wincen Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 Hi All Just wondering if anyone has ever done anything to their original art pieces? Two things have crossed my mind. Firstly, I have a few second hand commissions personalized to other people and I have thought I could whiten out the names. And secondly, I have some original art pages which for some reason are a little too wide to fit into my Itoya 11 by 17 folios and I've thought about shaving a small thin piece to fit them in (obviously without touching any art etc). Anyone thought the same or even done something like that? Any strong views/ideas..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malvin Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 36 minutes ago, wincen said: Hi All Just wondering if anyone has ever done anything to their original art pieces? Two things have crossed my mind. Firstly, I have a few second hand commissions personalized to other people and I have thought I could whiten out the names. And secondly, I have some original art pages which for some reason are a little too wide to fit into my Itoya 11 by 17 folios and I've thought about shaving a small thin piece to fit them in (obviously without touching any art etc). Anyone thought the same or even done something like that? Any strong views/ideas..? I have never altered original art, but like you, the thought of shaving a bit outside the art area has crossed my mind. For dedications, I have not whited it out myself, but I have asked the original artists to do it before. Malvin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick2you2 Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 Related question. There is a piece I have been interested in for quite some time, and it has been pencilled and inked. I was thinking of asking the artist if he could modify it. Is that even possible, except with a paste-up to cover a bit of the original? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCarter27 Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 1 hour ago, wincen said: Itoya 11 by 17 folios It's all about the 13 x 19 size. Plus you can put con prints in there. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=itoya+13x19+profolio&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_sop=15&_osacat=0&_odkw=itoya+13x19 I also have a few 14x17. 11x17 is just too tight. alxjhnsn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dichotomy Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 For a commission I understand wanting to white out a name - it almost becomes a consideration for me when I am buying the piece. If you want to display, perhaps some creative framing/mat options? Use archival tape on tape something over? That will definitely be safer than whiteout and the same level of obstructiveness. All the art I bought for the first couple years fit into the 13x19 itoya nicely, and I had one 13x21 piece that was just floating, driving me crazy - I decided to shave it. Relatively nominal value, crisp board in good condition. The very next day after I cut it I received 2 pages in the mail that were both too big for the 13x19. So then I ordered a 17 x 22. I kid you not - THE DAY that portfolio arrived I received a Liam Sharp page that was 18x22... now I have a 18x24 portfolio with one damn piece in it... I guess I’d rather just not shave/cut. I’ve got some older pieces with stats and word panels with the glue starting to dry out. I could easily fix it myself with archival adhesive, and probably will. At the end of the day, it’s your artwork. Untampered artwork, with very few exceptions, always be more valuable than artwork that has been changed in any way whatsoever. My 2 cents alxjhnsn and Shepherd 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dichotomy Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 Also, I do rely on Heritage’s description of a piece when bidding/deciding to bid. What separates excellent from very good to good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagnusX Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 This piece is not mine (I wish) but I REALLY LOVE the cover. What it kills me is that the cover and back cover are done in a single page. I am not going to buy it (out my price range) but if I did I will love to cut it and separate the back cover... ▫️ and timguerrero 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wincen Posted July 28, 2019 Author Share Posted July 28, 2019 Hi all Thanks for your thoughts. I think yes if I could get the artist to alter that would be best but unfortunately highly unlikely from where I am. I like the idea of archival tape - reminded me another of my pieces has that presumably put on by the artist. Re: the foilos, I have a 14 by 17 too - but I just don't like there being too much excess, it's just a bit too annoying...! So I may decide to shave ... at least my least expensive one first! But Magnus, I think your idea would be a bit too far for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drewsky Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 Do NOT cut the published art!!!! Just buy bigger bags or a new portfolio. If you ever sell, you will need to mention that you cut it and many will not buy it because of that. Anything that you do is amateur restoration and will degrade the value. Xenosmilus, timguerrero and alxjhnsn 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Peck Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 I dont cut the edges of artwork though I have reattached word ballons that have fallen off and have recreated missing words balloons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malvin Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 3 hours ago, dichotomy said: Also, I do rely on Heritage’s description of a piece when bidding/deciding to bid. What separates excellent from very good to good? Ha descriptions match comic grading, so good is actually not great, since that's a very low grade Malvin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokartman Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 2 hours ago, wincen said: Hi all Thanks for your thoughts. I think yes if I could get the artist to alter that would be best but unfortunately highly unlikely from where I am. I like the idea of archival tape - reminded me another of my pieces has that presumably put on by the