Each painting is typically created on a pre-primed cotton canvas varying in size from 24" x 20" upto 40" x 36", I prefer to work on large canvases where possible to create a more panoramic experience. I am starting to work with primed MDF for larger works and these will be described as such in the gallery section. I work using a range of oil paints thinned using turpentine spirit and sometimes linseed oil. The brushes vary from "2" flatheads down to 1mm for fine detail, I don't use an airbrush at all - everything is hand painted. Each painting is dried for upto 6 months before being completed by a coat of matt varnish to seal and protect the paint. In addition to the artist, most good galleries can assist clients with advice on how best to preserve original paintings.
Paintings are carefully packed for delivery and will be supplied with a personally signed written receipt for authenticity and insurance purposes. I supply work un-framed although I can pre-frame paintings upon request from clients.
Commissions are undertaken based on individual requests and they typically take 2-3 months to complete depending on complexity and the research requirements. Commemorative aviation commissions, especially those from current or past RAF personnel, are always welcomed.
The artist retains all publishing copyright.
Prints are currently produced in two mediums:
Paper – Giclee* digital reproductions on 100% cotton mold made 330 gsm Somerset acid free fine art paper with pigment based inks, a single mount is included with every print. Prints are individually titled, numbered and signed by the artist and delivered packaged to the client. For UK delivery the packaging is flat-packed in 3mm MDF with acid free tissue, deliveries outside of the UK will be re-usable tube with acid free tissue.
Canvas – Giclee* digital reproductions directly onto 340gsm 100% cotton canvas at the same size of the original painting and stretched onto bespoke rigid MDF frames before varnishing. Each print is personally checked by the artist and the publisher to ensure the highest quality. The print is titled, numbered and signed by the artist delivered packaged to the client. Deliveries world wide are flat-packed with acid free tissue, bubble wrap and 3mm MDF sheet.
Lithographic prints of some paintings are likely to be made available in both a limited edition and open edition format. Details of these will be added to the Gallery section, these prints will be delivered on high quality acid free archive paper and will be printed using lightfast inks.
Remarqued, special edition and hand-embellished prints are produced based on on-going commercial demand.
See Gallery section for details.
* Giclée Fine Art Printing
Traditionally limited edition prints were produced using lithographic wet ink technology that required a photographic plate being produced and then a full production print run taking place from an approved original (Click here for further information). The core downside is that the initial process is complex and without a careful and expert printer, the finished print might not completely match the full colour's of the original work. The advantages of lithographic prints becomes apparent with large or open edition prints where the individual speed/cost of Giclee printing may be prohibitive. The core downside is that the initial process is complex and expensive plus the finished print might not completely match the full colours of the original work.
A Giclee (pronounced ZHEE-CLAY), is an individually produced, high-resolution, high-fidelity, high tech reproduction done on a special large format printer. Giclee’s are produced from high resolution digital scans of original artwork.
Giclee’s can be printed on any number of media, from canvas to watercolor paper to vinyl, to transparent acetates etc. Giclee’s are superior to traditional lithography in nearly every way. The colors are brighter, last longer, and are so high-resolution that they are virtually 'continuous tone', rather than tiny dots. The range, or "gamut" of color for giclee’s is far beyond that of lithography, and details are crisper.
Since giclee printers can use media in rolls, large print sizes are available, limited only by the length and width of the roll.
Lithography uses tiny dots of four colors--cyan, magenta, yellow and black--to fool the eye into seeing various hues and shades. Colors are "created" by printing different size dots of these four colors.
Giclee’s use inkjet technology, but far more sophisticated than your desktop printer. The process employs six colors--light cyan, cyan, light magenta, magenta, yellow and black (sometimes TWO blacks)--of lightfast (fade resistant,) pigmented inks and finer, more numerous, replaceable print heads resulting in a wider color gamut, and the ability to use various media to print on. The ink is sprayed onto the page, actually mixing the color on the page to create truer shades and hues.
They are priced midway between original art and regular limited edition lithographs. Giclee prints are a lot more expensive to produce but, it is generally accepted, deliver a better quality piece of art for the client.
Giclee’s were originally developed as a proofing system for traditional lithographic printing presses, but it soon became apparent that the presses were having a hard time delivering the quality and brilliant color of the giclee proofs. Giclee’s evolved into the new darlings of the art world. They are coveted by collectors for their fidelity and quality, and desired by galleries and artists alike because they don't have to be produced in huge quantities with their large layout of capital and storage.
In addition, Giclee’s are produced directly from a digital file, (which can be remotely uploaded) saving generations of detail-robbing negatives and printing plates used with traditional litho printing.
(I did reference and edit definition text from the internet to compile the above.)
All my work is reproduced by Adrian Lack at Seneciopress in Charlbury, Oxfordshire. I’d like to thank him for his advice and skill.
www.seneciopress.co.uk
I had a lot of help and advice in setting up this site, one of these inputs came from a hugely talented digital artist and photographer, see his work on www.robertvivian.com.
