Illustrated Art Thread 0

[tth2]

I think there's an existing Illustrated Art thread, but I couldn't find it so am starting a new thread out of laziness.

Just wanted to note the sale of the original painting for the cover of Boston's "Don't Look Back" album on Heritage just now for $81,250.

https://fineart.ha.com/itm/pulp-pulp-like-digests-and-paperback-art/gary-norman-american-20th-century-boston-don-t-look-back-album-cover-1978acrylic-and-airbrush-on-board25-x/a/8030-71060.s?ic2=mybidspage-lotlinks-12202013&tab=MyBids-101116

The estimate was a laughable $5000-7500, which I think was exceeded on the first day of internet bidding. 

Makes you wonder how much the OA for the iconic debut album would go for.  

[cstojano]

 I was also watching this, burned into my brain from my youth. I saw it and knew it would bring big bucks but had no clue where to place it. 

 

That robot bust from the Queen album was also burned into my brain, something disturbing about that cover. 

Edited May 1, 2021 by cstojano

[fsumavila]

10 hours ago, tth2 said:

I think there's an existing Illustrated Art thread, but I couldn't find it so am starting a new thread out of laziness.

Just wanted to note the sale of the original painting for the cover of Boston's "Don't Look Back" album on Heritage just now for $81,250.

https://fineart.ha.com/itm/pulp-pulp-like-digests-and-paperback-art/gary-norman-american-20th-century-boston-don-t-look-back-album-cover-1978acrylic-and-airbrush-on-board25-x/a/8030-71060.s?ic2=mybidspage-lotlinks-12202013&tab=MyBids-101116

The estimate was a laughable $5000-7500, which I think was exceeded on the first day of internet bidding. 

Makes you wonder how much the OA for the iconic debut album would go for.  

I knew it would blow away the pre-auction estimate, but that's a strong finish! Love that album cover...

[stinkininkin]

15 hours ago, tth2 said:

I think there's an existing Illustrated Art thread, but I couldn't find it so am starting a new thread out of laziness.

Just wanted to note the sale of the original painting for the cover of Boston's "Don't Look Back" album on Heritage just now for $81,250.

https://fineart.ha.com/itm/pulp-pulp-like-digests-and-paperback-art/gary-norman-american-20th-century-boston-don-t-look-back-album-cover-1978acrylic-and-airbrush-on-board25-x/a/8030-71060.s?ic2=mybidspage-lotlinks-12202013&tab=MyBids-101116

The estimate was a laughable $5000-7500, which I think was exceeded on the first day of internet bidding. 

Makes you wonder how much the OA for the iconic debut album would go for.  

How cool!!!! Thanks for bringing this to my attention! So much of the art I buy has a nostalgic component and this album, while not as classic as the Boston debut LP, is still in my nostalgia sweet spot. I would not be a buyer at these prices (the art is not great and has a high cheese factor), but I am happy it found a home. To the right music aficionado, this would be grail worthy.

Haven't looked at illustration art in a long time, and in perusing this Heritage auction, it doesn't appear illustration prices have enjoyed the same surge in value/pricing as many other collectibles. I always thought I'd love to add an Elvgren or Leyendecker to my collection, and it doesn't look like prices have moved all that much since when I first entertained such notions 10-15 years ago. Never bought art for investment, but if I had, illustration art turns out to have not been a good bet.

[mtlevy1]

I was hoping it would fly under the radar so I was the high bidder for a day or two

 

[tth2]

I'd love to see more rock album cover art come on the market.  Hopefully auctions like the Led Zep I cover and this cover will draw more out.

[tth2]

Painted or drawn album cover original art I'd love to see:

Dark Side of the Moon

Revolver (I can't even imagine how much this would go for)

Boston 

Aqualung

Any of the various covers by Roger Dean

 

 

[Randall Dowling]

Although this isn't what you had in mind, I thought I'd share it.

Not my favorite music but the album cover always stood out to me.  Back story seems to match the music.

https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/surfing-with-the-alien-the-story-of-a-non-surf-related-masterpiece

[Bronty]

2 hours ago, tth2 said:

Painted or drawn album cover original art I'd love to see:

Dark Side of the Moon

Revolver (I can't even imagine how much this would go for)

Boston 

Aqualung

Any of the various covers by Roger Dean

 

 

you're probably already aware but Floyd's the Wall was reported to have sold for 1.85m around 2018 by a gallery in San Fran.

I brokered the sale of a Roger Dean video game cover for 125k about a year ago also.

