Miniature Art

What is a "True" Miniature Fine Art Painting?

Thank you for asking. Books have been written on this subject, but here's a real quick answer:

It's a painting that is smaller than 25 square inches. Everything in it is smaller than 1/6 the size it would be in reality. When you magnify the miniature painting 10 times or more, it still looks like a painting you would hang above your mantle. 

For me, this means I create the painting under a magnifying lens and I use close range binoculars to glean detailed information from live set ups or models. When working from photos, I enlarge them on my tablet. In this way, I can paint suggestions of details in miniature that fool the eye into thinking I have depicted more. Another trick I employ is using sculpting tools instead of brushes during my final painting layer. The impasto creates shadows that come alive and dance in natural light with the slightest change in perspective.

For the collector, this means they have a work of original art that invites them to pick it up, hold it, look closer...a much more intimate viewing experience. Collectors can enjoy much more art on a given wall or tabletop space. Miniatures are priced affordably because shipping, framing and supplies cost less. However, it takes the same amount of time, and the same number of brush stokes, to complete a miniature as a larger painting. In fact, miniature art is MORE detailed than larger work, so it will often take more time to create a smaller work of art.