Art News

We paint you a picture of what affects an artwork’s price — plus a little-known way to take home what you love when it’s beyond your budget A piece of original art can make a room, be treasured for years and be passed down for generations. And it can be surprisingly affordable or very expensive. Why do some types cost more than others? “Artwork has to be one of the hardest things to price,” says Kate Singleton, founder of Arthound. “There’s no standard framework as there is for a pair of jeans or a bottle of champagne. Major factors come...

What is impasto? Impasto is an art term used to describe thickly textured paint that is almost three-dimensional in appearance. Using an impasto technique often leaves visible brush strokes in the finished painting. Many times those brush strokes are actually more important than the subject matter itself. You could almost say impasto is a type of sculpture—but for painters. And on a canvas. For example, if you see a painting and you’re not sure whether the artist has used impasto technique, just look at the painting from the side. Check for globs of paint sticking out from the canvas. That’s impasto. From the...

Stifling a yawn over symmetry? Shift your art arrangements for design drama that's anything but middling   Like most traditionalists, I gravitate toward symmetry. For a long time, my living room sideboard had a single framed black and white photo hanging over it, dead center. The scale of the photo was too small for its location, and every time I walked past it I puzzled over how to fill in the walls on either side. Sconces? Twin mirrors? Framed postcards? I was stuck. Then, in the midst of a little recreational furniture rearranging, I had a brainstorm. I left the...

When it comes to hanging art above a mantel, what are the dos and don’ts? How high should you hang the work? Is one piece enough, and what’s the right color scheme? Read on for expert tips.     Do coordinate strategically. This dark gray stone fireplace takes center stage, standing out amid warm neutral furnishings. The temptation might be to hang a dark artwork above to harmonize with the stone, but the painted gray alcoves on either side complement the fireplace enough to leave the white space above the mantel primed for a brighter piece. This painting ties in...

No time or desire to carefully plot a wall-art arrangement? Grab a hammer and throw tradition to the wind. Are you one of those people who's afraid to pound nails into freshly painted walls for fear that you'll put a hole in the "wrong" place? Well, fear no more. Hanging wall decor at random is easier than ever and can give a space a sense of individuality that perfect gridlike arrangements can't.The key is to keep the arrangement loose but the spacing tight so that the overall effect is one large focal point. Repeat key elements — colors, materials, shapes...