Would a canvas print work?

[mishele]

this is fricken cool! looks like it was painted! how was this done?

It's my little secret.
But you can always think about asking this guy.......IByte. He thinks he knows.

 

[unpopular]

canvas are you friggin kidding me?????

mishele. if you want to devalue your work that's one thing. if you want to be destine at craft fairs and have it hung in little old ladies' houses to be destroyed by cats, that's your business.

But if you want to be taken seriously DO NOT PRINT ANYTHING on canvas!

When was the last time you've seen a photograph printing on canvas in a major art museum? when have you seen a photograph go for more than a few hundred bucks that was painted on CANVAS?

I mean, sure, you'll sell it easy enough. But it cheapens your work as novelty items... stuff you'd find in a motel room or office building lobby or on the shelves of Ross Dress for Less. Your work is more valuable than that. Canvas says "this is art! really, it is art! see look, it's printed on canvas - just like Monet and Rembrandt and Picasso!"

Print it on a high quality water color paper or matte photographic paper. Choose a paper with minimal tooth and texture which won't scream "SEE LOOK it's ART!" And for the sake of self dignity - don't print on canvas! EVER.

 

[mishele]

LOL
So what you're saying is don't print on canvas?

 

[unpopular]

Unless you want your inbox spammed with customers' chain mail, threatening that if you don't forward it to ten different friends, helpless kittens will die, then no.

 

[mishele]

Noooo, not the kitten one!!

 

[unpopular]

See, Mishelle. If we start printing on canvas, you'll drive the price up. Then what will mall portrait photographers do?

Really it's professional responsibility that us amateurs have.

 

[mishele]

I might start a discussion on this. I'm interested in what other people think.

 

[unpopular]

I think it's been discussed before?

 

[mishele]

Hmmm, I must of missed it.

 

[unpopular]

It was a while back.

I think the conclusion was that these prints sell well but are kind of tacky. I think if they do sell well, it's going to be on the low end. Since you're a gallery artist, I'd steer clear.

It's important to keep up certain standards. I mean, if you want to be a customer pleaser - then go for it, but if you want to be taken seriously as an artist, I'd be very careful. Given that your work is so accessible, I think it's especially important that you maintain a level of professionalism and quality in your product.

 

[sactown024]

It was a while back.

I think the conclusion was that these prints sell well but are kind of tacky. I think if they do sell well, it's going to be on the low end. Since you're a gallery artist, I'd steer clear.

It's important to keep up certain standards. I mean, if you want to be a customer pleaser - then go for it, but if you want to be taken seriously as an artist, I'd be very careful. Given that your work is so accessible, I think it's especially important that you maintain a level of professionalism and quality in your product.

Why is canvas tacky? ive seen it dont quite nice by a lot of photographers. Are you saying that because it doesnt show the quaility of the print? If people like it and they buy it, why not make it? Most people that buy your work are not artist or photographers anywyas, otherwise they would just be making thier own photos, so I dont think anyone buying it is going to judge you or think your not a good artist.

 

[AaronLLockhart]

I print on canvas all of the time. I also don't get them printed at a HUGE resolution (you don't need to on canvas, there is a loss of quality anyway), and I actually disagree very heavily with unpopular on this one.

Mishele, if you want to do it, go for it, it's not going to ruin your reputation. If you aren't selling them for an ungodly amount, they will sell. I sell a sh*t-ton of my HDR landscapes of downtown nashville and chattanooga stretched canvas prints. People keep buying them, I'm going to keep printing and selling them. Just how the cookie crumbles.

Whether the members on this forum think it's "tacky" or not, they sell like crazy.

Your Photo on Canvas! Now from $12 | CanvasDiscount.com

 

[unpopular]

Definitely agree that they sell like crazy, people eat this crap up. I think that is one reason why it's tacky - it appeals to the low end market. If that's your thing, go for it - you'll make a lot of money.

You're welcome to call me a snob all the way to the bank, doesn't bother me any, but I don't really want to be associated with that market.

 

[Ernicus]

We sell a crapload of prints on canvas. My personal opinion is that the right kind of image rocks on canvas. Family portraits and landscapes sell well and look great. Dunno why you're so against them, but they are nice. Some of the local photogs who are great photogos even PP their works to generate the appropriate feel when transferred to canvas. So um...yeah....canvas is not bad....mkaayyy

 

[unpopular]

When I see a photograph printed on canvas at MOMA, Guggenheim or Getty maybe I'll budge on this one. Until then, canvas can be delegated to mediocre faux-painted landscapes and family portraits.