Digital Art Protocols
- Larry Cox
- Jun 26
- 7 min read
Updated: Jul 2
Digital Art Protocols How Digital Painting Coexists With Traditional Canvas Painting Introduction While the talent of digital artists and their works have finally become widely accepted within a great portion of the art community as equal among traditional canvas artists, the concept of "original works" has remained on a blurry and categorically undefined pathway when it comes to digital paintings.
Being an established artist with my own art gallery that also has my works featured in other galleries, I am an artist with professional experience in both traditional canvas and digital painting. And I have encountered a recurring challenge regarding the sales of my digital paintings: defining the nature and protocols of original digital paintings and the constant demand for an "original" digital counterpart to original physically-painted artworks on canvas.
Unlike traditional paintings, which exist as one-of-a-kind physical pieces that can also be digitally scanned and sold as Limited Edition prints, digital paintings originate as one-of-a-kind digital files that are then printed and sold as Limited Edition prints, making the concept of an "original" more obtuse when it comes to such digital paintings.
After extensive research, I found that there were no widely-recognized protocols or official standards within the art community regarding the management of digital paintings, nor the concept of offering the digital painting equivalent of an original canvas painting, other than describing the actual digitally-painted file as the “original” (more on that shortly). Yet, over time, customers have continually requested “originals” of my digital paintings.
To address this gap, I developed a solution that has proven highly effective regarding continued requests from customers for “originals” of my digital paintings that I sell as Limited Edition prints. I have created and implemented what I call, the Primary Print. Customers have understood the explanation of this process and have embraced it as a sound solution and effective counterpart to traditional original physical paintings on canvas. I have also found that customers have no problem with paying considerably more for Primary Prints as opposed to the prices of their Limited Edition counterparts, just as collectors do with original physical paintings on canvas versus their limited edition prints.
Defining the "Primary Print" The Primary Print is the digital painting equivalent of an original physical painting on canvas. It follows a structured approach that aligns with the traditional art market’s principles regarding physically-painted originals and their limited edition prints: • One-of-a-Kind Status: The Primary Print is the very first physical print of a digital painting, signed, but not numbered, making it inherently unique and valuable beyond the valuations of the Limited Edition prints. • Separation from Limited Edition Prints: Subsequent prints of the same digital painting are signed and numbered as part of a Limited Edition series, while the Primary Print stands alone without numbering, and only a signature, much like an original physical painting on canvas. This gives the Primary Print far greater value (worth) than its Limited Edition counterparts, just as with original physical paintings and their Limited Edition prints. • Certificate of Authenticity: Each Primary Print is accompanied by a unique Certificate of Authenticity that formally recognizes and distinguishes it from all other Limited Edition prints. • Market & Collector Recognition: Just as collectors seek original physical paintings on canvas for their exclusivity over Limited Edition prints, the Primary Print provides the same appeal for digital paintings.
Comparing Traditional Physical Paintings on Canvas With Digital Paintings "Original" For a Traditional Painting, the original physical painting is signed, but unnumbered. For a Digital Painting, the Primary Print, which is the first-ever print of a digital painting, is also signed, but unnumbered. "Limited Edition Prints" (LEP) For a Traditional Painting the LEP is a numbered & signed print of a scanned & digitized physical canvas painting. For a Digital Painting - the LEP is numbered & signed print of the digital painting file. "Value" For a Traditional Painting the original is significantly more valuable than its Limited Edition prints. For a Digital Painting the Primary Print is significantly more valuable than its Limited Edition prints. "Authenticity" For a Traditional Painting - provenance, artist signature, Certificate of Authenticity. For a Digital Painting - provenance, artist signature, unique Certificate of Authenticity. This system provides a clear, structured framework for valuing digital paintings in a way that aligns with traditional fine art practices for physical canvas paintings, ensuring benefit, stability, and uniformity of practice to both artists and collectors.
Why Formal Recognition is Necessary
1. Bridging the Gap Between Traditional & Digital Art
◦ The fine art world has long upheld clear distinctions between originals and prints. Digital paintings should be treated with the same level of integrity, ensuring collectors and institutions understand what constitutes a unique and original creation from subsequent Limited Edition prints.
2. Providing Clarity to Collectors & Art Buyers
◦ Many collectors hesitate to invest in digital paintings due to the lack of a defined "original." Recognizing the Primary Print as the official original-equivalent of canvas originals eliminates confusion and increases confidence in original-equivalent digital painting purchases.
3. Establishing a Universal Standard
◦ By implementing this practice across galleries, art councils, and organizations, we can create consistency in how digital paintings are managed, presented, marketed, and valued.
