Commissioned Artwork
Thank you for thinking of me to make a custom piece of original artwork for you! Let me explain how I work, and what my availability is.
I make my drawings the "good old-fashioned way", the same way DC & Marvel comics were produced all through the silver & bronze age of comics. That means I pencil and ink them by hand. (I'll get to how I color them in a minute). I generally work at an 8½" x 11" size, on high-quality bristol archival paper. Also, I don't just do "comics style" artwork; some people want me to make a classical-style figure drawing for them, often just in pencil.
When it comes to color, I color my work in Photoshop, (using the same method DC & Marvel have been coloring their comics with for the past 30+ years). You may be wondering if I ever hand-color my work. The answer is...sometimes. But I prefer not to. Why? I'll get into that below.
- The original black & white artwork, fully inked, on heavyweight archival bristol paper.
- A high-quality print on archival card stock of the inked drawing, fully-colored.
- A high-quality print on archival card stock of the inked drawing, fully-colored, with background added.
- A high-quality print on archival card stock of the penciled drawing, before it was inked
- This is all sent to you by USPS Priority Mail, padded envelope, which I've found to be the safest, most secure, and quickest way for you to receive the artwork!
- And also, a digital file optimized for web viewing, (sent to you by e-mail), that you can post on social media or elsewhere to show it off!
- (Please note that my commissioned work is for your personal enjoyment only...not to be duplicated or used on any sort of merchandise, like t-shirts, mugs, prints, etc).
Of course, you may not be looking to have your work colored at all. As I mentioned, some folks hire me to do a penciled piece of art; others may want it penciled and inked, but not colored. And then some want the full color treatment. (This is what I do most often, but really...it's up to you which format you prefer).
So, here's how it works: you contact me with your commission request. I let you know my availability, and whether I think I'm a good fit for your project. Depending on my current schedule, I may already have several commissioned projects lined up, so I will reserve a place for you on the waiting list if that is the case. (This is why I always recommend, if you're interested in having me do a piece of artwork for you, contact me ASAP. That way, I can reserve you a place on the waiting list. As opposed to you contacting me a week before you need a piece done!).
When you have me draw a piece of artwork for you, and you want the full color treatment, here is what you will get:
What about hand-coloring? I am aware that some other comics artists hand-color their commissioned work. And some of it that I've seen is quite lovely. I have done this in the past, and I still occasionally do it. But I have several reasons why I don't like to do it:
1. Most, if not all comics artist who hand-color their commissioned work use markers, (Copic brand or other brands). I have used these, and, unfortunately, have always found that they end up smudging the black ink lines of the artwork. Thus leaving a rather messy looking finished product. So much so, that it essentially ruins the inked artwork underneath. And, yes, I've tried using various different inks to get around this problem, as well as spoken to other artists who use these markers, and also done a lot of research in artist forums on Reddit and elsewhere. And, essentially, I have yet to find a solution for this problem.
2. Even on the rare occasions I have achieved a smudge-free coloring of an inked piece of artwork, I still think that the quality of the coloring pales in comparison to the coloring quality I can achieve in Photoshop. Look at the two pieces on the left, one hand-colored with markers, the other colored with Photoshop. Can you notice the quality difference? There's a reason why DC & Marvel color their comics in Photoshop, and not by hand!
3. I grew up on DC & Marvel comic books. I have huge admiration for the artwork produced by the many artists who have worked for them, (I even worked for them for about five seconds). But virtually all of that artwork was produced in black & white, penciled and then inked. Even before Photoshop and modern color techniques existed, the color was never applied to the original artwork, (it was done on separate acetate sheets and then incorporated during the printing process). The original, black & white inked artwork remained in black & white, (which is what collectors of original comic book art collect!). When Photoshop arrived in the 1990s, it made the coloring process easier, (and higher quality). This is why the idea of applying color to the actual original artwork seems foreign to me. It's ingrained in me that the original art remain black & white and pristine. But that's just me. Perhaps you feel that way, too!
With all that said, I still get requests from some folks who really want me to do some hand coloring for them! I've found a way to compromise: if I get a high quality black & white print made of the original inked artwork, on archival card stock, I can hand-color that without the worry of ink-smudging. So, that is one way I can do hand-coloring, (for an additional fee), in addition to the Photoshop coloring I regularly do.
Speaking of fees...what are my prices for commissioned work? Please send me an e-mail at the address below, letting me know your idea for a commission request. I'll get back to you asap with my thoughts and how much it would cost. Thank you so much, again, for your interest! 🦊
