The Internet is revolutionizing the art world. In the not too distant past, if you were interested in browsing a few hundred paintings to find a new focal piece for your living room, you would’ve had to spend a considerable amount of time going from one gallery to the next. Now, in just several minutes, you can browse and purchase hundreds, even thousands, of original artworks right from your home. But before you click the “add to cart” button, there are five things you should know that will greatly improve your online art buying experience.

1. Know the Gallery – The most important aspect of buying art online is knowing who you are buying from. There are thousands of virtual galleries, and you want to make sure that you are dealing with a reputable one. If you can’t find a phone number on the gallery’s website, or it takes them more than a day or two to get back to a phone or email message, move on.

Find out where they are located, how long they’ve been in business, if the artwork is curated, how they price their art, and of course, what their return policy is. Make sure that if you decide you don’t love your artwork when it arrives, you have the ability to return it for a full refund, and without being charged high shipping or restocking fees.

Most artwork on the Internet is from emerging artists whose legacy is yet to be defined. As such, you will want help determining if their work is worth your time and money. Find an online gallery with a reliable curator or board of curators. Additionally, this type of art should be affordable. Although there is no exact science to pricing artwork, it should mainly be according to the artist’s previous sales and exhibition history, and the size, medium, and composition of the work. As a general rule, emerging artwork shouldn’t cost more than four figures unless it is a spectacular piece by a spectacular artist.

2. Know the Artist – Once you find a piece of art that you are interested in, get as much information as you can about the artist. Obtain their artist statement and speak with them if possible. If you are buying more for potential future investment, obtain a list of exhibitions that they have participated in, collections they are in, and find out where they went to art school. Overall, you want to make sure that you are buying from a legitimate working artist, and that there is quality and value in the work.

3. Know the Piece – You love the expressionist brushstrokes, now find out the important details. What is the medium, what surface was the work created on, is it framed, is it signed somewhere, and most importantly, what are the dimensions? You may be surprised at how big the artwork actually is, and you wouldn’t want to buy a piece that doesn’t fit on your wall. One of the best ways to combat this is to get a sheet of butcher paper, draw the dimensions of the artwork on it, and then cut it out. You can then put the paper on the wall where you intend to hang the art to get an idea of the size. Also, certain online galleries have a view to scale feature that will show you the artwork in a virtual room proportionate to your room’s dimensions.

4. Know the Edition – If you are buying printmaking or photography, you need to find out if the piece is part of a limited edition or open edition. Pieces that are in a limited edition are produced in a set limited quantity and tend to be more expensive, but can also have more value because of their limited number. Open edition artworks are not limited in quantity and can be reproduced indefinitely. In both cases, each piece in the edition is identical and is considered an original.

5. Keep a Record – Save your receipt of purchase. If you intend to sell the art in the future, this is a must. In the art world, this is known as provenance, or the artwork’s history of ownership. Depending upon how well known the artist becomes, this will help establish that the work is not fake or stolen.

With all of this in mind, buy what you like! Don’t worry too much about what the art market or your friends say, choose artwork that you connect with. Although art may hold a future value, find pieces that you are passionate about. After all, you are the one who has to live with it.

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More and more people are getting comfortable about buying art online. In the early days of the Internet, potential art buyers were hesitant, fearing fraud and worrying about transaction safety. Moreover, images and descriptions were often too wanting in quality to serve as a reliable fundament for judgement. The market has matured and a more professional corps of sellers is addressing a public growing increasingly comfortable. Collectors have discovered the advantages of the Internet market place and the future seems bright for online transactions. As for pricing, the virtual market has natural limits that make most people unwilling to buy at the price levels they would consider in traditional venues. Today, the online limit seems to correspond to the7500 dollar/5000 Euro ceiling that a number of international art fairs have been maintaining to prone the concept of 'affordable art'. One may safely predict that online transactions of art will continue to gain market share and especially in this price segment. It becomes important to familiarise oneself with the possible drawbacks of this promising trade.

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The Internet allows people from all walks of life to instantly access knowledge and wisdom at their fingertips that spans the ages and the world over. Art galleries and online artist's resources are no different. Art galleries online are a wonderful way to buy and enjoy art without having to leave your own home.

With the rise of e-commerce and the growing appetite of consumers for goods and services that are ready to go with a simple click of the "buy now" button, it's only natural that there is a demand by art lovers, art collectors and indeed artists themselves to buy art online.

What makes Inspired Art unique is that it not only provides visitors and buyers with an extensive, high quality resource for buying art, it also serves as a great information website for artists and art lovers from around the country. With a myriad of potential sponsorship opportunities for investors and business owners this is a great way to also get your business noticed.

The beauty of an online art gallery such as Inspired Art is that not only can you view the artwork at your pace and in your time but you will also have the work of art delivered directly to your door, we even include free delivery!

The Internet has taken the beauty and accessibility of artwork to an unprecedented level, allowing millions of people throughout the UK to view and purchase art instantly. This not only improves the overall exposure of individual artists Inspired Art, but it also provides the country with far greater amounts of cultural and social capital.

However, you must also use a bit of caution when buying art online. As you do not see the physical artwork it is only when it arrives that you get to view the work with your own eyes. Therefore it is imperative that you have some form of safety from the gallery. At Inspired Art we recognise this and offer all of our customers a full money back guarantee which last for 14 days! You will struggle to find service close to this anywhere else. We believe in our art and the service our customers receive, therefore we are happy to offer this guarantee to all of our customers.

Remember we have a close relationship with our artists so if you wish to know more about them or a piece of art they have produced then contact us through the contact section and we will give you all the information you need. Good luck in selecting your new piece of art and why not join our club while you're looking around.

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