Tips on How to Choose Wildlife Art

Wildlife art is a multifaceted investment. When you purchase a signed, limited edition print of beautiful art or an original piece by a known wildlife artist, you’ve acquired much more than “a piece of art.” 

Investing in Top Wildlife Print Artists

Owning an original artwork is a rare and exceptional privilege that most lovers of wildlife art may not be able to have. Consequently, most buyers choose to purchase and invest in limited edition prints of top wildlife art that are usually signed and numbered.

If the edition sizes are made up of a relatively small number of prints, then each individual print in the edition becomes rarer. And this scarcity is what makes these prints that much more valuable in the market.

But top wildlife art has an intrinsic value to the buyer beyond the fluctuations of the market. Most wildlife art is chosen as much for its beauty and its ability to capture one’s spirit as for its potential market value.

Purchasing prints of artwork from top wildlife print artists often goes hand in hand with choosing art that you love. This is what makes investing in wildlife art one of the most enjoyable and substantial investments one can make. And wildlife artwork can potentially have a much better rate on return than other investment opportunities.

Like all fine art prints, wildlife art prints are more valuable when hand-signed by the artist. The signature can be located on the front of the print, on the back, or on the print’s Certificate of Authenticity. 

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Tips on How to Choose Wildlife Art Prints

When you’re looking to acquire a limited-edition print, you should invest some time in researching your print choices before you commit to a purchase.

Here are a few key considerations:

1. Determine what type of print an artwork is.
Limited edition artwork can be produced as original screen prints, a hand-finished print by the artist, a digital C-Type or Chromagenic print, or a giclée print. The type of print determines the degree of fidelity to the artist’s impression within the work.

2. Along with the reproduction method, learn what type of paper it’s printed on.
The type of paper a piece of art is printed on will affect how it will look when framed as well as the price of the print.

3. When buying a print, confirm if the artwork will be delivered already framed.
If so, this can make the acquisition more convenient, but you will want to have options for the frame style.

4. When buying a limited edition wildlife art print, consider the size of the edition.
In theory, a print from an edition of more than 100 will have less value than one from a smaller edition. In addition, the reputation of the artist is a key factor in determining the artwork’s value. 

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Terry Redlin: One of Wildlife Art’s Enduring Masters

One of the most popular and top-selling wildlife artists in America was Terry Redlin. Born in Watertown, South Dakota on July 11, 1937, Terry was lost to us on April 24, 2016.

A quintessential American artist, Redlin was best known for painting outdoor themes and wildlife, often portrayed in twilight. Terry was named “America’s Most Popular Artist” every year from 1991 to 1998 by U.S. Art magazine and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 1992.

Born and raised in Watertown, South Dakota, Redlin originally planned to become a forest ranger, but became disabled from a motorcycle accident at the age of 15. It was years later, in 1967, that Redlin and his family moved to Forest Lake, Minnesota.

After earning a degree from the St. Paul School of Associated Arts in St. Paul, Minnesota, he then spent 25 years working in commercial art as a layout artist, graphic designer, illustrator, and art director. By 1975, however, he was tiring of that career and decided to become a wildlife artist.

According to the Terry Redlin and the Redlin Art Center website,

“Terry and his wife celebrated a mild moment of success in 1977. Terry sold two prints, Apple River Mallards and Over the Blowdown to Ben Stephens, who operated two local art shops. Terry received $10 for each.”

His first real breakthrough as a wildlife artist came when his painting Winter Snows appeared on the cover of The Farmer magazine in 1977. Redlin became a full-time artist two years later and worked until his retirement in 2007.

Some of Terry Redlin’s most popular pieces include "Winter Wonderland" and "Golden Retreat." Along with his popular individual works, Redlin produced a series of eight paintings in 1990 based on the first stanza of "America the Beautiful" entitled, appropriately, "America the Beautiful."

Wildlife Artwork from the Leader in Wildlife Themed Art

Wild Wings only stocks the highest quality wildlife artwork and our collection features wildlife prints from several renowned wildlife artists such as Terry Redlin, as well as Persis Clayton Weirs and Michael Sieve.

Wild Wings is the leader in wildlife themed art, and we pioneered the wildlife art industry with over 2,500 print editions produced since 1968.

Today, Wild Wings stocks over 1,000 outdoor and wildlife art prints representing 75 of America’s top artists and our Wildlife Art collection offers buyers the perfect combination of beauty, quality, comfort, and uniqueness.

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1 comment

It’s good that you mentioned how a piece of art’s paper choice will effect both how it will look when framed and how much it will cost to purchase. My cousin has been planning on purchasing North American wildlife prints as a gift, so I’ll definitely share this with her to keep in mind. I’ll also check out artists that would be able to help her out. Thanks for sharing!

https://www.davidfrederickriley.com/product-categorynorth-american-wildlife-collection

Victoria Addington

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