Embellished Prints

Embellished Prints

If I were to create a tier list of my artwork, the original painting would, of course, sit at the very top. There is only one original; it is the piece created entirely by my hand and can never truly be replicated.

The next closest thing is an embellished print.

For collectors who love a particular painting but cannot own the original, an embellished print is about as close as you can get. It begins with an exceptional reproduction of the original artwork, before I personally work back into the piece by hand, adding paint, texture, highlights and new details that make every one unique.

It Starts With the Print!

All of my embellished prints are produced using the highest-quality giclée printing processes available and printed onto museum grade, archival fine art paper. This combination is chosen for its exceptional reproduction of colour and detail, as well as its longevity, helping the artwork retain its richness and vibrancy for generations when properly cared for.

The quality of the print is incredibly important to me. I want the starting point to capture as much of the character, colour and detail of the original painting as possible.

But that is only the beginning.

Embellished by Hand

Once the print is complete, I take it back into the studio and begin working directly onto it with acrylic paint.

I usually spend several hours embellishing each individual piece, and there is no set formula for what I add or where I add it. Every print develops differently.

I tend to begin by looking for areas where I can introduce highlights, texture and depth that simply cannot be fully reproduced through printing. These hand-painted elements help bring the piece closer to the physical presence and character of the original painting.

From there, I let the artwork lead me.

I may strengthen certain colours, introduce additional brushwork, build texture or add small details and marks that weren't even present in the original painting. In that sense, I don't see the process as simply recreating the original; I am continuing the artwork and allowing each embellished print to become something of its own.

No Two Are the Same

This is what makes embellished prints particularly special.

Although each one begins with the same image, the hand-painted work means that no two finished pieces are identical. The placement of a brushstroke, the texture of the paint, a highlight, a new detail or even a spontaneous mark will vary from one piece to the next.

Each embellished print therefore becomes a completely unique piece of art in its own right; somewhere between a fine art print and an original painting.

For me, they offer collectors something very special: the quality and familiarity of the original artwork, combined with genuine hand-painted details that exist only on the piece they own.

The Finishing Touches

To finish each embellished print, I hand number the piece in acrylic paint according to its edition. I normally produce just ten embellished prints per size, keeping each edition deliberately small and exclusive.

I then sign and date the artwork by hand using my initials; the same way I sign my original paintings.

For me, this is an important final part of the process. By this point, the piece has gone far beyond being simply a print. I have personally spent hours working back into the artwork with paint, adding details, texture and individual touches before finally numbering, signing and dating it.

The result is a hand-finished, individually numbered piece of art from a very limited edition, with each one carrying its own subtle differences and unique character.

Peter Gray