F.A.Q.: Original art, serigraphs, digital prints, giclees, posters, art terms

Thank you for your interest in the limited edition serigraphs and digital prints featuring the work of Humberto Calzada and offered by Insula Verde. The following are answers to some frequently asked questions to help you make an educated purchasing decision.

Why invest in art?

The most obvious reason should be enjoyment: do you like the work? Beyond enjoyment, there is the consideration of making a wise investment. By definition, an investment should have the capacity to appreciate in value. An investment in art is no different.

What is the difference between an "original" and a "limited edition" work?

There is only one original. It may be painted on paper or on canvas or other surface. It could use any medium (pencil, acrylic, oil, etc). While the appreciation potential of an original work is greater than that of a multiple, the initial cost would also be significantly greater (usually ten to one).

Limited editions are a definite and controlled number of prints based on an original. The term Graphic Art is used to differentiate between original and multiple prints of the same image. "Graphic Arts" used to mean all forms of artistic representation on a two-dimensional surface. More recently it has come to become synonymous with "printmaking." This would include any work of art that begins with an original impression executed by the artist and repeated using any one of a number of printmaking processes.

Their value of a print depends on many factors. Limited edition prints should maintain the same standards of quality as the originals, but represent a much lower initial investment. Their appreciation potential is tied to the artist's reputation, the quality of the print, and the size of the edition.

Why buy limited editions?

When considering an investment in art, it is preferable to invest in and own a quality limited edition print than an original work of lesser quality. Also, there are many situations in which a limited edition print could be the first choice. These include: vacation homes; gifts for weddings and other milestones; for display in executive offices, lobbies, waiting rooms, hallways, and other public areas; or any other environment in which you wish to maintain a certain quality standard, but in which an original work would not be practical, secure or cost effective.

What factors determine which art investments are more likely to appreciate in value?

The same basic criteria that applies to original art should apply to limited edition prints as well, with some additions:

1. The track record of the artist. (See Curriculum Vitae in About the Artist) This includes:

- Is the art classified as "fine art" or "commercial art?"
- How long has the artist maintained a consistent presence in the world of fine art? Has the quality and value of his work been consistent throughout?
- What has been written about the artist in reputable publications?
- Is his original work in accredited art museums? (Example: museums accredited by the AAM or AAMD.)
- Does the artist's original work form part of important private, public and corporate collections?
- Is his graphic work part of important private, public and corporate collections? (Graphic Arts: technically, graphic arts include all forms of artistic two-dimensional visual representation but, it has become synonymous with "printmaking." In this sense it includes artworks that begin with an original impression of the artist's work and executed by the artist in any of the many accepted printing processes).

2. The quality of the edition:

- Is the artist fully involved in the preparation of the work?
- Is the print true to the original?
- Is the registry true? (Registry is the place in which two or more colors meet.)
- Are quality papers and inks used?
- Is each print signed and numbered by hand by the artist?

3. The size of the edition:

- A limited edition must be truly limited. The masters are destroyed after completing the edition. Once the edition is exhausted, it is out of print and would be available only on the resale market.
- The smaller the edition, the higher the value (both in the short-term and in the long-term) of each individual print in the edition.
- Conversely, a large edition, (i.e. an edition of over 300) decreases the value of each individual print.

What processes are used in the production of limited editions?

There are many processes. The most commonly used today are serigraphy, lithography and digital printmaking:

- Serigraphy (also known as silkscreen). Serigraphy is, traditionally, a hand-made and hands-on process which has a history of recognition as a fine art form.

A separate screen (fabric stretched tightly upon a frame) is required for each color or color variation. (It is not unusual in Calzada's work to have forty or more colors including all the variations of the same color.) The inks previously set must be completely dry, before the next screen is laid down, thereby limiting the number of colors/screens that can be applied in one day. As each screen is run, it must register with all previously run screens. Applying layers of color is a painstaking process which gradually forms and completes the final image.

The artist must review each run for color and detail. Upon completion of the process, he selects, signs and numbers the prints that will makeup the edition, and retains some artist's proofs. All other prints and all screens are destroyed. The entire edition is run at the same time using the same screens and inks.

