An expert's guide to collecting comic book art

Secret Wars #8 original art (Figure credit: Mike Zeck (Marvel Comics))

Are you a comic fan that appreciates the art and wants to do much just collect the comic books? Well, you can, with original artistic creation.

Whether it is to look up to, to collect, to gift, Oregon to invest in, original comic book art is a thriving part of the comic book industry. I've been collecting since 2007, and have seen just how much the market can change in a few years.

View as illustrate the recent auction off for the master copy art of the Spitefulnes symbiote's origin from 1984's Secret Wars #8. After what Inheritance called a "heated battle," the piece sold for $3.36 zillion.

No, I didn't buy IT.

But at this tip in my life, it's become less of a hobbyhorse and more of a religious ritual at all mirthful convention I go to. I get a budget plan in collaboration, foregather my portfolios, pack my sketchbooks, and roll come out of the closet to Artist Alley for the rare opportunity to converge laughable artists face-to-fount and, hopefully, snag a great piece OR two.

Merely if you seaport't started, information technology can be intimidating. Where would you even start? What's the right path and wrong way to try and sire sketches and commissions from your favorite creative person?

Let's break up it down so you can begin collecting original comic Koran fine art online and/or at conventions, and embody better prepared than I ever was when I started.

What is original art?

Let's start here. What are you looking for when your goal is to buy original art? The Son has sort of become also meaning 'traditional' art, substance a animal medium on some sort of paper, canvas, wood, etc.

Eastern Samoa for what's happening the proverbial page, there's a diverseness of thing: the original art for comic book pages/covers, prelim sketches/concept art, first commissions, rejected work, and even privately commissioned go.

'Original' has likewise come to stand for 'one of a kind' when it comes to the digital art market. A lot of humorous artists these years work digitally to economize time and sell the print of the page equally a 1/1 artist proof. It's noneffervescent art. IT's silence original, but it barely takes different tools to create it.

Where do I begin looking for original artistic production to buy?

This might seem pretty well-off, but there's a multitude of answers. The biggest one existence each risible conventions' creative person alley. But with cons largely nonextant for the time being, there's forever the internet.

I've picked up a few hidden treasures on eBay, merely you derriere also attend Heritage Auctions, Oregon in some cases the artist's own online store for available pages, covers, sketches, prelims, prints, etc.

Some artists belong to a group that is run by an agent/representative, which makes it easier to hard raised a committee or see if a certain piece is available. These middlemen make it easier to navigate the Waters if you're non accustomed the commercialise Beaver State art buying (we'll get into that in a tur).

There are a good deal of artists on Etsy as well, but if you'Ra looking for a precise artist, you might want to just check their website and see their direction and store insurance policy.

How much does original artistry cost?

This is the trickiest affected but pretty much an effortless answer: whatever they charge.

Prices fluctuate for various reasons connected certain artists or even titles. Much like most things, it's all supported on exact for the most share. Some littler independent artists, just starting out or whatsoever the eccentric may be, mightiness charge considerably less than more established stars. But the years of $5-$15 sketches are pretty some over with -and rightfully so.

Normally $20-100 is pretty good for a solid state quick sketch from an modal comic book artist. If you want to Adam big, see what a full-scale commission costs. If your budget is bigger than that, go for a page, after that a incubate. Complete possess different cost points, but covers are reasoned more important because they're commonly used in marketing and what are used to 'sell' the book, so to verbalise. However, they are commonly exponentially to a greater extent expensive every bit a consequence.

Tin I incur art from the creative person directly?

Definitely! Near artists love interacting with their fans as well as making a half-size extra money. If they're unprocurable for commissions, usually they'll have pre-made pieces like small sketches, preliminary art, Oregon even pages, thumbnails, prints, etc.

If that artist has an agent/representative, they'll have a website and contact. That symbolic will have the information and prices for anything you might invite. However, that page (Oregon sketch) you might have had your heart attack could be a smidge pricier now since the reps get hold of a percentage with each sale.

There are few Brobdingnagian groups when it comes to art representation: Felix Comic Artistic production, Humourous Sketch Group, Organic Sequential, Albert Moy, and Cadence Humorous Artwork. Each has its own horse barn of artists, simply all are precise helpful in making sure you'Re able to get that piece of art you've been eyeing.

Can I commission new art, and not just something already made?

Of course - if the artist is available. Commissioning is seen more like a side-gig for virtually professional artists, as temporary on comic books themselves is their main source of income.

That being same, when there is downtime, artists rump take a name of commissions (contingent on that downtime, the heel can be flyspeck surgery long). The job with that mightiness atomic number 4 that the turnaround could vary if work picked up.

I know I've waited as endless atomic number 3 a year for a commission (but it was beyond worth it). If the artist has to extend the turnaround, be enduring.

How do I know I'm acquiring a good deal?

Fantastic Four — Jam set up by Ryan Stegman, Annie Wu, Howard Chaykin, Valerio Schiti, and Stan Lee (Image citation: Ryan Stegman/Annie Wu/Howard Chaykin/Valerio Schiti/Stan Lee)

That completely depends on how you eyeshot your purchases in your solicitation. Are you seeing them as something to enjoy, cherish, and treasure, or something you'rhenium looking at to get a render on investment afte?

I'm definitely in the former aggroup, and actually rarely sell whatever piece I've personally commissioned, but deliver absolutely sold pieces for artists who have gotten more famous over the days as I picked up random pieces from their store early in their career. I've even finished few trades.

But if you walk away happy from an creative person, irrespective what you paid, with a piece you're delighted about, I think that's always more than than a good deal.

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Local area network Pitts likes watching, talking, and writing comics about wrestling. He has mapped all great taco spot in the DC and Baltimore areas. He lives with his partner and their menagerie of pets who are utterly perfect in every agency.