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One of the things I find myself doing lately between paintings is enhancing fine art canvas reproductions. The original Red Reeds and Blue air shown here was proportionately too large for the intended space so we made a 3/4 reproduction from a 106 mb digital capture created in Photoshop using the merge tool (post). The process required 16 individual high resolution shots merged together into a single seamless image. The custom Hughes wall easel, tripod and Nikon 5200 camera were necessary equipment in order to successfully merge so many photos.......and a lot of experimentation. However once you figure photo merge out its a remarkable asset for any artist.

SET UP

The original 964 60x48 canvas (left) and 50x40 canvas print (right) 

Oil paint used to enhance printed colour

Obviously the real key with embellishment is getting the surface treatment right when light hits the canvas from any source or direction. I found working on the canvas side-by-side along with some experimentation works well. Im not sure there is a quick and easy approach to this. Its kind of like noodling with an almost finished canvas; it requires the same finesse as the original did.

Detail showing enhancement and overhead glare

If there is anything that will quickly throw water on a sale is size proportionate to space! Its kind of a shame because everything else was right - certainly another version could be made if youre into it. I suppose this was a common studio practice before printing. Today we have at our disposal state of the art high resolution digital capturing and printing capabilities that will reproduce results like mine above. Perhaps not the investment original art would be but a strong alternative for both the artist and a patron drawn to the original. Mine, when I do any enhancement beyond surface embellishment, are limited editions of 25 with 3 proofs.

Artists, like all other problem solvers, wont take long before messing with it as in artist enhancement like me!  I dont mind a day or so at the easel to make it happen either. I also selfishly get a chance to correct or add anything in the process and occasionally do. Which of course can lead quickly into experimental works using printed canvas as a baseline. Could be a fun project... after all. pure oil painting is not the only way to the finish line.