I would enjoy seeing hte original for Struzan's Sabbath Bloody Sabbath go to market also.    I think someone was offering the back cover (?) or interior (?) a while back but I don't recall seeing the front cover.

[Bronty]

On 5/1/2021 at 2:38 PM, stinkininkin said:

How cool!!!! Thanks for bringing this to my attention! So much of the art I buy has a nostalgic component and this album, while not as classic as the Boston debut LP, is still in my nostalgia sweet spot. I would not be a buyer at these prices (the art is not great and has a high cheese factor), but I am happy it found a home. To the right music aficionado, this would be grail worthy.

Haven't looked at illustration art in a long time, and in perusing this Heritage auction, it doesn't appear illustration prices have enjoyed the same surge in value/pricing as many other collectibles. I always thought I'd love to add an Elvgren or Leyendecker to my collection, and it doesn't look like prices have moved all that much since when I first entertained such notions 10-15 years ago. Never bought art for investment, but if I had, illustration art turns out to have not been a good bet.

Oh, I think that's so generalized.    Illustration is such a broad term.     The artwork that HA sold in the past as illustration, yeah, they haven't done well, but considering the prices then and the demographics involved now, its not that shocking really.   

From my POV its like anything.    Certain illustrations (see nearly 100k Addams family cartoon in the same sale) have appreciated.    Certain haven't.   The segment that HA has catered to is cool stuff, but its not tied to any particular line in any strong way.      The ET movie poster a while back at 400k is illustration, its all illustration.   I'd argue comic art (certainly the covers at a minimum) is illustration.   

So, have you got the art for something nobody ever heard or cared about, or something well remembered and hotly contested?    Prices will follow suit.

90s collectibles in general have the hottest lately.  I don't know how much early 50s pinup will appeal to a modern audience.   Sure, paintings of pretty girls are enjoyed by most everyone but how much of a connection is today's audience going to have to Brown & Bigelow calendars besides appreciating the images?     Big paintings of pretty girls is a great place to start, but you need a little more to keep it relevant and to keep prices on an upward trajectory.

Edited May 2, 2021 by Bronty

[Bronty]

This is a brand new D &D piece as opposed to vintage, but its well done and a neat riff on the old red box cover.   It will be interesting to see how it does.    I thought it was Dragon 37's cover at first, so I expected a good price, but it turns out its "Dragon+" 37, which is the most recent issue.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303982782775?fbclid=IwAR2ppoEPNXycs2PeeRi2WqxuHILuOYOq18plzozXTFEuu_mwSEsbS3IQdTA

Edited May 2, 2021 by Bronty

[delekkerste]

On 4/30/2021 at 11:07 PM, tth2 said:

I think there's an existing Illustrated Art thread, but I couldn't find it so am starting a new thread out of laziness.

Just wanted to note the sale of the original painting for the cover of Boston's "Don't Look Back" album on Heritage just now for $81,250.

https://fineart.ha.com/itm/pulp-pulp-like-digests-and-paperback-art/gary-norman-american-20th-century-boston-don-t-look-back-album-cover-1978acrylic-and-airbrush-on-board25-x/a/8030-71060.s?ic2=mybidspage-lotlinks-12202013&tab=MyBids-101116

The estimate was a laughable $5000-7500, which I think was exceeded on the first day of internet bidding. 

Makes you wonder how much the OA for the iconic debut album would go for.  

I actually talked with numerous people about this painting over the past few weeks.  I was surprised by the eventual price - not because I think it doesn't deserve it, but, because stuff like this is so hit or miss when it crosses the auction block.  It really struck a huge nostalgic chord for both myself and several others I spoke with.  That said, once the bidding surged towards $40K, we all collectively gave up on it...and then, it doubled again from there, because it's 2021 and money has lost all its meaning.  

I believe the consignor of the painting was the artist?  It's not inconceivable that the cover to the first album could be hitting the market next...

I think the second album (Don't Look Back) gets short shrift compared to the first album. The "problem" is that Boston has a very distinctive sound ("all their songs sound the same" is a familiar gripe that I've heard repeatedly over the decades) and I think it suffers in peoples' minds as not being sufficiently different than than the first LP.  But, there are some great tracks on the album...Feelin' Satisfied is right up there with More Than a Feeling for me as my favorite Boston track (I flip back and forth between them) and the title track is in my personal Boston top 5 as well.  

On 5/1/2021 at 5:01 PM, mtlevy1 said:

I was hoping it would fly under the radar so I was the high bidder for a day or two

 

I was probably the one who outbid you.  

