New to OA Collecting, Advice, tips? 9 9

[Rick2you2]

18 hours ago, NC101 said:

Is it recommended to use silica bags or any other desiccant when storing work? If it makes a difference, I have my pages in mylar sleeves with backing boards & microchamber paper, stored in a flat file box.

You have it well protected. As I recall, someone recommended against using silica bags.

[NC101]

I bought a couple of pages from an artist who uses mainly Uni-Pen, but to fill in large areas uses black Sharpie. Does anyone have experience w/ sharpie art and recommendations for storing work that uses Sharpie, any special considerations? Should I expect the ink to fade and/or yellow over time whether or not I hang it up or keep it stored? TIA

Edited February 5, 2020 by NC101

[malvin]

9 hours ago, NC101 said:

I bought a couple of pages from an artist who uses mainly Uni-Pen, but to fill in large areas uses black Sharpie. Does anyone have experience w/ sharpie art and recommendations for storing work that uses Sharpie, any special considerations? Should I expect the ink to fade and/or yellow over time whether or not I hang it up or keep it stored? TIA

yes, in general most sharpies will fade over time.  In general hanging it up will be worse for fading (regardless of whether or not you use UV or museum glass)

Malvin

[RBerman]

I'm having trouble finding the right size media storage for pages. I got an 11x17 Itoya portfolio, and another one that was 13x19, and thought I'd be good. But then I just got three Swamp thing pages that are 13x19.625, and I can't find a portfolio that makes sense for those.

[NC101]

11 hours ago, malvin said:

yes, in general most sharpies will fade over time.  In general hanging it up will be worse for fading (regardless of whether or not you use UV or museum glass)

Malvin

Thanks! I'm thinking I'm gonna make a really high-quality scan of the work, print it and hang that up, and keep the original inks stored. It also came with the pencils on separate sheets, so at least those will last.

[BCarter27]

1 hour ago, RBerman said:

I'm having trouble finding the right size media storage for pages. I got an 11x17 Itoya portfolio, and another one that was 13x19, and thought I'd be good. But then I just got three Swamp thing pages that are 13x19.625, and I can't find a portfolio that makes sense for those.

Check out this post-

https://www.cgccomics.com/boards/topic/461872-need-help-storing-original-art/?do=findComment&comment=10980835

and this one-

https://www.cgccomics.com/boards/topic/412197-mylars-for-oa/?tab=comments#comment-9694622

TL:dr is you can either get a gallery box or one of the 18x24 Itoyas. Good luck!

[NC101]

1 hour ago, RBerman said:

I'm having trouble finding the right size media storage for pages. I got an 11x17 Itoya portfolio, and another one that was 13x19, and thought I'd be good. But then I just got three Swamp thing pages that are 13x19.625, and I can't find a portfolio that makes sense for those.

I've heard others say that it's best to store a size up, ie put 11x17 in 13x19 sleeves, etc., you might want to use the 13x19 for the smaller pages and get another bigger portfolio

[RBerman]

12 hours ago, BCarter27 said:

Check out this post-

https://www.cgccomics.com/boards/topic/461872-need-help-storing-original-art/?do=findComment&comment=10980835

and this one-

https://www.cgccomics.com/boards/topic/412197-mylars-for-oa/?tab=comments#comment-9694622

TL:dr is you can either get a gallery box or one of the 18x24 Itoyas. Good luck!

Thanks. I did see the 18x24 on Amazon but thought, "Wow, that's really big." I guess there's no good intermediate between that and 13x19, which I can still keep on a bookshelf.

[Rick2you2]

On 2/6/2020 at 10:48 AM, NC101 said:

I've heard others say that it's best to store a size up, ie put 11x17 in 13x19 sleeves, etc., you might want to use the 13x19 for the smaller pages and get another bigger portfolio

Instead of placing the art directly in the Itoya, place it first in a Mylar toploader. That is what provides the best protection.
 

With that said, I had kept some art in old plastic and glass frames dating back about 30 years ago, before I knew better, and in the dark. When I found them again, they were in remarkably good shape, with one showing some evidence of where the frame was, and another, on simple paper, showing hardly noticeable evidence of yellowing. Two others still look good. So while I am not advocating sloppy preservation methods, you are not likely to cause any major damage if kept dry and in the dark.

[RBerman]

Is it safe to put a thicker board in a portfolio? I got a painted John Van Fleet page from the Jim Young auction. It's on a much thicker, stiffer board than usual comics, and it has a tracing paper lettering overlay page to boot.

[dichotomy]

Welcome to my hell. After everything, I now own itoyas in practically every size. Please see my Liam Sharp post here (https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1559234) 

I’m also not a fan of the artwork migrating all over the place, as it tends to do in a “size up Itoya” situation. 
This is my own messed up OCD. 
I LOVE artists that use a standard 11x17 size. 

 

I experimented with screwpost binders but they really don’t hinge well. 
 

