The Finished Print
Part I
While in the process of creating their artwork, many artists rarely consider how the artwork will be presented as a finished piece (and this is aside from the mat and frame) as viewed by the public. They sometimes look to the “popular trend” such as metal prints or perhaps canvas, and usually without researching the effects of colors, textures and subtleties on various bases or, just think "online presentation"
The artist’s image may have wondrous colors, texture, magnificent lighting, intricate special effects, and meant to create a certain mood -- yet some, if not all, will be lost if it that image is not presented in a way to at least present these features as intended -- the paper, or base, is the means to facilitate having the details/mood of the artwork standout and become alive.
How the artwork is presented, the surface on which it is printed as seen live as a finished piece, should be considered part of the entire composition – it is the means by which the artwork comes alive.
An online presentation is different from a live presentation. The lighting may somewhat accentuate its texture or softness, but the viewer sees only one dimension of the image. When seen live and when on the appropriate paper, or base, the surrounding lighting further enhances the texture, smoothness, or depth of the image and the entire artwork and the composition is brought into focus.
To be continued…