My first PSC

ekalb · Oct 16, 2013

Got my first PSC in the mail today. Harley Quinn by Emily Riggsby. Very, very happy with the way it turned out. Emily was very easy to deal with and very quick also. I would highly recommend Emily if anyone is after a PSC. Emily's prices are very good too.

Here is a scan of the PSC:

And this is her Deviant page for anyone that may be interested:

http://poochums.deviantart.com/

AusRam · Oct 17, 2013

Awesome work...really cute!

I don't really know the Harley Quinn chracter but see her in sketches a lot and gather she's a toying, mischievious kind of character, so the facial expression in this is perfect!

I can see approaching some of my favorite artists down the track now that I seem to be developing a few faves. But the terrible stories you hear about people waiting years and years worries me. Probably the bad minority (like all things in life) but you'd think these artists would just get things done to save their reputations....

Might be an idea to start a sticky thread for commissions on here that gives us all feedback about artists ?? Maybe out of 5 ratings for speed, price, communications, end result, overall experience etc ? Any other suggestions ?
(And no I haven't forgotten about the sig ID thread I suggested a while back - I'm working on it !!)

ekalb · Oct 17, 2013

AusRam said:
Awesome work...really cute!

I don't really know the Harley Quinn chracter but see her in sketches a lot and gather she's a toying, mischievious kind of character, so the facial expression in this is perfect!

I can see approaching some of my favorite artists down the track now that I seem to be developing a few faves. But the terrible stories you hear about people waiting years and years worries me. Probably the bad minority (like all things in life) but you'd think these artists would just get things done to save their reputations....

Might be an idea to start a sticky thread for commissions on here that gives us all feedback about artists ?? Maybe out of 5 ratings for speed, price, communications, end result, overall experience etc ? Any other suggestions ?
(And no I haven't forgotten about the sig ID thread I suggested a while back - I'm working on it !!)

Great idea! There is one on BO that I found really helpful:
http://www.blowoutcards.com/forums/...ch-commission-feedback-thread-ap-ae-pscs.html

I contacted Emily on the October 3rd and she sent me a picture of the PSC on the October 5th so was pretty quick turnaround! Even the delivery time from the States (at just over 10 days) seems a lot quicker than most of my ebay purchases!

ekalb · Oct 17, 2013

I will add too, I have found a lot of these artists SPC prices are very good compared to what some of the licensed sketch cards sell for. I have two more artists working on a couple more for me and the most I have paid incl Delivery has been $25 (this PSC from Emily and another from Tim Procter).

AusRam · Oct 17, 2013

ekalb said:
I will add too, I have found a lot of these artists SPC prices are very good compared to what some of the licensed sketch cards sell for. I have two more artists working on a couple more for me and the most I have paid incl Delivery has been $25 (this PSC from Emily and another from Tim Procter).

Yeah they're great deals. Compared to official release or AP's that can work out be expensive. I had one artist ask for $100 up front to do a one character AP, $15 to add a second character... while I've bought nice AP's (not of my own request admittedly) of the same subjects by artists I probably prefer more for less than $50 ! Don't mind paying for good work, but think they need to work a bit with their customers...

ekalb · Oct 17, 2013

AusRam said:
Yeah they're great deals. Compared to official release or AP's that can work out be expensive. I had one artist ask for $100 up front to do a one character AP, $15 to add a second character... while I've bought nice AP's (not of my own request admittedly) of the same subjects by artists I probably prefer more for less than $50 ! Don't mind paying for good work, but think they need to work a bit with their customers...

Absolutely. I understand they need to accomodate for their time, materials etc but they need to be realistic on their pricing too. The couple I have looked into were basic single character type scenarios and I am happy to pay $25 for a nice little piece of artwork for that. But when some people are wanting $100+ for a similar amount of work I steer clear. If it was a full action piece for more than one character I might consider it, but not for something like this one I have.

I would recommend checking out that BO Feedback page if you (or anyone else for that matter!) is looking at getting a PSC done. It is very nicely set up with a Feedback Summary on the first page with each piece '+' or '-' feedback then linked back to each thread post.

The other artist I am currently working on getting a piece from (other than Proctor) is Gregory Woronchak. He completed the piece in less than a week also and his prices were even cheaper. Just waiting on it to arrive currently.

Cat · Oct 17, 2013

Sweet sketch! Love the detail on it and background.

ekalb said:
I would recommend checking out that BO Feedback page if you (or anyone else for that matter!) is looking at getting a PSC done. It is very nicely set up with a Feedback Summary on the first page with each piece '+' or '-' feedback then linked back to each thread post.

Yeah, that thread is extremely useful! I always check there before I commission someone to see if they have any feedback. With most artists asking you to pay up front, it's a good resource to have.

ekalb · Oct 18, 2013

Cat said:
Sweet sketch! Love the detail on it and background.

It looks even better in person too. Blows my mind how good some people can draw/sketch/whatever you want to call it! I think I will be have to be getting at least another from Emily some time soon.