And then I’ve got some oversized paintings that, if not framed, as practically impossible to store. I’ve had to make some custom enclosures. 
 

Ideally I’d love to be able to make custom sleeves out of 4 mm Mylar, but haven’t figured out how yet. 
 

The Rude is giant. That’s an 18x24 itoya on top for context. 
 

 

[JadeGiant]

19 hours ago, dichotomy said:

Welcome to my hell. After everything, I now own itoyas in practically every size. Please see my Liam Sharp post here (https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1559234) 

I’m also not a fan of the artwork migrating all over the place, as it tends to do in a “size up Itoya” situation. 
This is my own messed up OCD. 
I LOVE artists that use a standard 11x17 size. 

 

I experimented with screwpost binders but they really don’t hinge well. 
 

And then I’ve got some oversized paintings that, if not framed, as practically impossible to store. I’ve had to make some custom enclosures. 
 

Ideally I’d love to be able to make custom sleeves out of 4 mm Mylar, but haven’t figured out how yet. 
 

The Rude is giant. That’s an 18x24 itoya on top for context. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Love the Immortal cover!

[Rick2you2]

On 2/9/2020 at 7:16 PM, dichotomy said:

Ideally I’d love to be able to make custom sleeves out of 4 mm Mylar, but haven’t figured out how yet. 

I expect to be experimenting with that this weekend. It doesn't seem hard.

I bought some sheets, an exacto knife, a long metal straight edge and some rubber cement (which I doubt I will use). The plan is to cut a large sheet in two, place the two halves on top of each other, and then use the straight edge and pencil to mark the dimensions I need for cutting. That way, the two pieces will be exactly the same size. While I have heard that the rubber cement is archival, I think for this purpose that it overdoing it. So, I am simply going to use some blue duct tape I have to bind the two together on three edges. This is for storage, not for public display, so a perfect appearance doesn't really matter to me.

Loose pieces do rattle in oversized Itoya's, but if you put them in sleeves and put that in the Itoya's they don't move much. 

[dichotomy]

31 minutes ago, Rick2you2 said:

I expect to be experimenting with that this weekend. It doesn't seem hard.

I bought some sheets, an exacto knife, a long metal straight edge and some rubber cement (which I doubt I will use). The plan is to cut a large sheet in two, place the two halves on top of each other, and then use the straight edge and pencil to mark the dimensions I need for cutting. That way, the two pieces will be exactly the same size. While I have heard that the rubber cement is archival, I think for this purpose that it overdoing it. So, I am simply going to use some blue duct tape I have to bind the two together on three edges. This is for storage, not for public display, so a perfect appearance doesn't really matter to me.

Loose pieces do rattle in oversized Itoya's, but if you put them in sleeves and put that in the Itoya's they don't move much. 

Please keep me updated. I wonder if once the sleeve is marked out, could one use a soldering iron or something to heat seal the sides shut?

[BCarter27]

On 2/9/2020 at 7:16 PM, dichotomy said:

Ideally I’d love to be able to make custom sleeves out of 4 mm Mylar, but haven’t figured out how yet

They make it in every conceivable size in both pockets and L-enclosures. Check my links above or bagsunlimited. I bet you could even call them for a sample or mix and match.

3 hours ago, dichotomy said:

could one use a soldering iron or something to heat seal the sides shut?

First, locate your local hospital.

[Rick2you2]

6 hours ago, dichotomy said:

Please keep me updated. I wonder if once the sleeve is marked out, could one use a soldering iron or something to heat seal the sides shut?

I figure that tape is on the outside. So, if there are any harmful chemicals in the glue, they would not get inside.
 

I would be concerned about damage the iron could cause to the integrity of the envelope That stuff probably melts and warps pretty easily, I assume, unless it catches fire first.

[dichotomy]

1 hour ago, Rick2you2 said:

I figure that tape is on the outside. So, if there are any harmful chemicals in the glue, they would not get inside.
 

I would be concerned about damage the iron could cause to the integrity of the envelope That stuff probably melts and warps pretty easily, I assume, unless it catches fire first.

If you have a food saver - it’s that kind of heat seal I’m trying to achieve. Doesn’t have to be an iron per se. 

[Taylor G]

On 2/9/2020 at 7:16 PM, dichotomy said:

I’m also not a fan of the artwork migrating all over the place, as it tends to do in a “size up Itoya” situation. 

Use an (archival) backing board, sized for the Mylar sleeve (bagsunlimited has several choices), and use archival mounting corners to mount the artwork to the backing board.  That prevents damage to the art as it moves around in the itoya. 

[RBerman]

If somebody glued Bristol board to something stiffer, is separation a lost cause? Obviously the kind of glue and the kind of backing might change the answer.

[Rick2you2]

6 hours ago, RBerman said:

If somebody glued Bristol board to something stiffer, is separation a lost cause? Obviously the kind of glue and the kind of backing might change the answer.

Let me recommend Robert Dennis, a professional restorer, to ask. My guess is yes it can be done.