Why print quality changes the picture on your wall

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. Good print quality matters because a picture has to earn its place on your wall, not merely fill a space.

A print is a small decision with a long life. You see it when you make tea, walk through the hallway, settle down in the evening or glance up from your desk. The right image can make a room feel more like yours. But an image that looks good on a screen is only the beginning. The paper, ink, texture and finish all have a say once it arrives in the real world.

Print quality is part of the artwork

I make work with marks, surfaces and shapes that need to hold their own at close range. A drawing may have a charcoal edge that is barely there in one place and heavily worked in another. A landscape may depend on a quiet change in grey, green or sky colour. A photograph of an old shed may be all about the faded paint, corrugated iron and the strange little dents that give it character.

Poor reproduction can flatten those things. Dark areas block up, pale tones disappear, and what should feel lively becomes a bit lifeless. Good print quality preserves the decisions that made the original interesting in the first place. It lets a black and white drawing remain crisp without turning every subtle mark into a hard, flat black. It gives a colour piece enough depth that it does not look as though it has come from a cheap poster rack.

That does not mean every print should be glossy, hyper-sharp and shouting for attention. Often the better result is the one with a more considered surface, a paper with a little warmth, or a canvas finish that suits the subject. The aim is not technical perfection for its own sake. It is a picture that feels right in the room.

Paper has a character of its own

Fine art paper works particularly well for drawings, illustration, photography and images with delicate tonal changes. It has a tactile quality that suits work made by hand, even when the final image began as a digital file. You can get close to it and still see the confidence of a line, the grain in a charcoal passage or the small details in a weathered building.

This matters to me because much of my work starts with looking. I photograph subject matter when I am out and about, then often paint it later when the weather has turned bad. The Gloucestershire countryside has provided plenty of material over the years: rural scenes, fields, sheds, riverbanks and the slightly unexpected structures around the River Severn.

Old industrial buildings are another continuing interest. There is something very good about corrugated iron, patched doors, old signage, rusting metalwork and a shed that has clearly had a useful life. These places are not polished, but they have form, colour and history. A good print needs to retain that roughness without making the image look murky.

Canvas changes the feel, not just the format

Canvas can be a very good choice when you want a bolder presence on a larger wall. It has a physicality that works well with painterly images, graphic scenes and photographs with strong composition. The texture gives the work a different mood from paper, and it can feel particularly at home above a sofa, in a dining room or on a wall that needs one clear focal point.

The choice between paper and canvas is not a contest. It depends on the work and the space. A carefully observed charcoal drawing may be best on fine art paper, where the subtle handling remains visible. A big urban photograph or landscape might benefit from the scale and confidence of canvas. Both should be made with care, properly checked and produced to look good on the wall rather than simply look acceptable in a parcel.

What to look for when choosing a print

Start with the image, not a fashionable colour scheme. Rooms change, cushions get replaced and paint gets refreshed. An image you genuinely enjoy will keep working long after a passing interiors trend has moved on. Look for something that rewards a second glance: a strong shape, an odd building, a familiar kind of weather, a view that reminds you of somewhere, or simply a line that makes you smile.

Then think about scale. Small prints can be brilliant in a group, on a shelf or in a tight corner. Larger works need some breathing space, but they can transform a plain wall very quickly. If you are unsure, mark out the dimensions with masking tape before ordering. It is a simple trick, but it stops you imagining a modest print as a giant one, or vice versa.

Finally, consider where the work will sit. A quiet rural scene can bring a welcome pause to a busy room. A lively cartoon or strong graphic image may give a hallway some personality. Black and white work is not always understated either. It can be the most direct thing in the room if the drawing and composition are doing their job.

From Gloucestershire sheds to Los Angeles signs

The subjects on the site range about quite a bit, but they are connected by a fondness for visual character. The Gloucestershire countryside remains a source of inspiration, particularly its working edges rather than only its postcard views. I like the places where a field meets an old workshop, where river weather has got into a wall, or where a practical building has become unexpectedly beautiful.

There are also photographs featuring the large advertising signs and street details of the Los Angeles area. These have their own kind of theatre: bold lettering, sun-bleached surfaces, oversized promises and buildings that seem made for the camera. Available as photographic images as well as canvas prints, they offer a very different atmosphere to the rural work while sharing that interest in texture, composition and the evidence of everyday life.

New charcoal drawing images have recently been added, along with new photographs and some exciting new works by Steve Parker. I have always wanted the selection to feel personal rather than like a vast anonymous catalogue. The guest artists are people whose work I admire and would happily live with myself.

Good art should be easy to live with

There is no need to treat a print as a lesser version of art. A well-made print gives more people the chance to live with an image they genuinely like, at a sensible price and in a format that suits their home. The works are not limited editions, because the point is to make them available rather than create an artificial sense of scarcity.

What matters is that the image is properly produced and remains enjoyable after the initial excitement of opening the package. Whether you choose a finely detailed paper print, a canvas with real presence, a charcoal drawing, a rural view or a loud Los Angeles sign, give it a wall where it can be seen properly. The best choice is usually the one you will still be pleased to look at on an ordinary Tuesday morning.