Top Tips for Buying Art
Welcome back to another Gallery 545 blog!
We often find customers are perplexed or intimidated by the process of buying an artwork either online or from a gallery. But not to fret! We’re here to give everyone our top tips, so that you can purchase the perfect piece for you, and you can make an informed purchase too!
When it comes to buying art, we recommend you to take the time to keep many important factors at the forefront of your mind – your personal taste, space, décor, budget, and information about the artist and the artwork, as they can help you to make a decision. But let’s get to the details...
- Buy art you love
Our first and foremost tip is to buy art that you love!
When it comes to buying art, like many other purchases, it’s a matter of personal taste, so consider what your favourite artworks are. Are those by particular artists? Do you have preferences for colours, styles or genres? Is there anything else that you absolutely love? What art inspires you? Look for inspiration online or in art magazines and other publications, then keep searching until you find a piece you totally love and feel connected to - they say you know when you know! At Gallery 545 we make it easier for you to browse artworks according to your personal taste, as you can search them online by artists, styles, subjects and mediums.
- Think about your space
Whether you’re buying for personal or commercial use you should also think about your surroundings - how much space you have and how you use it, and the general room styling. We recommend noting down your space dimensions to make sure your artwork would fit, you might also want to choose a larger piece as the focal point of a room or smaller pieces for a particular wall section. Keep also in mind a colour palette for a particular atmosphere and stick to it, choose for example subdued colours to create a cosy corner to relax or bright colours to liven up a space to entertain your guests. Don’t forget the style of the interior so that you can pick a work with a style that suits it…or you can decide to restyle the interior to suit an artwork instead! You might decide on a piece that has a more traditional or contemporary style to suit the décor, but bear in mind that contemporary art can be perfect in a room with period features.
Your artwork should enhance and complement your space - and if in doubt, another set of eyes are always useful! …including ours!
- Research, research, research
We’ll say it until it sinks in! We are massive champions of researching artists and their work. Generally this gives you a deeper insight into their art, allowing you to understand more about their inspirations, influences, intentions and the making process. It also helps you to appreciate their talent and the recognition it has encountered so far including at exhibitions or from public collectors. The most accessible information you can find about an artist is generally online. At Gallery 545 we have detailed biographies on each artist and a selection of their pieces on our website, so that it’s easier for you to discover and explore talented artists and their work.
- Don’t’ bend that budget!
It’s called a budget for a reason! We always recommend sticking to it. This will stop you straying into dangerous territory and forking out more than you can afford. Gallery 545 makes art affordable offering wide range of original artworks priced between £200 and £5000. You can browse our artworks by price online to make sure you can find those for your budget.
- Ask
Asking questions face to face can often seem overwhelming and you may think sending a list of enquiries online is excessive, but this is not the case. At Gallery 545, we are happy to answer as many questions as you have, in person or in an email or message through our social media. We want you to buy with the confidence and assurance that you are as well informed and advised as you possibly can be. So get in touch if you would like to know more about an artist or an artwork or you would like to make sure a piece you love suits a certain space. We are very happy to provide you with all the information and advice you need.
- Pick your artwork – head or heart?
Whenever it comes to choose your perfect artwork, take you time to think again about your considerations about space, décor, budget, preferences, and obviously the artwork itself, but then let your heart guide your decision too. If you can’t stop thinking about a piece you saw online or in a gallery - what are you waiting for…buy it! This shows that you have a personal connection with it, so what is holding you back?
Browse artworks online in our COLLECTION PAGE
GET IN TOUCH for queries, advisory services an private viewing – Email to info@gallery545.com, call + 44 (0)7960 130414, DM us on Facebook and Instagram.
Image: Latisha Reihill, Broken Waters, 2019 (available online and from Atelier Design, Belfast)