Wall Art Key Terms

Understand the differences between common types of wall art

Not only does understanding certain areas of art lingo help you purchase the right kind of artwork for your business, but it can save you a bundle of money. For example, paintings often sell for more money than lithographs, and lithographs generally sell for a great deal more than prints. Knowing this prevents you from unnecessarily spending your money. Once you understand what sort of artwork you want for your business place, using the correct term for it will help you find what you need more quickly and easily.

 

Painting

Although the term is often misused, the word only applies to images that use actual paint on canvas, which is tightly woven fabric stretched over wood, or on some sort of paper. Many paintings are one of a kind and come with a frame.
Try: The Smithsonian Institution gives a more detailed description of paintings and tells how best to care for them.

Lithograph

A lithograph is an authorized copy of an original painting printed by machine. It can take great care to create a lithograph, and you may find them sold in limited numbers.
Try: WiseGEEK explains in detail what a lithograph is, and the process for printing one.

Print

A print is also a picture printed onto paper and is often a copy of an original painting. The quality of a print however, is not as high as a lithograph.
Try: The Philadelphia Print Shop explains the various types of prints available and the processes used to make them.

Canvas prints

Canvas prints are copies of paintings printed on canvas instead of paper. Sometimes canvas prints have painted details or use a textured canvas to make the print look more like a painting.
Try: EHow explains a do-it-yourself way to create canvas prints.

Mural

A mural is a painting created directly on a wall. Although some wallpapers attempt to create the look of a mural, a true mural is one of a kind, accomplished with paint.
Try: Demolli Fine Art Studio explains what murals are and offers many fine examples.

Poster

A poster is a print usually designed to attach to a wall without a frame. Movie posters showing movie goers which films are playing at a theater, are one type of poster. Today, you can purchase nearly any painting in poster form.
Try: Entertainment Weekly explains how to buy collectible movie posters.

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