Saw a weird thing at a digital art show last weekend

I went to this small gallery showing in Portland that had 12 local digital artists. One guy had his whole series printed on this rough canvas paper that made the colors look dull and flat. The gallery owner said he insisted on printing that way because it felt more authentic. Has anyone else seen a good digital piece get wrecked by bad printing choices?

2 comments

2 Comments

wesley831mo ago

Was the canvas paper that rough textured stuff that feels like sandpaper? I saw a similar thing at a show in Seattle where a photographer printed all his landscapes on this super absorbent matte paper that just sucked all the life out of the colors. It is frustrating when an artist picks a printing method that fights against what made the digital piece good in the first place.

caseys301mo ago

What kind of paper was it exactly? I mean yeah rough canvas paper can be a pain, but I actually think matte finishes get a bad rap sometimes. The colors might not pop as much but there's a quiet depth to them that glossy prints just can't match. It's like the artist is choosing a mood over a spectacle, and that's a valid move in my book. Maybe the piece was made to feel grounded or raw, not flashy, you know?