So I recently ordered a painting from Oil Painting Express and I'm excited to walk you through the process!

1. Deciding on a Painting

Deciding on what painting to get is a process in itself. Some famous paintings make great reproductions, while others might look great in museums but flat in reproduction. And the same can be said for photographs. I decided to get a reproduction, and there was a lot to consider.

If you are getting a reproduction made, think about how detailed the painting is and the depth of color used. Figurative paintings will always look great, whether abstract or realistic, Oil Painting Express artists do a great job on compositions. However, paintings where the focus is solely on color can be tricky as famous artists often worked years to obtain a desired shade.

Also remember that you can change the colors, say if you like a certain print but it doesn't suite your living room. Why yes, they can make that Monet in all hot pink and purple!

If you are curious whether or not your chosen reproduction will look good, shoot an e-mail to orders@oilpaintingexpress.com. They turn questions around quickly and are super helpful.

2. Is it legal?

Oil Painting Express is happy to make any artist reproduction as long as it is in the Public Domain. The work belongs to the public as a whole, as our “intellectual property“

A good rule of thumb for figuring out whether a piece of art is in the public domain or not is to find out when it was published. If the piece was published before 1923 is it most likely public domain in the United States.

Conduct this research by sifting through Creative Commons. Another option when getting a well-known piece of art reproduced is to make it a derivative work. A derivative work is based on an artist’s piece but is not a verbatim-copy.

3. Ordering Your Masterpiece

Once I found the image I wanted, I filled out the order page. I received an e-mail that said “Within 5 business days you will receive a picture of the finished painting with a request for your approval.”

Sure enough, within 5 days, another e-mail popped up in my inbox, announcing “Click to view your painting and let us know if any further changes is necessary.” Excited, I clicked. Wow” is all I thought. I looked closely to see if any changes were needed then signed off, saying it was done.

4. Hanging the Work!

Within two weeks I received a buzz from UPS. I tore open the long, flat box to find my painting, sparkling in the light. The colors were perfectly mixed and it still had a slight oily smell, “good stuff” I thought.

I was excited to hang the work. Hanging a work of art is all about finding the right wall-space. I looked for walls in the house that were bare and shaped to complement the long rectangle of the art piece.

5. Recommendations and Affiliate Program

I am obsessed with my work of art and would undoubtedly recommend it to a friend. An upcoming affiliate program for Oil Painting Express can actually earn you money when your friends take your recommendation and order their own artwork. Basically, if you recommended them you get cut of the sale. So keep an open eye for that and have fun choosing your painting!