Edited May 3, 2021 by delekkerste

[Bronty]

I’m slightly younger than you; I couldn’t name a single track from the second album but am very familiar with the first album.   That being said visually the illustration for the second album has the same big UFO/upside down guitar and the Boston logo...   it’s obvious what you’re looking at even if you don’t know the second album, which helps the marketability of this illustration.

Edited May 3, 2021 by Bronty

[tth2]

12 hours ago, delekkerste said:

That said, once the bidding surged towards $40K, we all collectively gave up on it

Same here!

[stinkininkin]

11 hours ago, delekkerste said:

I actually talked with numerous people about this painting over the past few weeks.  I was surprised by the eventual price - not because I think it doesn't deserve it, but, because stuff like this is so hit or miss when it crosses the auction block.  It really hit a huge nostalgic chord for both myself and several others I spoke with.  That said, once the bidding surged towards $40K, we all collectively gave up on it...and then, it doubled again from there, because it's 2021 and money has lost all its meaning.  

I believe the consignor of the painting was the artist?  It's not inconceivable that the cover to the first album could be hitting the market next...

I think the second album (Don't Look Back) gets short shrift compared to the first album. The "problem" is that Boston has a very distinctive sound ("all their songs sound the same" is a familiar gripe that I've heard repeatedly over the decades) and I think it suffers in peoples' minds as not being sufficiently different than than the first LP.  But, there are some great tracks on the album...Feelin' Satisfied is right up there with More Than a Feeling for me as my favorite Boston track (I flip back and forth between them) and the title track is in my personal Boston top 5 as well.  

I was probably the one who outbid you.  

Don't Look Back is a terrific album, but less terrific than the first in terms of batting average. Just about every track on the first record was in the really good to great range. There are a few duds on the second album, but the good ones are really really good.  I was about 19 when it came out, and it felt like we had all waited FOREVER for the follow up to the debut album, and I didn't care that it was essentially just more of the same, because that's what I wanted as a fan. Too bad it was a dysfunctional band, and was musically and creatively spent by the third album and beyond.

Coming from the world of hyper-priced comic art, the hammer price for the cover art doesn't feel particularly high to me. The album sold millions of copies, and the art and concept is very memorable. To music fans of the era, the album covers and sleeves and liner notes and lyric sheets were a huge part of the album experience, to be pored over repeatedly while listening to the music. It feels like the connection of the music with the artwork for such a semi-classic album should be worth a nice Romita Spiderman all action panel page. To somebody, I guess it was.

[tth2]

12 hours ago, delekkerste said:

I believe the consignor of the painting was the artist?  It's not inconceivable that the cover to the first album could be hitting the market next...

Wow, that would be a whole different level.  

[Bronty]

1 hour ago, stinkininkin said:

Don't Look Back is a terrific album, but less terrific than the first in terms of batting average. Just about every track on the first record was in the really good to great range. There are a few duds on the second album, but the good ones are really really good.  I was about 19 when it came out, and it felt like we had all waited FOREVER for the follow up to the debut album, and I didn't care that it was essentially just more of the same, because that's what I wanted as a fan. Too bad it was a dysfunctional band, and was musically and creatively spent by the third album and beyond.

Coming from the world of hyper-priced comic art, the hammer price for the cover art doesn't feel particularly high to me. The album sold millions of copies, and the art and concept is very memorable. To music fans of the era, the album covers and sleeves and liner notes and lyric sheets were a huge part of the album experience, to be pored over repeatedly while listening to the music. It feels like the connection of the music with the artwork for such a semi-classic album should be worth a nice Romita Spiderman all action panel page. To somebody, I guess it was.

I agree with you - 80k is not unreasonable at all.    And 40k would be way too cheap.

[Bronty]

1 hour ago, tth2 said:

Wow, that would be a whole different level.  

that would be fun to see

[vodou]

On 5/2/2021 at 1:35 PM, Bronty said:

I would enjoy seeing hte original for Struzan's Sabbath Bloody Sabbath go to market also.    I think someone was offering the back cover (?) or interior (?) a while back but I don't recall seeing the front cover.

http://www.originalalbumcoverart.com/struzan/sabbath-bloody-sabbath.php

[Bronty]

17 minutes ago, vodou said:

http://www.originalalbumcoverart.com/struzan/sabbath-bloody-sabbath.php

The memory must be failing me.   I remember Ernie's site, and that's where I recalled seeing the back cover.   I had forgotten he had the front cover.    Years ago, the asking prices were too rich for my blood in general o I never inquired on this one.    

Thanks for adjusting this clunky old memory.    

I kind of want to and don't want to ask for a price at the same time