One of the most desirable qualities of serigraphs is that they are completely handmade. As in any handmade process, because each print is individually handled and created, there might be minute, often undetectable, differences between one print and the other. Such differences add to the value and the integrity of the work. Regardless of how small the differences, they serve to make each print unique, almost like having a series of "originals".

- Lithography. The process, invented in 1798, is based on the principle that oil and water do not mix. A master surface (now usually metal, but traditionally stone) is prepared. Oil-based inks are applied to the master surface to form the image. Acid is applied to make the surface capable of holding inks and the prints are run off under pressure. Insula Verde offers the lithograph, Havana Yacht Club, made by Humberto Calzada for a special reunion of the membership of the Havana Yacht Club in 1998. This lithograph shows the back of club house (facing the water) and was painted from old photographs from the collections of several members.

(There is a related process used for commercial applications which is known as Offset Lithography.)

- Digitally mastered prints (i.e.: giclee, Iris prints). A process introduced in the 1980's which takes advantage of recent developments and an evolving technology. This technology allows enormous flexibility for the artist. It does not limit the type or complexity of the image. It is capable of capturing a greater and deeper range of colors, finer detail, nuances and shadows, and can be produced on a variety of surfaces.

The entire production process (except the production of the original) is digitally mastered. Quality control, color adjustment and image fidelity are fine tuned until an almost identical rendition of the original is achieved. The process requires a perfect balance in the blending of the seven basic pigments that comprise the working spectrum (cyan, magenta, yellow, black, green, orange, blue/violet). Each of the individual elements that make up the image is isolated, filtered, and color-adjusted under the artist's supervision. The next step is to combine all the components and make additional modifications to ensure a seamless integration of the image. At that point, the artist establishes the final specifications that will govern the entire edition.

Although the entire edition may not be run at the same time, the size of the complete edition must be announced in advance and reflected in the numbering from the first print on (Ex: "17/100" means that the print is number 17 in a series of 100) . Once the complete edition is run, the digital masters must be destroyed.

Currently, there is concern about the durability of some of the inks used for this process. Water-based inks, (similar to watercolor inks) while environmentally friendly, may fade with time (even away from direct light). To avoid the problem, pigment inks have been developed. These are more expensive and require more specialized processes and equipment. The digital prints offered by Insula Verde Graphics are printed using pigment inks and further protected by a UV protection treatment.

Other respected processes used in the production of fine art prints include:

-Intaglio where the the image is raised by the use of a press that embosses the paper from the back while it is wet. Color may be added to intaglio prints after the paper is dry, or the work may be left uncolored so that the relief achieved by the the embossment provides all the depth, texture and shading in the work.

-Engraving, Drypoint, and Etchings are graphic art processes that can be used separately or together. In Engraving the design is cut directly onto the surface of a metal plate. In Drypoint Engravings, the little metal shavings left by the cutting process are left on the plate, thus softening the line. In Etchings the image is scratched onto a metal plate covered with a ground (usually wax) and the artist draws the design by cutting through the ground. The plate is immersed in an acid solution which eats into the metal leaving the design etched below the surface of the plate. Etchings are usually monochrome, but an aquatint or mezzotint process can be used to add greater tonal gradation.

-Woodcuts, the oldest form of printmaking throughout the world (in China it goes back to the second century) and is still practiced today along with some of the more modern processes that followed it such as linocuts in which the design is cut on linoleum blocks instead of wood. When the printing press was was invented in the 15th century, woodcuts were used to add illustrations to the text.

The choice of process depends on the preference of the artist and the suitability of the image to be printed using a specific process.

What are unlimited editions?

As the name indicates, these are unnumbered and unlimited copies of an image. They may be signed or unsigned. More than one edition of the same image can be run. Posters are an example of unlimited editions. Posters can be displayed either framed or unframed and are the logical choice for many settings such as dorms, rental units, offices, temporary facilities, or other settings that would benefit from a tasteful and personal touch at minimal expense. Insula Verde plans to add additional images to its existing selection of posters.

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