Cat said:
Yeah, that thread is extremely useful! I always check there before I commission someone to see if they have any feedback. With most artists asking you to pay up front, it's a good resource to have.

Yeah so far of my 3 PSC I have paid for, 2 I had to pay for prior to the sketch being completed. If it wasn't for that thread I would be very skeptical!

ekalb · Oct 19, 2013

Not a PSC, but an original sketch by Sol Mohamed I couldn't resist picking up for the price from one of my favourite movies of all time, The Crow.

ekalb · Nov 4, 2013

I had another PSC commission arrive recently. This time a Deadpool by Gregory Woronchak. Another artist that was very easy to deal with and had the commission finished and posted pretty quick too. I didn't have to pay for this one until after I had seen it, but was very pleased with the results from Greg and his charges were very cheap too ($14 dlvd to here in NZ). This was drawn on what looks like a decoy that Panini, Topps etc use but it doesn't bother me at all (in case anyone is interested in knowing!)

juddcollector · Dec 23, 2013

How can you tell between a good sketch artist and a bad one, obviously through some of their drawings, but how do you know how much you should pay for one?

Cat · Dec 23, 2013

juddcollector said:
How can you tell between a good sketch artist and a bad one, obviously through some of their drawings, but how do you know how much you should pay for one?

It's difficult to say. For me personally, I consider the quality of the work in relation to the price and I also have a look on ebay to see what their sketches from official sets they have done sell for. I also have a think about how long the sketch will take the artist to do. Some sketches may take a lot longer (for example if they are painted) and in that circumstance I think it's fair to compensate the artist more.

juddcollector · Dec 23, 2013

Does deviantArt have some sort of list?

AusRam · Dec 24, 2013

juddcollector said:
Does deviantArt have some sort of list?

Scoundrel might be an easier place to see the various artists work on different sets, as a lot preview their work on there - and there's people posting breaks etc -

http://www.scoundrelpublishing.com/spart2/index.php

ekalb · Dec 24, 2013

juddcollector said:
How can you tell between a good sketch artist and a bad one, obviously through some of their drawings, but how do you know how much you should pay for one?

I think it is entirely personal being that sketch cards are a type of artwork.

Here is a good thread on BO that has a bunch of sketch artists showcasing their work and where the best place to contact them is.

http://www.blowoutcards.com/forums/non-sports/626142-sketch-artist-directory-sample-gallery.html

juddcollector · Dec 24, 2013

ekalb said:
I think it is entirely personal being that sketch cards are a type of artwork.

Here is a good thread on BO that has a bunch of sketch artists showcasing their work and where the best place to contact them is.

http://www.blowoutcards.com/forums/non-sports/626142-sketch-artist-directory-sample-gallery.html

Now this site has made very hard to pick- there is far too many good artists to choose from

AusRam · Dec 24, 2013

I think we all get drawn to certain artists for different reasons... If I pull a nice sketch, even if it's not a valuable one, I'm often driven to find others by that artist. Ashleigh Popplewell was one of the first decent sketches I pulled and since I've collected a number of hers and just bought some AP's she was selling cheap on ebay, so looking forward to seeing them when they arrive.

I was going to list my favorite artists, but the list was way too long ! And there's nothing that says that valuable cards are more enjoyable. I've been haunted in my breaks by Mauro Fodra, his art is nice, but doesn't gather much attention or value...but I'm seeing improvement in each release, so much so I actually bought one of his off ebay for my character PC...a total steal for $17 US !!

I also appreciate it when the artist goes to the effort of making the card the best that they can do, no matter how evolved their skills. On any day you can give me a $25 full colour sketch with background by a nobody over a pencil sketch by a bigger name that might draw 4 times as much value.

Not sure how others think, would be interested to hear, but I work on the principle that the average sketch from a $60-80 box has a value of about $30 or so. Looking through my breaks and there's probably only a couple that I think are blatantly worth less than that, and the majority would be slightly more with only a few real standouts. The high value cards are rare, but I've been lucky to pull a couple. Product also plays a role, Star Wars stuff for example has been pretty bad to me, with only one sketch of three breaks really being up to par.

Anyway, in the end, it's up to you and what you like. Watch other peoples breaks, scan the forums and you'll start to build up a like for certain artists I'm sure.

Oh and nothing beats the thrill of the chase to find that really nice piece, but then again, I think I'm pretty much box break crazy these days...LOL! Stay tuned all, big breakage coming tomorrow !!

ekalb · Dec 24, 2013

AusRam said:
I think we all get drawn to certain artists for different reasons... If I pull a nice sketch, even if it's not a valuable one, I'm often driven to find others by that artist. Ashleigh Popplewell was one of the first decent sketches I pulled and since I've collected a number of hers and just bought some AP's she was selling cheap on ebay, so looking forward to seeing them when they arrive.

