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Learn with Erin-Marie Wallace

Assessing Fine Art

Learn to quickly and concisely evaluate a painting, print or drawing with Erin-Marie Wallace.

Course overview

This lesson will teach you the necessary knowledge and tools to recognize the difference between paintings and drawings; oil, acrylic, watercolour, gouache, graphite, charcoal, chalks and ink. You will learn how to recognise the mediums by learning about their development in history and be equipped to understand their relevance in evaluating a piece of art.

Meet Erin-Marie Wallace

Erin-Marie Wallace BFA, MA, AU Erin-Marie is an experienced arts professional with an infectious enthusiasm for clients and collections. She holds a Master’s Degree in Fine and Decorative Art and Design from Sotheby’s Institute, London, and is a licensed auctioneer and USPAP certified appraiser. She has extensive, international experience evaluating fine and decorative art for fair market or insurance values, she can teach you how to tell the difference between ‘Fine Art’ and ‘Just Art.’ After completing her Master’s Degree, Erin-Marie guided an international roster of clients as they acquired and developed collections of British ceramics and art pottery. She then worked as the Director of the Fine Art Program for a nationally televised auction house. In addition to presenting on-air, she was responsible for collection management, cataloging and evaluation of all fine and decorative art. Currently, Erin-Marie is CEO and auctioneer for Rare-Era, an international auction house and appraisal firm she founded, which specializes in buying and selling fine and decorative art all over the world. Additionally, her cataloging expertise is consulted by auction houses and businesses (i.e. Jasper52, Lofty). She is a subject matter expert (SME) in fine art and ceramics and has managed and advised private and public collections worldwide. Her background includes first-hand knowledge of paintings, prints and drawings, ceramics and most fine art mediums. Erin-Marie wants you to know that, “These experiences ensure a comprehensive knowledge of the art market and art history; I welcome you to the class and look forward to our conversations.”

Course description

Learn the techniques of the trade to quickly and concisely evaluate a painting, print or drawing from Erin Marie-Wallace expert dealer, auctioneer, appraiser and practicing artist.

Erin-Marie will teach you her first-hand knowledge which has been gleaned from over 20 years working in the field and will share with you the processes that she has refined, that will enable you to make a logical, rational assessment based on materials, age, condition and provenance.

The most important thing you can learn in this field is how to distinguish and describe the major painting and print-making mediums. An oil painting, versus a lithograph versus an offset lithograph, all have a different value and the first step is to know what you are looking at.

This course covers the mediums and genres most commonly seen in the Western tradition of Paintings, Prints and Drawings dating from the Renaissance until the present day. With each medium, you will learn about its history and development so that you become confident in recognizing them.

At the end of this course it will not matter where it’s lurking, in a crowded market, a busy auction house, dusty attic or online venue, you will be equipped with a tried and true way of classifying ‘Fine Art’; and to separate it from ‘Just Art’. Erin-Marie will share how she has found fine art lurking in some of the most unsuspecting of places, and will give you the tools to help you assess a great find.

This course is suitable for anyone starting out on investing in art or the enthusiastic collector who is keen on firming up their knowledge. Assessing art starts with the requirement to be able to distinguish the major painting and print making mediums. An informed buyer is a smart buyer.

You'll learn:
  • How to distinguish between mediums
  • What makes fine art
  • How to establish materials, age, condition and provenance
  • Understanding print values
Time to complete this assessing fine art course:

Every student is different but in general we think the whole course will take around 3 hours to complete including:

  • Video lesson: 60 minutes in total
  • Assignment: at least 1 hour per lesson
You'll need:

You don't need any special equipment, but you will be identifying and analysing art works.

The course is suitable for all levels - beginners to art experts who want to learn from a specialist.

The course includes:
  • On-demand video lessons - presented by Erin-Marie Wallace
  • lifetime access to the video, notes and interactive class
  • flexible classes - join and learn when and where you like
  • downloadable lesson notes
  • practical (optional) art assessment project
  • access on your mobile, PC, Mac or laptop
  • small interactive online classroom chat online to students from around the world
Ready to get started?

Just add the course to your basket above - choose the 'Expert' option for personal feedback from Erin-Marie and questions.

Any questions? Contact us by clicking on the orange speech symbol - we'd love to hear from you.