It has 3D prints of 50 available so far, all with perfectly reproduced brush strokes

May 2, 2014 14:58 GMT  ·  By

2D printed replicas of paintings are a very lackluster consolation prize when the original is beyond your financial grasp, but Russian startup company Prixel can significantly alleviate any potential disappointment resulting from something like this.

The company has begun to sell 3D printed replicas of famous paintings, including artwork from Russia and Dutch post-impressionist Vincent Van Gogh.

You might be skeptical of why 3D printing should even factor in this matter, considering that paintings are two-dimensional art, unlike sculptures, which are 3D.

The answer is this: paintings done in oils, and pretty much every other type of color, aren't really perfectly two-dimensional either.

In a way, they are all very, very understated bas-reliefs, like the sculptures often found on walls and the capital of columns.

It's because painters don't just mix colors together to create new nuances, but they add layer after layer to their work until they're satisfied.

Just by sliding your fingertips across the canvas, you can feel exactly where and how the brush stroked against it.

Not that museums will ever actually allow you to come within reaching distance of a masterpiece, especially without a glass case between you and the painting, but you get the drift.

Prixel is now selling 3D printed replicas of 50 paintings, and the collection will only increase as time goes by.

Depending on how much money customers are willing to pay, it can 3D print up to 20 layers in a very wide spectrum of colors.

This must be one of the greatest assets here: full color 3D printing. Only one or two other printers have managed to do this so far, and they had limitations, or didn't have what it took to combine filament into many hues.

Prixel achieved the replicas by means of wide-format ultraviolet printers that read variances in brushstroke nuances like depth, paint color detail and shine. Based on that information, the printers then mimic the original.

All in all, there's definitely reason to at least consider Prixel's offers, even if they aren't flawless copies. They're better than paper-printed ones in any event, and will save you the trouble and financial damage of bidding for a preferred piece at an art auction.

Granted, the replicas will quite obviously be replicas, but not enough to make the paintings seem ugly, just slightly different. And it's a sure thing that Prixel's technique will only improve over time, the same way 3D printing tech in general will only get better from now on.