Oil painting is done on surfaces with pigment ground into a medium of oil — especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Other oils occasionally used include poppy-seed oil, walnut oil, and safflower oil. These oils give various properties to the oil paint, such as less yellowing or different drying times. The oil dries by oxidation, not evaporation, and is usually dry to the touch in a day to two weeks. It is generally dry enough to be varnished in six months to a year. Art conservators do not consider an oil painting completely dry until it is 60 to 80 years old.

Oil paint was probably developed for decorative or functional purposes in the High Middle Ages. Surfaces like shields — both those used in tournaments and those hung as decorations — were more durable when painted in oil-based media than when painted in the traditional tempera paints.

Many Renaissance sources credit northern European painters of the 15th century with the "invention" of painting with oil media on wood panel — Jan van Eyck is often mentioned as the "inventor". The popularity of oil grew in 16th century Venice, where a water-durable medium was essential.

Recent advances in chemistry have produced modern water miscible oil paints that can be used with and cleaned up with water. These are still "real" oil-paints in every sense of the meaning. Small alterations in the molecular structure of the oil creates this water miscible property.

A still-newer type of paint, heat-set oils, remain liquid until heated to 265–280 °F (130–138 °C) for about 15 minutes. Since the paint never dries otherwise, cleanup is not needed (except when one wants to use a different color and the same brush). Although not technically true oils (the medium is an unidentified "non-drying synthetic oily liquid, imbedded with a heat sensitive curing agent"), the paintings resemble oil paintings and are usually shown as oil paintings.

Chromolithography

Invented in 1796, the process of chromolithography used images drawn with greasy pens on limestone to press different-colored inks on to paper. It became the first printing process that could mass-produce colored art, and brought color to wedding announcements, greeting cards, tickets, book covers, cigar box labels, and advertising posters. After the Civil War, the process also revolutionized popular art in America, for the first time bringing colorful art into people's homes at affordable prices. The chromolithographs were a major improvement over the more expensive hand-tinted prints, such as those done by Currier & Ives, which looked much flatter.

Reproductions

What Is A “Giclee” (Pron: zheeclay) Print?
This is a new and sophisticated, computer aided technique, printed with special ink. Much has been said about this process in recent years, particularly in regard to the longevity of the inks used.
However, newly developed inks have been tested to show a “life” of 70 to 100 years eliminating much of the concern over this issue. The colors of these reproductions are especially bright and pure, and the accuracy to the original is unlike any other reproduction process. The papers used are quite heavy watercolor types and edition sizes are usually kept under 300.

What Are Offset Reproductions?
An "Offset Reproduction" is the most common type of fine art print. Also known as "offset lithographs", the process begins with the original painting being photographed and separated into 4 negatives; red, blue, yellow, and black. From the negatives, special light sensitive plates are created or “burned” for each color. The plates are fastened to drums on a printing press and partially submerged in the corresponding ink color. The inks are rolled onto the sheets of paper as they’re fed through the press. The majority of printing is done this way and is what most people refer to as "prints". An offset lithograph is an entirely mechanical process.

What Is A Signed & Numbered Limited Edition Print?
A "Signed and numbered" print is a print from the edition that was published and individually signed by the artist. Each print will have its own number. If you owned a print that was numbered 25/1500, this means that out of 1500 prints that comprise the edition, you have the 25th one that was signed by the artist.

What Is A "Remarque"?
This is a small original sketch or painting that is done somewhere in the margin of a limited edition print. Usually an interesting detail from the painting is chosen and drawn as the remarque.

What Is An Open Edition Print?
Often, an artist or publisher will decide to make an image available to the public in unlimited quantities. There is no predetermined edition size. Occasionally, it is a smaller sized version of one that was previously published as a limited edition print. Sometimes it may be a vignette, or just a section of the original. Most often, the art will not have been previously published. The paper and inks used are usually of lesser quality than those used for limited editions, and
the artist neither signs nor numbers the prints. As a result open edition prints are far less expensive.

What Is An "AP", or Artist's Proof?
It is a select part of a limited edition print run, where the artist & publisher select out a certain amount of the prints, typically about 10% of the total edition. The quality of the print is the same. If there were 50 prints set aside for the artists proofs, they will be numbered AP 1/50, (or 1/50 AP) up to AP 50/50. Some collectors prefer AP's because they consider them a separate, small edition, but in actuality, it’s not.

What Is A Serigraph?
This is a reproduction process that more closely mimics original art, but it is still a reproduction. They are usually done in significantly smaller edition sizes and are done much like a silk screen print. Layer after layer of ink is applied, one color at a time, until it is finished. Sometimes 30, 40, or even more screens are applied to achieve the desired results. The finished print is more brilliant in color and has a more “original” look to it. They require a much higher degree of work by the artist than offset reproductions. This technique does not lend itself well, however to every artist's style. Edition sizes vary, but are usually no more than a few hundred.

What Is A Poster?
A poster print is a lithograph that is often done to commemorate an event or used as an advertisement. Old movie posters fall into this category. They have much appeal and are often used in decorating. The quality of paper used by the publisher varies from publishing house to publishing house. The same is true of the inks used in printing. They are an inexpensive way to decorate and the subject matter is limitless. It is not hard to find posters that have universal appeal. Many works by the "Old Masters" such as Monet, Manet, Renoir, Cassatt, O Keefe, and others are often printed as "posters". They are open editions, although sometimes you will find one that has gone "out of print".

How about Art for Investment?
One cannot say that this does not sometimes prove exciting and fruitful. However, it is not unusual to find that a print does not appreciate in value. Buying art for investment is not usually recommended. The person who buys a work of art because he/she really likes it will never be disappointed. If it is a reproduction or original that does indeed go up in value over the
years, it is an added benefit. Some believe that collecting an “emerging”, living artist’s work, has much greater potential for investment appreciation, than past artists’ works.

What Is Proper Care For A Reproduction?
As with any piece of art careful attention to handling and placement are important for best preservation. In a few words, keep out of direct sunlight and away from extreme heat and moisture. If a print is purchased with the idea of reselling it at some point, it needs to be kept in perfect condition. Handling in such away as to avoid any creasing is necessary.
 

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