The Fun of Collecting an Antique print
Nick Besson

Defined Tag: Antique Prints.

Antique print collecting can be considered a hobby for some. The uniqueness of the prints, along with the delightful artwork, or age old photography, make antique prints fascinating to collect and store.While collecting art prints and photographs can be very personal and subjective, it can be fun too. Antique prints can be quite cheap, depending on the type, source, and rarity of the print..But maybe you are wondering what qualifies as a print.

Well, printed road maps, photographs, individually published prints and engravings that were hand made by an artist, are just some examples of prints.

Fine Art

What was once a commercial art print process for basic newspapers and books and magazines created with wood engraving or lithography, for example, is now known as fine art. And this modern day art can be distinguished by the words limited edition prints or original print and such information signifying the source of all future and prior prints. But antique prints have no such printing block source as there wereartisans routinely at work and it was not considered important prior to 19th century art.

The beginning of a collection is developed through a fascination with something. It doesn’t matter if you are more fond of birds, beautiful woman, dance figures, flowers, or dragons and warriors. Just keep it fun. If you want to have more ideas, think about what you already have. What drives your interest? Whether it is a change from the decor and art you have already, or simply adding to a color scheme, you might also want to consider visiting old galleries to get some ideas.

Some of the ideas in art printing include:
* Photomechanical Methods
* Woodcutting
* Wood Engraving* Etching
* Lithography* Engraving
* Stipple
* Mezzotint - which is created by working from black to white instead of white to black
* Aquatint method of etching sections rather than lines

Collecting antique prints can become an obsession....

As you can see, there is much to learn about prints and art and a bit of learning in order to know what is old, new or reproduced, but all along the way you can make it fun. Since you can find prints that let you explore the world and see places you have never seen, discover an activity you have never done, and people you have never met, there is no end to the fascination that old prints can provide.

Today, digital photography and camcorders record images and events; but long ago, it was the art prints that did the talking, and the recording. Prints open up a glimpse of past events, recorded long ago, and if preserved well, will continue to be a record of the past, for future generations to come. Your antique collection can most definitely be enhanced with antique prints.

Nick Besson is an antique lover who likes researching and collecting antiques. He has been collecting antiques for a decade now, and also writes articles on antiques for websites.