Fur In The Paint

I don’t often draw remarques on my prints though I do on occasion. I think the last one I did was like 3 or 4 years ago.

This particular print is being sold to a local business woman who is buying it as a gift for another local business woman. She had seen the image in the latest issue of Apples ‘n Oats and fell in love. Both women know about art and understand that a remarque makes it special so I went ahead and did a quick little sketch. I did a couple of practice runs on a separate piece of paper since I’m not really used to drawing so small. Plus I can’t erase at all while drawing on the print so it really has to be pretty much correct from the get go.

While this isn’t the most fabulous remarque I’ve done, I still think it adds a little something. Also forgive the color in the upper photo it is totally inaccurate. I had to push the gamut in order to get the pencil to show at all. The mat is actually a lovely blue gray marble.

Remarks on Remarques
And just in case you aren’t familiar with remarques, here what the Art History section of About.com has to say.

Definition:

(noun) - A remarque is a small, personalized drawing or symbol that an artist adds (near his or her signature) on a print. The presence of a remarque increases the print’s value.

Originally, remarques were remarks made, in pencil, that identified the various stages a printing plate went through while in the process of being finalized. Whistler seems to have pioneered making remarques desirable to collectors, particularly in the case of his “butterfly” mark.

Nowadays, a remarque is primarily a “value-added” option for print collectors - meaning: You can have an artist’s remarque added to your graphic edition, if you care to shell out some more money. (Unless, of course, the artist is a personal friend, or owes you a favor.)

Coming Up:
I’m back to working on the giraffe painting so should have more wips shortly, more lenses have been launched and a final post on what to pack for art fairs.

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