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Art Sketch Covers

Getting Sketch/Art covers done?1839

COLLECTOR shrewbeer private msg quote post Address this user
After looking at that sketch thread for a few months, I bought a pile of misc blanks 😁... You guys just get me to spend more money!

Put the cart before the horse though, as I have no idea where to go from here. Not a clue. This is entirely new to me. How does one go about getting them done? I've noticed that some people are ok with any old artist, but I would want it done by someone who has actually drawn that particular character for real published comic books.

Show up to conventions and hope? How do you guys get the commissions done?
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Collector DertyComix private msg quote post Address this user
Some artist do it at the cons, but charge for the art work depending on how detailed you want the art to be. Some artist will have a cut off date on when you can submit the book for cover due to them doing so many in a con and the length it takes do to specific covers.
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Collector ZosoRocks private msg quote post Address this user
Over the 20+ years I've been going to the SDCC, all of my sketches were from there....and I don't recall any that I ever had to actually pay the artist for.

Some of what I have.....
- Mr. Punch - Gaiman
- Sandman - McKean
- Badrock - Liefield
- Wolverine - Panosian
- Monkeyman - Art Adams
- Tucci - Shi

I probably have a few more somewhere. I used to have a Charles Adlard "Mulder and Alien" sketch, but sold it for $7.00. That person got a great deal.

I also sold a Spidey Joe Jusko sketch that wasn't all that great, because I think Jusko made an error with the shading....but that also sold for $7.00.

I think if you ask politely - simple ones are free. When you commission the artist for color and details.....then you are into a cost for the artist to draw.

Tucci I think charged $25.00 for a two or three color sketch....not quite sure.

Good luck.
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Collector DertyComix private msg quote post Address this user
@ZosoRocks I went to the tidewater con in my area last year, and some artist were charging, Joe Rubinstein was asking $150 for a full cover. Cant remember what Jae Lee was asking.
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COLLECTOR DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user
Some artists will take commissions through their websites.
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Collector Revelations private msg quote post Address this user
It depends on the artist you want and if they're available to do it. Adam Hughes charges about 1k, as does Artgerm. I paid $25 for a con sketch from clay Mann of gwenpool. Many artists have websites that you can email to. Jamie Tyndall charges 200 for sketch and ink, then +50 if you want Copic color, +40 for him to send to cgc for verification. Best advice I can give is to stalk them on social media. I use Facebook. They will normally respond to personal messages.

I'm currently waiting on my commissioned art from an artist in South Africa.

I prefer mailing to them than con sketching. If they aren't pressed for time like they are at cons, the work will likely be a lot better.
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COLLECTOR shrewbeer private msg quote post Address this user
Stalk? Ok I'll try it 😁

Thank you all for sharing your various recipes, much appreciated!
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Collector DertyComix private msg quote post Address this user
@Revelations
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Collector ZosoRocks private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by DertyComix
@ZosoRocks I went to the tidewater con in my area last year, and some artist were charging, Joe Rubinstein was asking $150 for a full cover. Cant remember what Jae Lee was asking.


Does he charge to have his name written on a book?
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COLLECTOR dielinfinite private msg quote post Address this user
@shrewbeer If you want more than a free convention sketch, don't get me wrong, some can be very, very good but can also be a bit rehearsed and not unique if they're asked to draw a character they're asked for often



From a published artist, the price can vary significantly. If they're still working for a major publisher then that publisher will be paying them more than you ever can and that work will take priority, if they even have time to spare to take private commissions. While Tucci is fairly affordable at conventions others may charge serious amounts depending on their workload and popularity. Trinity Comics recently announced a sketch opp with Fiona Staples of Saga fame and she was charging $700 for little more than the free convention sketches I posted above






For artists I don't see at cons, I tend to contact them directly theough their website or via email.
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Collector ZosoRocks private msg quote post Address this user
For the Tucci Harley Quinn - I've always wondered what the appeal is for collectors to have an artist draw a sketch for something they may never have had done.

Not to say the Tucci sketch isn't cool....because it is.....IMO - a bit too rough.

Now the Batman and SW sketches.....those are VERY COOL....detailed....and if I understand what you are saying.....probably costed a bit of pocket change, huh?
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COLLECTOR shrewbeer private msg quote post Address this user
@dielinfinite those are some nice books!

