Top 10 ways to spot a Forgery

THE TOP 10 WAYS TO TELL IF YOUR PURCHASE IS A FORGERY

1.Is the seller listed as living in the United States? If so don't stop there, if they list their email or telephone number check it out on one of the numerous reverse address search sites (I use spokeo.com) find out where that cell phone or email address is really coming from. If it is listed as coming from anywhere but the location they provided in the listing be wary!)

2. It seems obvious but check to see if they have multiple listings of the same original, on the same site.

3.If the price is less than $1.50 per square inch from a well known artist is is a bootleg.

4. Check to see if the artist is listing under the "direct from artist." Contact seller and ask if he/she can tell you anything about the origins of the painting and what inspired him/her to paint it. Or "are you the Artist?" If you get a no, or I don't know for either of those questions, walk away.

5.If they are listing it as signed by artist ask whose signature is on the painting. Enter that name into Goggle and if can find a website, email/phone number contact them and find out if the seller has permission to sell their work and ask the questions listed above in #4. Again anything seems out of place it probably is.

6. Type in the ebay search some of the keywords that describe the art you are interested in and check to see if there are similar works being sold. If they are priced higher, that may be your original artist. Contact them (most artists are more than happy to talk with potential clients and fully appreciate a tip concerning a possible bootleg.

7.Ask the seller, via email if they have any other art for sell. If they respond check the spelling and grammar in their reply. Yes we all make typos but too many is a red flag.

8.Check toward the end of the listing for some fine print that says something similar to this "* Although this painting is an original that is painted and signed by the artist, there are several examples/interpretations of this painting that are very similar in design. These reproductions are also painted and signed by the original artist" (Make sure you inquire as to whether or not these are actual originals, as the same painting done twice or mere a Giclee'), limited edition, or where an artist (not the original artist) paints over the copy, with a clear texturing agent to appear as a painting.

9.If the title of the Auction says Original and the 1st sentence in the ad is "this is not a print" that is a sure sign that it is a print.

10.Check out the Sellers store, if he is selling more than 10 non art items, or his store is listed with a non-art related title he is not an artist. Artist may sell other things with their accounts occasionally but true artists sell primarily ART. Check the feedback to see how much of the positive feedback is coming from Art Sales. If they are going to consistently sell other things they will open a different store.
For Further reading on copyright infringment, ect concerning ebay, I recommend:

CHECK OUT CURRENT Alma Lee AUCTIONS

Alma Lee Art is one of the most Forged art on the internet. Every effort is made to prosecute the bootlegger to the fullest extent of the law. Widespread, and largely un-prosecuted crime the key is quick action. If you find any forgeries while surfing please let us know.

MOST RECENT BOOTLEG
Found on EBAY
Original is SOLD, No Licensed prints Contracted.

Cat Lover: a Work in Progress

Thought it was about time for a WIP. This is graphite washable pencil, applied directly on prepared canvas. For now I am calling it Cat lover.

Analog to Digital, 2 new drawings cont

Greeting Dawn, left, was done because I so liked the compostion. I used graphite and washable graphite on Bristol paper. I was working on another project when my computer made a digital error in photoshop, I have no idea what happened but I saved it because I loved the colors. The more I looked at it the more I had to try to "save it" I ran several filters in Photoshop and then inserted Greeting Dawn within it's layers, as I saw the image on the right unfolding I knew this would be the final combination. Strange Passions, by Alma Lee

Strange Passions
Greeting Dawn

Analog to Digital, 2 new drawings

I got the idea that there just might be a second life to my drawings. I started with my abstraction color pencil drawing of the San Antonio Central Library. I then pulled the finished "analog" drawing into Photoshop and applied a number of filters and layer blends I then drew in some pasta, and added a fork and Voila we have, Anticipation, the pasta bowl. If you look real close you will see parts of the original drawing in there. It was a lot of fun, and though I don't think that it is going to work with all "analog" drawing, I do think you will be seeing more of it from me.

On the left Original DaVinci,
on the left my Homage to Da Vinci Princess

The other night we were watch a program on public TV. The subject was a newly discovered piece of art that they were try to figure out whether or not it was a Da Vinci. (I believe it is) I absolutely could not take my eyes off off her, she is so young and tentative. They think that she was a princess who married at 13, later died of complications of her first pregnancy. They mentioned that Leonardo was the only well known renaissance who was left handed, therefore they felt that the direction of the lines along the eyes,nose, and lips could only have been made by a left handed artist. That bothered me, is it just me or do most artist turn the page while they are drawing. I wondered how hard that would be and whether or not is would be awkward for a right handed artist. All and all I do believe that they were correct in placing this amongst Leonardo's works for all the other reasons stated, however the left handed only stroke seems to be a bit of a reach for me. Once I got started I had to try to add some aging effects that were in the original. That was harder than the angled stroke.

About this art:
9x13"
color pencil and graphite
princess ascribed to Da Vinci
renaissance style

I recently bought a book by Jill K.Berry it is entitled: Personal Geographies Explorations in Mixed Media Map Making. Here is the first entry in my life mapping.

To see the other entries I started a Alma Lee Sketchbook 2012 on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alma-Lee-Sketchbook-Project-2012/289373714447601?v=wall&sk=wall

How would Vincent see our world?

I have been reading the latest Vincent Van Gogh biography, and his letters. I am captured by his perception and have been trying to see nature as he would. I started by trying to paint a cypress landscape on canvas. Then I moved to the computer thinking that if I utilized the the Van Gogh brush in Painter 8, I might get a better handle on how to do it. Taking the painting I created in painter (see description) I pulled it into Photoshop and did some tweaking, I decided to turn it into an abstract and try to illustrate the planet as Vincent would see it from heaven. I think I might just have captured it, what do you think?

About this Painting:
size: 8x20"
Media: digitally illustrated
Style: surreal abstract

Starting Image and Close ups