Jo O'Brien

When I heard that RedBubble canvas prints were being upgraded to a more professional and superior finish, my ears pricked up. I love canvas prints but I’m also picky as hell when it comes to how they are put together.

I enthusiastically sent off an image that I have printed many times before as a tester. Well, I can now safely say that the canvas print product is my new favorite. In fact, I was so impressed by it that I’ve written this review for you and will be spurting canvas love from this moment on.





Colour
Having seen my work Escape printed numerous times now, and through various methods, I am extremely impressed with the colour achieved. It is true to the original image and has lots of depth and tone.

Suitability
I happen to do photography, but I can only imagine how freaking amazing vector and 3D art would look printed like this. And what a great way to sell “prints” of original paintings! A seriously flexible product. These are going to become my new default product for exhibitions and gifts. They look classy, are well made have a point of difference that makes my work stand out.

Texture
When I worked in art galleries, we used to sell photos printed on canvas and people would often ask to touch them. There was something about a photographic images presented like a painting that intrigued them (and me!) You can’t get the same fine detail as a photo print but that is part of the charm. Now I just have to curb my addiction to stroking the canvas.





Wooden Stretcher
Possibly the best part of this ‘upgrade’ is how the canvas is now presented on a wooden stretcher. Canvas likes to ‘breathe’ making wooden stretchers the perfect way to display and protect your new piece of art. They also have a deeper profile and are sturdier – a more professionally finished product and great alternative to expensive framing for exhibitions.





White Sides
Customers love how white sides make a photo look like a painting and make pop art stand out on their wall, artists love that their closely cropped images still look great when stretched as a canvas print and the dignity of preserving the image on one surface. White sides is an aesthetic choice but it certainly has it’s perks and gives your work a point of difference in a competitive market.





Sticker on the back

I am quite fond of the sticker on the back which lists the title and artist’s name. They are a nice clean design that doesn’t detract from the art, but also ensures your customers can find you again in the future. The stickers, while durable enough to stand the test of time, are also easy to peel off should I want to resell my canvases with more personalised branding.





Price
I bought a large canvas print for a base price of $110 Australian dollars. What I received would normally cost me upwards of $400 in most art galleries by your typical ‘no name’ artist. Not only does this mean there is plenty of room for a mark up on RedBubble, but it means there is profit to be made should I want to use them for exhibitions or for reselling. Within 24 hours of receiving my first canvas print, I’d clocked up another $440 on the credit card buying 4 more. That tells me how ‘worth it’ I think they are. Oh yeah, and when you buy four of them, you also get free shipping. Loving it!

So yes, I am now officially obsessed with RedBubble canvas prints. You’ll find me sitting in my study patting them gently as I sing to myself.

^{Images by Ben Ryan}