For decades, I’ve enjoyed the artwork adorning tabletop RPGs, taking in each fantastic piece with the thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool to own an original cover or a great interior piece?” So many pieces of roleplaying game artwork define the look of the games and, in ways, the entire genre. What gamer wouldn’t want original art from some of their favorite Dungeons & Dragons books or Dragon Magazines? Larry Elmore, Jeff Easley, Clyde Caldwell, or Todd Lockwood art from any of the games they painted for? A Tim Bradstreet Vampire: The Masquerade original? Liz Danforth’s Tunnels & Trolls artwork? Any of the Warhammer or Adventure in Middle-earth covers? Something from Jabari Weathers’ Bluebeard’s Bride? All of those and so many more would be amazing pieces to go over the mantle.
But, collecting original RPG artwork is not without obstacles, which means I’ve held off on collecting some pieces until recently.
DISCLAIMER
I am not an art dealer or any sort of authority on collecting artwork. While I have purchased original artwork over the decades (largely comic book artwork), everything I’m sharing are lessons I’ve bumbled into. This piece focuses on my limited experiences.
When purchasing art make sure that it is an original and not a fake, and make sure it is not stolen. Ideally, you’d want to deal directly with the artist either via the web or face to face at a convention. But, after 2020, conventions are still in limbo, making some of the transactions more difficult. But, if you see a piece that speaks to you, try the artist first. If they have it, they may be willing to part with it for a price. Those prices may be high, but it is a one of a kind item and, thus, subject to demand.
There are many more tips you’ll need to know, but I haven’t learned them all yet so I can’t share an infinite list. When reading this, please bear with me as I share my small experience.
ALTERNATIVES
Before getting into original artwork, keep in mind that there are many alternatives that may meet your demand. Firstly, prints. Many artists offer limited edition prints of their more popular pieces. These faithful, beautiful recreations give you access to the artwork you want at a reasonable price point. Prints tend to be from a limited run, thus giving them some uniqueness. These help you as they’re cheaper, yet rare, and they help the artist as they allow them to remonetize a created work.
Another option are the original RPGs that the art is published in. Those books, plus certain artbooks, offer a number of options. What inspired my interest in RPG art was, of course, the original publications. Naturally, getting those books scratches two itches. If your looking for artwork, there’s no better place to find it than the source books.
WHY WASN’T I BUYING BEFORE?
Why wasn’t I purchasing original RPG artwork before 2021? Two reasons: Lack of opportunity and lack of funds.
The hardest part about collecting original artwork is that there is one copy of any given piece. You have, at most, one chance to own the original. Take Mike May’s portrait of two grippli warriors from Dragon Magazine 324 (October, 2004). I’m a huge fan of gripplis, love them, and love that image. Yet, how would I even go about finding the original? Who could say? I could try to contact Mike May about an image he painted nearly twenty years ago. At a guess, it sold a long time ago. That means I’d just have to happen upon it one day. What are the odds? You can see where the difficulty lies, if you see an image you want, finding it is a challenge.
[Note: I am not saying anything negative about Mike May. I love that piece but don’t know where I’d find it, so it made a good example. But, do not read any of that as any sort of judgement about the art, artist, or market.]
But, even if I could find Mike May’s painting, could I afford it? What is the market value of that piece? Based on what I’ve seen, likely the asking price will be, and should be, in the thousands of dollars. I have some mad money, but anything past $100 for a single item tends to lead to some soul searching. Some of you reading this have a similar red line at which you say, “Do I have to have this?” That cutoff requires some thought, especially when looking at original artwork which is not a cheap hobby.
WHAT CHANGED IT ALL?
At Origins Game Fair 2019, I took in the documentary, Eye of the Beholder: The Art of Dungeons and Dragons. Touring through the visual history of D&D artwork, looking at the great pieces and artists, this movie reinforced my love of RPG artwork. The images they collected for the movie combined with the backstories behind those images, it rekindled the desire to own some artwork.
But the moment it happened occurred thanks to Onyx Path Publishing. Michael (Alias, Jessica Jones, Manhunter) Gaydos does art for Onyx Path and, via their Monday Meeting blog post (January 18, 2020), I found out about his new website from which he sells his original RPG art as well as prints. How much is one of his pieces? Prices vary, but the two that spoke to me fell within my fire and forget price range.
The first was the cover for OPP’s PDF/POD book, Vampire: the Masquerade (5e): The Chicago Folios. For $100 shipped, I got the original art and a limited edition print, which felt like a win. I couldn’t pass up on that cover nor his cover and print for The Black Hand: A Guide to the Tal’Mahe’Ra, a V20 supplement. At another $100 for the original cover art plus a print, that image was hard to say no to, so I didn’t.
But, you may ask is, $100 per original cover art and limited edition print a good deal? To which I suggest, don’t take my word for it, let’s look at what some original pieces of RPG artwork are going for in Q1 2021. Comparing these gives a sense of how much value $100 for the art and print represents. As such, here are some of the pieces I’ve considered but been forced to forego for now.
[Note: These items are one of a kind and may sell out at any time. As such, these links may be dead when you try them.]
- William O’Connor’s painting of a giant squid from page 131 of AD&D 2nd Ed Dungeon Master’s Guide – $2,995 and up
- Liz Danforth’s Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls cover – $2,400
- Jeff Easley’s Giant with Axe from a convention program – $2,000
- Chris Seaman’s painting of the Withers from the Tomb Of Annihilation – $2,000
- Here’s a Dave Dorman 5e monster from the Monster Manual – $1,000
- VtM comic cover from Moonstone – $800
- Tim Bradstreet VtM spot illo – $200
- Larry Elmore sketch and autograph in a D&D 3rd Edition Players Handbook – $170 and up
- Michael Gaydos’ Lady Emma Blake from V20 Beckett’s Jyhad Diary (pg. 477) – $100
As you can see, these pieces range in content and cost. Every piece of artwork is gorgeous, but not all of them fall within what my wallet can support. Thus, it’s picking and choosing. Michael’s offerings show a great deal of value by comparison.
On top of these offerings, here’s a few artist’s sites, which are always treats.
- Steven Cummings’ RPG artwork: Robotech RPG art, Palladium art, and Skullkickers RPG art
- Amanda Makepeace’s RPG artwork
- Jabari Weathers’ artwork
- Todd Lockwood’s originals
- Ralph Horsley’s originals
SHOULD YOU BUY?
While I’ve started collecting RPG artwork, I’m no authority. That said, I have collected original art over the years (mainly comic book artwork), so I know that owning these beautiful pieces is an itch you have to scratch. If you’re reading this I have no doubt that you would love to own some original RPG artwork. But should you start collecting?
If you’re like me, you can, but only on a budget. The BROM originals are likely out of reach. As I wrote this piece, four of the images I found called out to me. Those four came to a grand before taxes and shipping. Like so many folks, I need to do some work around the house and set aside for a new car; that’s to say there isn’t a thousand dollars worth of play money waiting to be spent. [Note: Two of those items sold before I shared this piece, so I removed their links.] But, that doesn’t mean there’s no money left to spend, and when I see a piece I have to have at a price I can afford, it’s hard to resist. Whether that applies to you or not, I would not have the authority to say, but if you have the disposable income and a desire to put something authentic on your wall, original RPG art may be for you. Keep your eyes open, make sure you’re buying an original from a credible dealer, and have fun!
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