artist. Re: the foilos, I have a 14 by 17 too - but I just don't like there being too much excess, it's just a bit too annoying...! So I may decide to shave ... at least my least expensive one first! But Magnus, I think your idea would be a bit too far for me! I have done amateur reconstructions and replacements of what, at the time, were modest pieces of original comic book art. Most is gone now to new collectors. The latest news is to keep it as found with as much provenance as possible. Best, David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theflashunc Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 Always easier at resale to flag for someone it's a weird size rather than explain that it was a weird size but you couldn't be bothered to buy the proper portfolio for storage and instead you cut it down to something you liked. Taylor G and Twanj 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tth2 Posted July 29, 2019 Share Posted July 29, 2019 I've heard that getting a lot of people to sign on a piece of OA art is really popular. Does that count as "alteration"? timguerrero 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alxjhnsn Posted July 29, 2019 Share Posted July 29, 2019 I've had some restoration done, e.g., on my 1 page Sugar and Spike story. Click that link and you can see the before and after. I was concerned about the rubber cement on the word balloons and general stability. I think it helped. Beyond that type of thing, nope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquareChaos Posted July 29, 2019 Share Posted July 29, 2019 Speaking of published art only... a few of the artists I purchase from sign their work prior to shipping - I'd rather they didn't do so as it wasn't published with a signature to begin with. I wouldn't modify anything myself if I could help it, certainly not if another solution is so simple as to buy another portfolio. timguerrero 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grapeape Posted July 29, 2019 Share Posted July 29, 2019 I will never in anyway or any reason cut, trim, alter a piece of art. A professionally restored stat, maybe even removal of mold or warped pages, tape etc. legit as long as disclosed. When you buy a drawing dedicated to Tom and your name is Nick, change your name to Nick otherwise leave it alone. I saw a magnificent drawing where the black and white image was left alone but the name dedicated was darkened out with a solid block of black marker. Bad look. Buy a larger portfolio to suit all possibilities. I would not recommend white out, or trimming. On a DPS or wrap around cover I would not cut/separate the pieces. Brian Peck and I are in agreement on word balloons. I've never done it but I know a collector that recreated word balloons having professional copies of the comic made, cutting them out and gluing them to there proper place on the art. He researched the type of adhesive that would have been used for the time period and used that. Grading condition of art. Here is the only grade I have ever acknowledged concerning a piece of art. Grade= ONE OF A KIND, THE ONE AND ONLY The rest is rubbish. Don't get me wrong beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In comics I knew guys that would not buy them if they had any writing on the cover marking arrival to the comic shops. Others accepted them and it had no effect on how they graded. There's simply no such thing as a very good piece of art or a fair piece of art. Descriptions are fine as the imperfections that come with something that was meant to be discarded help a person fully know what they are getting. I remember someone telling me, maybe John Romita? that the artists would put their coffee cups on the pages they were working on. I accept the art just the way it comes. BuraddoRun and timguerrero 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stinkininkin Posted July 29, 2019 Share Posted July 29, 2019 (edited) 12 hours ago, SquareChaos said: Speaking of published art only... a few of the artists I purchase from sign their work prior to shipping - I'd rather they didn't do so as it wasn't published with a signature to begin with. I wouldn't modify anything myself if I could help it, certainly not if another solution is so simple as to buy another portfolio. Different strokes I guess. I've had numerous occasions when my art rep Albert Moy has told me that he can't sell the original until it's signed. He's had customers where a condition of sale is a separate signature. This includes COVERS which are ALREADY SIGNED in the field of art and published with said signature showing! Essentially, the cover art now has TWO signatures. I know. I just scratch my head and sign the art. Edited July 29, 2019 by stinkininkin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dichotomy Posted July 29, 2019 Share Posted July 29, 2019 10 minutes ago, stinkininkin said: Different strokes I guess. I've had numerous occasions when my art rep Albert Moy has told me that he can't sell the original until it's signed. He's had customers where a condition of sale is a separate signature. This includes COVERS which are ALREADY SIGNED in the field of art and published with said signature showing! Essentially, the cover art now has TWO signatures. I know. I just scratch my head and sign the art. Perhaps this explains why I’ve got a few pieces with 2 signatures. I always wondered about that. timguerrero 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilipB2k17 Posted July 29, 2019 Share Posted July 29, 2019 On 7/28/2019 at 4:10 PM, Brian Peck said: I dont cut the edges of artwork though I have reattached word ballons that have fallen off and have recreated missing words balloons. I've re-attached word balloons, and trimmed one art page (and that was a lower value one early in my collecting days). I'm not sure trimming the art page matters all that much if you are not effecting anything on the front or back such as signatures, date stamps, copyright stamps, notations, or -obviously - art. After all, a lot of art comes slashed up by the publishers, with big chunks missing at the top in some cases. A nice, completely unnoticeable, trim with an X-acto knife and a straight edge shouldn't matter - if you are only taking a small but off to fit it into a portfolio. timguerrero 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...