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WELCOME TO THE AVE-ART GALLERY Hello, I'm illustrator and print maker Richard Browne. My Avenue Art gallery features editions of my own work as well as a line of historic reproduction prints. I produce these prints on real artist canvas using the same type of archival ink-flow process as employed by many prestigious institutions of Fine Art. Prints made in this manner are often called "giclee prints". The French word "giclee" (zee-clay) is simply an "arty" way of saying the ink is sprayed on to the canvas as opposed to the use of transfers or other methods of printing. MATTING, MOUNTING, AND FRAMING YOUR PRINT Traditionally canvas prints are stretched and stapled to a wooden bar frame and then inserted within a decorative outer frame. Attaching a canvas print to wooden stretchers is something most people have never done. The information given here is provided for the buyer looking for a alternative method they can do themselves that will be fairly simple and inexpensive. This method is much the same as what would be used to mount and frame a paper print. Matting: The main purpose for using a mat is to draw your eye to the image. The mat you pick should be made from acid free material. Choose a mat that fits the proper frame and image size. The images I sell on 8.5 x 11 inch canvas will be sized to fit an 8 x 10 inch art opening of an 11 x 14 inch precut mat for mounting in an 11 x 14 inch ready-made frame. 11 x 17 inch prints are sized to fit an 11 x 14 inch art opening of a 16 x 20 inch mat and frame, the 17 x 22 inch size will have an image that fits a 16 x 20 inch opening and is most commonly available in the 20 x 24 inch mat and frame size. Mounting The Print: The backing board to which you mount the print can be mat board, hardboard, or foamcore board. You may be able to find self-stick backing, if not, there are a number of ways you can adhere the print. Canvas can be mounted to the backing surface using cold mounting film sheets, spray or brush on adhesives, and double sided mounting tape applied to the back of the canvas. Be sure the adhesive selected is suitable for mounting artwork, "DO NOT", use masking tape or rubber cement. (A) Lay your print on the backing board then position the mat on top. (B) Make sure the edges of the mat are square with the edges of the board. (C) When everything is as you want it carefully lift the mat off so as not to disturb the print. (D) With a pencil, make alignment marks at the print corners onto the surface of the backing board. (E) Remove the print and apply the adhesive or strips of the double sided tape on the board within the edges established by your pencil marks. (F) Lightly position the print to align with your marks. Then, starting at one end, press the print down to adhere it to the tape or adhesive. (G) Assemble backing, print, mat, glass or acrylic panel into the frame and secure. The two greatest enemies of all art and this applies to original works as well as prints, are UV rays and humidity. The most important tip is to keep your print out of direct sunlight. No matter what the pigmentation or printing method, colors will fade over time if exposed to strong UV light. Your print has been coated with a clear UV protective sprayed on finish but use of UV light protective glass or acrylic will provide additional protection. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q. I would like to purchase an enlargement but I'm afraid that it will be fuzzy compared to the smaller size. A. The original artwork was done to be printed larger than the sizes I sell online. It would actually be more correct to say that the image is downsized to produce the print, it is the canvas that is being enlarged. Clarity will not be an issue. What you want to consider when choosing print size is the approximate distance from which the print will likely be viewed. It will be more difficult to pick up the detail in an 8 x 10 inch print placed on a wall behind a desk then it would be if it were in a hallway with the viewer standing less than a couple of feet away. Q. How do I buy the larger 11 x 17 inch or 17 x 22 inch print size? A. Although in certain categories eBay is making changes that will allow multiple pricing within a single listing it is not yet universal so for now this is a two step process. What you need to do first is purchase the base 8.5 x 11 inch listing. Then you purchase the option to enlarge the print to the size you want. Links to the listings for the enlargement options will be found in my eBay store categories box on the left side of the store start page. Q. Can I combine auction print wins to save on shipping costs? A. Yes, if you bid and win more than one auction your wins can be combined and sent together for the cost of one flat fee. Q. I missed the auction; will you sell me a copy at the same price? A. I appreciate your offer but since I operate an eBay store sales to anyone other than the auction winner are only taken through the store as "Buy-it-Now" purchases. Q. I was the winner of this auction; can I purchase additional copies at the same price? A. If the auction listing was for one print any additional copies would have to be "Buy-it-Now" store purchases. Q. Are these prints made from hand painted originals? A.The prints I produce come from a variety of artworks some originated as traditional watercolors on paper, pen & pencil works, film and digital photographic images, but today most of my work is digital art or the combination of two or more techniques. Q. How are these prints made? A. One of the most exciting aspects of the revolution in digital graphics has been the introduction in recent years of relatively low cost professional ink flow printing equipment. Such machines make it possible for artists to produce extremely high quality prints of their work individually. Prints made using this process have come to be know as "giclee prints" which is a coined name that loosely refers to the method by which the print engine sprays ink on to the print media. It is somewhat ironic that this application of modern technology has in many ways returned print making to the on demand craft that it once was. Giclee printing is done using digital print files. Traditional work must be scanned to produce a file or, as with the majority of what I do today, the work can be created within a computer using either raster or vector graphic arts software programs. With a digital painting the original artwork is a computer generated file. The graphic art program provides the palette and colors while an electronic pen gives the brush stroke and sensitivity control needed to produce the image. Q. What is the difference between a Limited Edition and an Open Edition print? A. Limited Edition prints come from an issue that is "limited" to a specific number of copies. The limited edition print is numbered and comes with a certificate bearing the name of the person to whom it was registered. Open edition prints are not numbered or registered and they do not come with certificates. Limited editions are usually favored by collectors because although the illustration might be available as an open edition or appear in other formats such as in a book it will never again be issued as a numbered print once the specified number of prints have been produced. Q. Can I buy the original artwork? A. In most cases, other than for commissioned work, no. Q. Can you make a print to match the color of my car? A. It is possible to change colors within the artwork's digital file by use of image editing software. Such programs isolate colors and areas of the image and allow you to charge them by altering hue, saturation, and lightness. The software makes the process seem fast and simple but to produce a print quality file a good deal of clean up work is usually required. Because of the time involved it is too variable to offer it as a flat fee on demand service. If you would like a subject to be done in a different color, ask, I might already have the variation available. If not, I will make a record of it for possible addition at a later date. Q. Are your artworks copyrighted? A. Yes, my work is copyrighted. Q. Do you do custom artwork? A. Yes but it is not something I market through eBay. Time is calculated at $25 per hour and most subjects such as the cars and tractors seen in my eBay store have taken 20 hours or more to complete. Because of the detail I put into the image the process can actually take longer to do than a traditional brush and pigment artwork. You would need to consider that the cost would run at least $500 to commission such a work. The finished image would be a digital file stored on a CD with all rights to reproduction belonging exclusively to you allowing you to have the image printed by anyone and in any manner you desired. The cost of any prints you would want me to produce would be over and above the charge to do the artwork. Q. Can you print this image on a T-shirt? A. Currently I don't produce such products myself however in response to requests for items such as shirts and mugs I have uploaded many of my illustrations to sites such as Zazzle.com and Cafepress.com where these items can be purchased. I'm uploading these illustrations as my time allows so many are not available yet. If you've seen something in my eBay that you wanted and it is not yet available from Zazzle or Cafepress ask and I can probably get it posted for you within a couple of days. Click On This Logo To Visit My Zazzle Store Need a part for your collectible car or truck? Click on this logo to visit my friends at American Muscle Car Parts. THANKS FOR STOPPING BY !

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