I was going to list my favorite artists, but the list was way too long ! And there's nothing that says that valuable cards are more enjoyable. I've been haunted in my breaks by Mauro Fodra, his art is nice, but doesn't gather much attention or value...but I'm seeing improvement in each release, so much so I actually bought one of his off ebay for my character PC...a total steal for $17 US !!

I also appreciate it when the artist goes to the effort of making the card the best that they can do, no matter how evolved their skills. On any day you can give me a $25 full colour sketch with background by a nobody over a pencil sketch by a bigger name that might draw 4 times as much value.

Not sure how others think, would be interested to hear, but I work on the principle that the average sketch from a $60-80 box has a value of about $30 or so. Looking through my breaks and there's probably only a couple that I think are blatantly worth less than that, and the majority would be slightly more with only a few real standouts. The high value cards are rare, but I've been lucky to pull a couple. Product also plays a role, Star Wars stuff for example has been pretty bad to me, with only one sketch of three breaks really being up to par.

Anyway, in the end, it's up to you and what you like. Watch other peoples breaks, scan the forums and you'll start to build up a like for certain artists I'm sure.

Oh and nothing beats the thrill of the chase to find that really nice piece, but then again, I think I'm pretty much box break crazy these days...LOL! Stay tuned all, big breakage coming tomorrow !!

Completely agree Trevor, especially the "I work on the principle that the average sketch from a $60-80 box has a value of about $30 or so." I think this was one of the reasons I like Batman Legends so much. For a box that sells for $30-$40 you get a sketch (sometimes two even) that will pretty much sell for $20-$30 minimum. There are very few around that I would be disappointed in pulling (I think I have seen 2 total!) and there is some amazing masterpieces to be pulled from some big name artists like the Glebes and Charles Hall.

I have found there is not one particular style of sketch cards I have been drawn too at all. I have seen some beautiful painted pieces I loved (and some I wasn't to big of a fan off!) and have seen some really cool "sketch" style pieces I loved also (like this Charles Hall from a Batman Legend break on BO: http://www.blowoutcards.com/forums/...2418-1-good-but-disappointing-batman-box.html). Another example, I really like the sketches from MAI by Sian Mandrake (obviously I am one of the few because some a lot of these sell really cheap!) and in general Joel Gomez sketches, yet both have very different looks about them...

(Mandrake on the left)

Gomez from Iron Man

Most of all though I have found myself more drawn to the characters and/or subjects that interest me: Harley Quinn, Iceman, Deadpool and Mars Attacks for example.

juddcollector · Dec 24, 2013

The serious sketch cards are GoT as it's reported that there are only 70 done for the series and I have only seen 2

Cat · Dec 24, 2013

AusRam said:
I think we all get drawn to certain artists for different reasons... If I pull a nice sketch, even if it's not a valuable one, I'm often driven to find others by that artist. Ashleigh Popplewell was one of the first decent sketches I pulled and since I've collected a number of hers and just bought some AP's she was selling cheap on ebay, so looking forward to seeing them when they arrive.

I was going to list my favorite artists, but the list was way too long ! And there's nothing that says that valuable cards are more enjoyable. I've been haunted in my breaks by Mauro Fodra, his art is nice, but doesn't gather much attention or value...but I'm seeing improvement in each release, so much so I actually bought one of his off ebay for my character PC...a total steal for $17 US !!

I also appreciate it when the artist goes to the effort of making the card the best that they can do, no matter how evolved their skills. On any day you can give me a $25 full colour sketch with background by a nobody over a pencil sketch by a bigger name that might draw 4 times as much value.

Not sure how others think, would be interested to hear, but I work on the principle that the average sketch from a $60-80 box has a value of about $30 or so. Looking through my breaks and there's probably only a couple that I think are blatantly worth less than that, and the majority would be slightly more with only a few real standouts. The high value cards are rare, but I've been lucky to pull a couple. Product also plays a role, Star Wars stuff for example has been pretty bad to me, with only one sketch of three breaks really being up to par.

Anyway, in the end, it's up to you and what you like. Watch other peoples breaks, scan the forums and you'll start to build up a like for certain artists I'm sure.

Oh and nothing beats the thrill of the chase to find that really nice piece, but then again, I think I'm pretty much box break crazy these days...LOL! Stay tuned all, big breakage coming tomorrow !!

Mauro Fodra does a lot of sketches for each release so I've always thought that's why his work is lower in value, because the supply is greater than the demand. I think he draws an amazing Hulk though! I've been looking to buy one by him. Jomar Bulda is another artist that I am surprised by how low his cards sell for. I think it must also be because he does a lot of them.

I agree with your valuation of sketches from $60-$80 boxes for sure. It's hard to pull a sketch which covers the cost of the box. That's probably why I only break boxes for the enjoyment of the break. Although, most of my money nowadays goes to buying sketches I want directly from ebay etc. I've been able to pick up way more sketches that I like than I would have if I was breaking cases. Probably because I'm super fussy with sketches!

My first PSC

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