QUESTION: Would you Buy/Sell Original Art?

Micropayments, Macropayments, Subscriptions, etc.

Moderator: Moderators

Locked
Max Leibman
Consistant Poster
Posts: 127
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2001 7:00 pm
Location: Springfield, Nebraska (USA)
Contact:

Post by Max Leibman »

WEB COMIC READERS: Would you buy original art from the artists behind your favorite web comics? How much would you be willing to pay?

CREATORS: Would you be willing to sell original art from your comic? What would be your minimum asking price?

ANYBODY: Do you know of anyone who has had any luck funding their web comic venture, in part or whole, by selling original art?

The above questions assume the artists are doing hand-drawing and then scanning work into a computer, natch'.

Discuss.

_________________
Peace out,

Max Leibman
<a href="mailto:comicmetaphysic@yahoo.com">comicmetaphysic@yahoo.com</a>

<a href="http://www.geocities.com/comicmetaphysi ... iderata</a> - Comic and associated strangeness posted daily.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Max Leibman on 2001-10-22 11:58 ]</font>
User avatar
Greg Stephens
Forum Founder
Posts: 3862
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2001 7:00 pm
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Contact:

Post by Greg Stephens »

It had always been my plan to sell my original art, but I wanted to wait until I had an audience that was of sufficient size that it wouldn't seem to me like an act of hubris.

People who are selling original art include Scott Kurtz and Barry Smith (though they're both selling sketches that are specially drawn for the buyers) and Scott McCloud will readily admit that his web site was profitable from day one due to the fact that he could sell pages from Zot! and Understanding Comics (of which I purchased a page). John Allison of Bobbins auctions original art in the form of sketches and finished comics (what few he's done recently by hand, since he now works mostly digitally).

I don't think that pure digital creation of art rules out selling the art as limited-edition prints, but it is true enough to say that such things don't have the same one-of-a-kind feeling that would entice a buyer to shell out lots of cash.

Pete Abrams of Sluggy Freelance sells limited-edition prints and original art. His finished comics are pieced together in a digital environment from very disorganized sketches, so the prints and the original art are quite dissimilar.

The boys at Penny-Arcade reward those who donate with an exclusive desktop wallpaper image which changes monthly. Scott McCloud did a similar thing, but to my knowledge, the comic he's offering hasn't changed yet.

As to the question of whether I would buy original webcomic art or not- I've been tempted many a time, but haven't done it yet.
Good morning! That's a nice tnetennba.
Tailsteak
Frequent Poster
Posts: 98
Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2001 7:00 pm
Location: London, Ontario
Contact:

Post by Tailsteak »

Some friends of mine, Adam and Gabriela Fullerton, have been selling their art for years... and now have started up a Keenspace comic, <a href="http://trialsandtrivializations.keenspace.com">Trials & Trivializations</a>. They can now use that comic to advertise for their art business. In their case, of course, the phenomenon is reversed...
glych
Frequent Poster
Posts: 55
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2001 7:00 pm
Location: So' Cal, USA
Contact:

Post by glych »

This year at Comic Con '01, I sold about $200 some odd dollars in originals from No Stereotypes, i didn't plan on it, but I brought them to give away and 1 guy insisted on paying me and it spread from there.

Cool by me, helped pay for things like...um...food and repairs for my car.

-glych
---
"I may not be able to move that rock, but -man- can I make that rock think it's been moved"-Corran Horn, Star Wars

Glych's Experiment
User avatar
Greg Stephens
Forum Founder
Posts: 3862
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2001 7:00 pm
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Contact:

Post by Greg Stephens »

Glych's experience also raises the point that convenience is an issue as well. Selling art in a personal one-on-one environment such as a convention is probably much easier- meaning that a customer might be more willing to part with their money- than selling it online.

But what else is new?
Good morning! That's a nice tnetennba.
glych
Frequent Poster
Posts: 55
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2001 7:00 pm
Location: So' Cal, USA
Contact:

Post by glych »

Well, for one NS is not what I consider my best work, so it's easier to part with it than let's say, <a href="http://nobodystudios.2y.net/glychville/page">this work</a>.

But as for selling other original art, I have an open commision box in my forum and on my site...Anything you want drawn I'll draw....truely being an art whore in that regard, I have set prices.

My "rules" are that you don't pay me until you see some sort of proof of the work (i.e. a scan or photo) and I don't ship it off until the check clears, pay pal clears, or I recieve the money order.

I've made about $75 since I started doing this a month ago...nothing incredible, but more than what I had before doing the work.

-glych
---
"I may not be able to move that rock, but -man- can I make that rock think it's been moved"-Corran Horn, Star Wars

Glych's Experiment
Max Leibman
Consistant Poster
Posts: 127
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2001 7:00 pm
Location: Springfield, Nebraska (USA)
Contact:

Post by Max Leibman »

Damn, Glych, that's some good shit!

I like your storytelling techniques in <i>Coherent Comics</i> -- the tumbling on pages 2 & 3, the face-off on the top half of 4.
Peace out,

Max Leibman

Desiderata - Go. Read. Critique.
Wikkit
Consistant Poster
Posts: 144
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2001 7:00 pm
Location: Iowa
Contact:

Post by Wikkit »

While not strictly a webcomic, <a href="http://www.angryflower.com/">Stephen Notley</a> is doing pre-orders on his new BtAF book, with the promise of drawings or whatever in the books when they arrive. I don't know how that's affected his sales, but he's sold hundreds of copies of a book without the buyers even seeing them.

I'm about to order all three myself.

As for art for sale, I'd buy good original one-of-a-kind item if I liked it. It'd have to be 'real' art though... as much as I like Patrick, I'm not about to buy prints of Triangle and Robert.

I think a good way of going about it would be to draw a few decent sized (a full page ish) objects d'art and post scans online, then offer them for a not-extreme quantity of money ($50?). Once one sells, take it down and put up a new one.

You guys should go on photo.net and read through some of the forum threads. Many people there are pondering how to sell prints of their photos online. Some of the issues are the same.
glych
Frequent Poster
Posts: 55
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2001 7:00 pm
Location: So' Cal, USA
Contact:

Post by glych »

Yeah, Pete Abrams of http://www.sluggy.com sells books of Sluggy Freelance through Plan 9...

but since he's been doing double sized and one page is only 3 hights tall he's been limiting himself a lot!

So when you think about selling original art or prints of art, don't forget which format it's on..that's why book 7 is so slow in coming out, they have to look at it and say "how are we going to print this?"

-glych

_________________
---
<b>God is Love,
Love is Blind,
Ray Charles is blind.
God is Ray Charles!??!</b>
http://glych.keenspace.com

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: glych on 2001-11-01 22:29 ]</font>
Locked