal drawing images have been added, alongside new photographs, and they sit naturally with the paintings and older black-and-white work.

There are also photographic images featuring the large advertising signs of the Los Angeles area. These signs are wonderful bits of urban theatre: enormous letters, fading paint, odd typefaces and a scale that feels almost absurd against a bright sky. Available as photographic images and as canvas prints, they bring a completely different energy to a room from a quiet Severn-side shed, but the attraction is similar. Both reward a liking for overlooked structures, graphic shapes and visual history.

Choosing between an original and a print

Start with the wall rather than a rule. Think about where you will see the piece from, how much daylight reaches it and whether it needs to sit calmly with the room or make a stronger statement. A large canvas photograph may be ideal above a sofa. A framed paper print can suit a study, hallway or a group of smaller pictures. An original painting might be the piece you build the rest of a room around.

Then consider the relationship you want with the work. If the physical presence of paint, the one-off nature of the object and the artist's working process are central to the appeal, an original has something special to offer. If you are drawn above all to a particular view, drawing or photograph, a properly printed reproduction gives you that image in a form designed for living with.

There is no need to treat prints as a temporary choice before you buy 'real' art. Plenty of keen collectors mix originals, editions, photographs, posters and found objects because rooms are more interesting when they reflect genuine taste rather than a single buying rule. A good print can look excellent beside an original. Often the conversation between them is the point.

Art chosen by people who make it

The site also includes work by artists I admire. New exciting works by Steve Parker have been added, bringing another voice into the mix without turning the collection into a generic catalogue. That personal selection matters to me. Different artists may use different media and subjects, but each piece has to have enough visual conviction to stand up on a wall.

Whether you choose a painting or a reproduction, give the work a little time before deciding. Picture it at the scale you need, imagine it in the changing light of your home, and ask the straightforward question: will I still enjoy looking at this in a year's time? If the answer is yes, you are probably looking at the right piece.