Last Updated on April 15, 2022 by Mark P.
If there is something that collectors cannot get enough of, it’s vintage drawings. With the incredible variety in art and prices, vintage drawings are fun and fairly easy to collect. The challenge comes when you’re looking for something specific, and not just any old vintage drawing will do. That’s where the internet comes in.
You can search yard sales and Goodwill day and night, but in order to find a specific vintage drawing, you’ll have to do your research. Otherwise, pick an aesthetic and enjoy sifting through the internet’s endless amount of vintage drawings for sale. Vintage is fun because it encompasses so many styles and genres.
Vintage Drawings for Sale
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Where to Buy Vintage Drawings
The internet is an endless treasure trove of vintage drawings. You can find almost anything with a little research. eBay has great filters to help you find what you are looking for. As far as prices, it’s hard to gauge since there are so many different types of drawings out there.
Pinterest and Etsy also have a lot of vintage drawings, or templates to make your own if you want to try that out. eBay has the best filtering system, since there is so much out there and it can be overwhelming.
History of Vintage Drawings
If we are going to talk vintage drawings, they generally come from the late 1800s until the mid 1900s. However, the term ‘vintage’ also is the term for the year or place that wine was created. It can also mean the wine is very high quality. Vintage art started in Paris, and is associated with a shift in marketing and advertisements. Vintage work was printed on post cards and posters which made for easy distribution. The drawings done for these depicted people in high fashion, with known brand names.
Other styles of art came out of this time, but vintage drawings became highly collectible. The term ‘vintage’ is used very loosely to describe ‘old’ things, but the origin of it is of Parisian poster drawings. Vintage can also be used to specify a decade like “vintage 1940s,” so the term is fairly versatile.
Trying to narrow down what vintage drawings are would be very difficult, as they can be so many things. They are fun to collect, and if you pick a certain decade, having a bunch of them can create an aesthetic in the home.
Vintage Drawing Styles
So, what are the types of styles you can expect to find when browsing vintage drawings? Well, as discussed, ‘vintage’ art encompasses many genres and time frames. There are many styles that can fall under this umbrella. These are some of the styles you may find searching vintage drawings:
- Victoriana
- This is one of the older styles in the vintage realm. These drawings come from 1837-1901, and are usually portraiture. Very beautiful stuff.
- Letterpress
- Going back to Paris and the mass printing, Letterpress is one of the oldest printing techniques. Think rubber stamps, but metal blocks instead that make a more intense impression. This type of lettering is common to see juxtaposed with vintage drawings.
- Gothic
- Not necessarily vintage and more medieval, it can slip through the cracks and the lettering and dark images can be found when searching for vintage drawings.
- Art Deco
- Art deco was popular in the 1920s and 30s, so it’s very prevalent in vintage drawings. Think geometric shapes and bright colors, very cool stuff.
These styles barely scrap the surface of vintage drawings, of course. So many styles fall into this genre, and on your search, you will probably find stuff that is completely different, as well. That’s the fun part of vintage drawings, they can be so different from one another. From portraits, to city skylines, to a cartoon bird floating in a martini. Vintage drawings have it all.
To sum it up, collecting vintage drawings is a fun hobby. They can range in prices and design, so there is something for everyone. Browsing for them in general can be fun, even If you don’t buy one. You can mix and match styles and drawings with other kinds of vintage art to complete your home décor. Have fun exploring!
