If you’ve shopped with us at the California galleries of Thomas Kinkade Carmel, Monterey, or Placerville, or you’ve browsed through our selection of fine art online, you’ve probably seen the words Limited Edition connected to many of our paintings. But what does Limited Edition mean when it comes to our artwork? What makes it stand out, and how does it benefit you?
Above & Beyond Quality
Our Limited Edition paintings aren’t just a limited supply of an item. Many other types of collectible art are attractive because of the small quantity produced. When you purchase these items, you know you are a part of a select few.
Thomas Kinkade Limited Edition paintings are all about both exclusivity and, above all, attention to detail and quality during the creation process. We go above and beyond to make sure your Limited Edition art is of the highest quality.
- Carefully Capturing Every Detail – We painstakingly capture not only the color and mood of each original painting but the actual brushwork as well. Every square centimeter of each original is examined, documented, and reproduced over a number of days, sometimes weeks, so that the result is perfect.
- Premium, Acid-Free Canvas – We only use acid-free, durable, heavy cotton canvas. Our canvas has been specially prepared to accept and hold the inks we use, allowing them to radiate brilliant color to maximum effect.
- Premium Inks – We use the finest UV resistant inks for opaque, rich, and brilliant reproductions. The UV properties of our inks ensure a fade-resistant, long-lasting beautiful image.
- Hand Stretched Canvas – Each canvas is hand-stretched around hardwood stretcher bars, using no less than one staple per inch to ensure tautness.
- Hand Highlighted – Each Limited Edition painting is carefully hand-retouched with acrylic paints by skilled artisans. Hand highlighting gives your canvas a painterly texture that enhances the signature glow.
- Extra UV Protection – For added protection, the canvas is UV coated not once but twice – once after the ink is first laid, then again after the highlight work has dried. This adds protection from harmful UV rays and from scratches and fingerprints.
- Hand Numbered & Certified Editions – Most Thomas Kinkade Studios Limited Edition paintings are available in multiple editions. EVERY Limited Edition we create contains, at the minimum, this degree of care and craftsmanship.
We carefully inspect each Limited Edition painting for color, stretch, defects, highlighting, and consistency. It is then hand-numbered and matched with its corresponding Certificate of Authenticity. This number is recorded and permanently removed from worldwide availability.
A Guide To Our LE Edition Types
If you’ve invested in, been given, or inherited a Thomas Kinkade Studios painting, you may be curious about the Edition type of your artwork. Each painting edition variant is unique. Learning about the benefits and differences between them can make collecting even more exciting.
- A/N – Atelier National: Hand-highlighted and numbered.
- A/P – Artist Proof: A small edition issue. Hand-highlighted and numbered.
- E/E – Estate Edition: Extremely limited edition, created with a textured process. Finished by a Master Highlighter. Additional highlighting and a special hand sketched Remarque is applied to the verso side. Hand-numbered.
- E/P – Examination Proof: A small, special canvas edition. An opportunity for collectors to preview select new releases. Hand-highlighted and numbered.
- G/P – Gallery Proof: Distinguished by a unique, gold foil Remarque stamp. Hand-highlighted and numbered.
- H/E – Hometown Edition: A special Limited Edition reserved for distribution to specific regions. Includes city and state codes in the print number. Hand-highlighted and numbered.
- I/P – International Proof: Reserved for distribution outside of the United States. Hand-highlighted and numbered.
- M/E – Master Edition: The ultimate expression of detail, artist involvement, and collectability. Extensively hand-highlighted by Thomas Kinkade with a hand-sketched, highly-detailed Remarque on the canvas’s verso side. The artist’s unique thumbprint and Master Edition Seal are located on the back of the canvas. Each Master Edition was hand-signed in metallic ink by Thomas Kinkade.
- O/R – Originals: Used in printing Limited Edition prints and retained for archival purposes.
- P/P – Publisher Proof: A very small edition available at the discretion of the Publisher. Hand-highlighted and numbered.
- R/E – Renaissance Edition: A reserve edition created with a process that recreates the artist’s textured brushstrokes. A Master Highlighter finishes each painting. A special Remarque is applied to the canvas’s verso side, and a foil-stamped silver Renaissance Edition seal is applied to the back. Prior to April 6, 2012, the artist hand signed the front of the canvas.
- SE/AP – Serigraph Artist Proof: Serigraphs involve recreating the original artwork by hand instead of photographic reproduction. Our serigraphers print each color of the original, one at a time, to create an exacting hand-created reproduction. Issued in a small edition. Hand-highlighted and numbered.
- SE/SN – Serigraph Standard Number: Serigraphs involve recreating the original artwork by hand instead of photographic reproduction. Our serigraphers print each color of the original, one at a time, to create an exacting hand-created reproduction. Hand-highlighted and numbered.
- S/N – Standard Numbered: Hand-highlighted and numbered.
- S/P – Studio Proof: Created with a textured brushstroke process and finished by a Master Highlighter. An original and identifying Remarque is hand-sketched on the verso side of the canvas. A foil-stamped gold Studio Proof seal is applied to the verso side. Prior to April 6, 2012, the artist applied final highlights himself and hand-signed the canvas’s front in metallic ink. After April 6, 2012, a Master Highlighter adds highlights and Remarque,
- INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS – I/SN, I/AP, I/GP, I/PP, I/EP, I/AN, I/EE, I/RE, I/SP, I/ME: Various editions generally reserved for distribution outside of the US.
Created To Last & To Be Passed On
As you can see, careful work, time, and thought go into each Thomas Kinkade Limited Edition painting. Although the beautiful results are often delightful enough, knowing more about the attention and care that brought about the paintings in your collection can make art collecting even more rewarding.
When you realize that your artwork has been created to last and be passed on through the generations, it makes thinking of gift ideas that will last even easier. Why not share this interest with those you love or help a new couple start their own collection?
Come See The Limited Edition Difference
Experience Limited Edition paintings up close at our Thomas Kinkade galleries in California. We invite you to stop by our Carmel, Monterey, or Placerville location to shop for your next fine art find today.
