My suggestion: Only purchase a painting, drawing, or print for another person when the other person …
- is with you or
- has written the name of the artwork and the artist and given it to you.
An exception is when you have seen the artwork together, the other person gushed over how much he/she would love to have it, and you go back later to buy it.
But: If you are still determined to buy something, then use this checklist …
Check all that apply:
___ The other person is not with you and has not told you what to buy (it will really be a surprise).
___ The other person has not seen the artwork yet.
___ You love it and know that the other person will love it, too.
___ You may or may not like it, but are pretty sure that the other person will like it.
___ The artwork is a scene of somewhere you both have been.
___ The artwork is by a (relatively) well-known or popular artist.
___ Similar artwork has been going up in value.
___ The artwork costs money.
___ The artwork is free.
If you checked one or more of the above items → DO NOT BUY IT.