Definition:

An Artist's Proof is a trial impression taken to evaluate the immediate state of a print. It indicates whether further development is required or that the print is complete. Artist proofs can also be a small group of prints set aside from the edition for the artist's use.

When mechanical printing methods were first introduced, stone tablets and other moderately-durable materials were used to hold impressions of the master image while copying.  As the run ensued, those materials would degrade, leading to distortions in the copies.  The artists would typically pull every 10th print for inspection as a quality control measure.  Those hand-touched “proofs” were typically given to the artist for personal use.  The practice of signing Artist’s Proofs began in the 19th Century.

Tradition recognizes that Artist’s Proofs (typically 10% of the run size) are part of a limited edition experience.  Prints will be marked “A/P”, stating the number and instance of proof.  Tradition also recognizes that in a modern mechanical print environment requiring less quality control, Artist’s Proofs are the first to come off the production run using fresh printing plates, suggesting a higher quality image, and therefore a slightly higher value.  This further suggests a separate commodity market, sometimes boosting print values by 10% to 30%.

Because the artist's works are Digital Originals, it also means that digital printing technology is also used.  Therefore, every copy is exactly the same, implying no real need for mechanical quality control.  Since that means that no mechanical parts degrade during a run, the notion of an Artist’s Proof as a quality control measure or as higher manufacturing quality has no application, and therefore no intrinsic additional value.  The “artificial” commodity market for Artist’s Proofs in the digital world has a fair portion of the art community on edge.  Please take this into account when evaluating any fine art produced using Inkjet or Giclee [zjee’-clay] processes.

Kevin has chosen to stay true to the term “proof” and not leverage tradition as a means for increasing a run size.  His Artist’s Proofs, typically 5 to 20 instances, are actually Developmental Proofs, meaning that he uses them to make small refinements before settling on the actual unaltered limited production run.  Each Developmental Proof is slightly different, meaning that they are truly one of a kind.  If that means a little more to you as a serious collector, then we both come away satisfied.