Formal Recognition Regarding the Primary Print I recently worked with art councils, art regulatory agencies, and professional art organizations to promote and formally recognize the concept of the Primary Print as a legitimate and standardized designation in regard to digital paintings as an effective and officially-accepted counterpart to original canvas works. The list of agencies and organizations are as follows: Artists Rights Society, College Art Association, National Endowment for the Arts, Art Dealers Association of America, International Association of Art/World, International Association of Art/Europe, International Association of Art/USA, Artist Organisations International, The National Endowment for the Arts, The National Art Education Foundation, The National Art Education Association, and Americans for the Arts. This recognition would: • Provide artists with a clear framework for offering unique digital painting prints (Primary Prints) as an accepted counterpart to original paintings on canvas—maintaining the same distinctions from Limited Edition prints, as well as increased value compared to Limited Edition prints. • Create a standardized approach for galleries and museums to classify and honor the same distinctions for digital paintings as with paintings on canvas. • Offer collectors a defined method for purchasing digital paintings with the same confidence and distinctions as traditional canvas paintings.
So What of the Actual Digital File?
While it is essentially true that the digital painting file is the absolute “original”, and the digital painting file is certainly subject to sale, it would not behoove the artist to sell the digital file if their intention is to sell the Primary Print and Limited Edition prints, as it would take away the value of the Primary Print and its Limited Edition prints. Such an action would be akin to a traditional canvas artist selling the original canvas and Limited Edition prints, and then printing and selling more copies—a catastrophic move that would pull the rug out from under the value of the original and its Limited Edition prints—not to mention an artist would lose all credibility and be setting themselves up for career suicide through such actions.
Official Protocol For Reproducing Digital Painting Prints
Therefore, the official protocol regarding the actual digital file once it is completed would be that the artist makes one of two choices:
1. Sell the actual digitally-painted file to the exclusivity of someone else to print and resell. For example, art vendors with their own sales network, or open marketplaces and stock photo vendors, such as Envato, Shutterstock, Dreamstime, Adobe Stock, Vecteezy, etc.
2. Keep the file exclusively for themselves and go the route of selling Limited Edition prints and the Primary Print.
But couldn’t the original still be sold to an avid collector whose sole intention was to possess the original digital file should the Primary Print and its Limited Edition prints become popular or well known—for the sole bragging rights of saying, “I now own the original digital file of that popular painting”? After all, the digital file is the property of the artist and they are certainly free to do with it as they please.
So the answer to that question would have to be, yes, the artist is certainly welcome to sell the file in such an instance. However, once again, proper protocol must be put in place for such a circumstance. And what would that protocol be? I’m glad you asked.
Protocol For the Sale of the Original Digitally-painted File After Prints
1. The Copyright Remains With The Artist - This must be clearly stated in the sales contract. Transferring the copyright to the new owner of the digital file would affect the chain of custody and values of the Primary Print and its Limited Edition prints.
2. Limited Use Guidelines - The sales contract must explicitly state that the digital file is only for personal collection and use (computer desktop, cell phone wallpaper, screensaver, etc.) and not for further reproduction or for any commercial purpose.
3. Limited Use License (optional) - If granting a Limited Use License as part of the sale, the sales contract must explicitly state that the artist is allowing the buyer to print a set number of copies for personal use only, but not for any further distribution or commercial use. Of course such prints would have no inherent value, as the prints would have no artist signature, no Limited Edition numberings and no Certificate of Authenticity.
4. All of these protocol stipulations must be clearly defined in an official sales contract for the digitally-painted file, which must then be signed by both parties (seller and buyer) and be notarized.
Couldn’t this set the stage for unethical behavior you now ask? Always. The world is unfortunately an unethical place. However, this is no different than the possibility of the owner of an original canvas painting taking it to be scanned and surreptitiously selling prints. This happens all the time with famous artists' works illegally coming out of China as unauthorized prints for $195.00. We can not control what people do. People can and will be unethical. People break laws. The best that we can do within the art community is to ethically adhere to set protocols, which are always clearly stipulated, and hope that others do so as well.
Conclusion
The Primary Print offers a simple yet highly effective solution for addressing the gap between digital and traditional paintings within the art market, as well as their relation to Limited Edition prints. By aligning with traditional art market standards, it provides artists, collectors, and institutions with a structured method for distinguishing between, and accepting the correlation, of unique digitally-painted works to their traditionally-painted counterparts.
Similarly, setting protocols for the effective management and handling of original digital files is a must in order to ensure their proper coexistence within the guidelines of managing and selling prints from both digital and canvas works.