Thats what I was thinking, not just simple sketches, and done by someone who has actually done the book character currently or in the past.

Im now thinking I should research each book that I have to see what artists have professionally drawn them, make a list for each book and stalk accordingly 😎

I bought Flash, Wonder W, Wolverine, Hulk, and Supergirl blanks
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COLLECTOR dielinfinite private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZosoRocks
For the Tucci Harley Quinn - I've always wondered what the appeal is for collectors to have an artist draw a sketch for something they may never have had done.


AHEM!





Though for me it's not so much the artist's relationship to the character as it is more a general fit for the artist and the subject matter. When an artist becomes famous for a character a lot of their commissions will be of that character. As a result each one may not feel that special or unique since a hundred other people are asking them to do the same character. Don't get me wrong, there are many artists from whom I want a commission of their trademark character, but if you look at the artist's style and find a subject that they'd be perfect for, that you love, but maybe they (or anyone) hasn't done too often, it makes the piece feel more unique and special, at least to me.

Tucci is really into WWII history and even did Sgt. Rock for DC (and loves Harley; he has some prints of her for sale) so when I spoke to him about getting the Harley done he told me how he was lamenting not having had the opportunity to do the DC Bombshells in an official capacity, in part because he loves the character but also loves the connection to WWII. Yeah this sketch is rougher than the other two but it was done at a convention and cost about half of what Jae's Vader cost me and the one by Clayton Crain cost about as much as the other two combined.

I don't know if Jae's ever drawn Star Wars but in that case I showed him some blanks and asked him what he was most inspired to draw at the time. He chose the Star Wars book which I was leaning towards myself because I saw that he was doing his commissions with brush and black ink and felt that it would look amazing to see an all-black character like Vader done in his style and medium.

I've long felt that Mask of the Phantasm is one of the best Batman films ever made and the Phantasm was an excellent addition to the mythos but isn't often seen in commissions. I chose Clayton Crain for that one because seeing his work on Ghost Rider, I felt a lot of those elements would lend themselves to a fascinating new interpretation of the character and I wasn't wrong.


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COLLECTOR shrewbeer private msg quote post Address this user
Ok now youve got me going down quite the rabbit hole 😳

This should be some fun
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Collector Millvilleresident private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by shrewbeer
Ok now youve got me going down quite the rabbit hole 😳

This should be some fun


It's a fun and expensive journey. I had no original art and didn't care for signatures but after going to Wizard World Vegas in 2015 and getting two jam covers done up from Mike Zeck, Michael Golden and Ethan Van Sciver with Clay Mann, I am addicted. Lol

I now have 81 in my collection with another 15 on the way...... My wallet feels sad.
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I live in RI and Rhode Islanders eat chili with beans. esaravo private msg quote post Address this user
@shrewbeer - at RI Comic Con I met a sketch artist just about an hour before the end of the convention. He had some work out and while talking to him, I found out he lives like ten minutes from me in RI. He didn't have enough time to do a sketch cover for me right then, but I got his card and I have been meaning to get him to do a cover for me. His rates seemed pretty reasonable.
You can see his work at: www.garydeslauriers.com
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Collector ZosoRocks private msg quote post Address this user
Okay...that is some great art.....I'm no where near to having that capacity as I didn't push for a doodle here and there for my own personal look....but i can see how the $$$ could stack up...was way out of my budget.

Here is the much simpler...Badrock....funny thing about this one, I pulled it off the wall and found a Prophet #5 signed by Midfield and Splatt. Hmmm...forgot about that one, Looks to be about a 9.0...maybe.

I do like the look Rob did add to this one....kept it "real"....


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Collector ZosoRocks private msg quote post Address this user
Liefield and Splatt....aorry
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I had no way of knowing that 9.8 graded copies signed by Adam Hughes weren't what you were looking for. drchaos private msg quote post Address this user
One year I went to New York Comic Con wanting to get sketches from big name artists until I found out what they charged.

More recently students and instructors from the Joe Kubert school have been doing sketches at local comic stores and cons. Now I think I am up to about 40 sketch covers.
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