{"id":23487,"date":"2021-02-18T07:00:09","date_gmt":"2021-02-18T13:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.d20radio.com\/main\/?p=23487"},"modified":"2021-02-12T14:23:15","modified_gmt":"2021-02-12T20:23:15","slug":"first-steps-in-buying-original-rpg-artwork","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.d20radio.com\/main\/first-steps-in-buying-original-rpg-artwork\/","title":{"rendered":"First Steps In Buying Original RPG Artwork"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Original cover artwork by Michael Gaydos for Onyx Path Publishing’s The Black Hand: A Guide to the Tal’Mahe’Ra<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For <\/span><\/span>decades, I\u2019ve <\/span><\/span>enjoyed<\/span><\/span> the artwork adorn<\/span><\/span>ing tabletop<\/span><\/span> RPGs, <\/span><\/span>taking in each fantastic piece with the <\/span><\/span>thought, \u201cWouldn\u2019t it be cool to own an original cover or a great interior piece?\u201d <\/span><\/span>So many pieces of <\/span><\/span>roleplaying game artwork <\/span><\/span>define the look of the games and, in ways, the entire genre. <\/span><\/span>What gamer wouldn\u2019t want original art from some of their favorite <\/span><\/span>Dungeons & Dragons<\/i><\/span><\/span> books <\/span><\/span>or <\/span><\/span>Dragon Magazines<\/i><\/span><\/span>? <\/span><\/span>Larry Elmore, Jeff Easley, Clyde Caldwell, or Todd Lockwood art from any of the games they painted for? A Tim Bradstreet <\/span><\/span>Vampire: The Masquerade<\/i><\/span><\/span> original? <\/span><\/span>Liz Danforth\u2019s <\/span><\/span>Tunnels & Trolls<\/i><\/span><\/span> artwork? <\/span><\/span>Any of the <\/span><\/span>Warhammer<\/i><\/span><\/span> or <\/span><\/span>Adventure in Middle-earth<\/i><\/span><\/span> covers? <\/span><\/span>Something from Jabari Weathers\u2019 <\/span><\/span>Bluebeard\u2019s Bride<\/i><\/span><\/span>? <\/span><\/span>All of those and so many more would be amazing pieces to go over the mantle. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But, collecting original RPG artwork is not without obstacles, which means I’ve held off on collecting some pieces u<\/span><\/span>ntil recently.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

D<\/span><\/span>ISCLAIMER<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Limited edition print by Michael Gaydos of his artwork for The Black Hand: A Guide to the Tal’Mahe’Ra<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I am <\/span><\/span>not<\/b><\/span><\/span> an art dealer or any sort of authority on collecting art<\/span><\/span>work<\/span><\/span>. While I have purchased original artwork over the decades (largely comic book artwork), everything I’m sharing are lessons I\u2019ve bumbled into. <\/span><\/span>This piece focuses on my limited<\/strong> experiences. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When purchasing art make sure that it is an original and not a fake, and make sure it is not stolen. Ideally, you\u2019d 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There are many more tips you\u2019ll need to know, but I haven\u2019t 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. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A<\/span><\/span>LTERNATIVES <\/span><\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Another option are the original RPGs that the art is published in. Those books, plus certain artbooks, offer a number of options. <\/span><\/span>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\u2019s no better place to find it than the source books. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

W<\/span><\/span>HY WASN\u2019T I BUYING BEFORE?<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Why wasn\u2019t I purchasing original RPG artwork before 2021? Two reasons: Lack of opportunity and lack of funds. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Artwork by Mike May, printed in Dragon Magazine 324<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The hardest part about <\/span><\/span>collecting original artwork is that there is one copy of any given piece. <\/span><\/span>You have, at most, one chance to own the original. Take Mike May\u2019s portrait of two grippli warriors from <\/span><\/span>Dragon Magazine 324<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/a> (October, 2004). I\u2019m 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.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

[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.]<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>But, even if I could find Mike May\u2019s painting, could I afford it? What is the market value of that piece? Based on what I\u2019ve 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, \u201cDo I have to have this?\u201d That cutoff requires some thought, especially when looking at original artwork which is not a cheap hobby.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

WHAT CHANGED IT ALL?<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

At Origins Game Fair<\/a> 2019, I took <\/span><\/span>in<\/span><\/span> the documentary, <\/span><\/span>Eye of the Beholder: The Art of Dungeons and Dragons<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/a>. Touring through the visual history of D&D artwork, looking at the great pieces and artists, t<\/span><\/span>his movie reinforced my love of RPG artwork. <\/span><\/span>The images they collected for the movie combined with the backstories behind those images, it rekindled the desire to own some artwork. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Original illustration by Michael Gaydos for Onyx Path Publishing’s Vampire: the Masquerade (5e): The Chicago Folios<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But the moment it happened occurred thanks to Onyx Path Publishing<\/a>. Michael (<\/span>Alias, Jessica Jones, Manhunter<\/i><\/span>) Gaydos does <\/span>art for Onyx Path<\/u><\/span><\/a> and, via their <\/span><\/span><\/span>Monday Meeting blog post (January 18, 2020<\/a>), I found out about his new website from which he sells his\u00a0<\/span><\/span>original RPG art as well as prints. <\/span><\/span><\/span>How much is one of his pieces? Prices vary, but the two that spoke to me fell within my fire and forget price range. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The first was <\/span><\/span><\/span>the cover for <\/span><\/span><\/span>OPP\u2019s <\/span><\/span><\/span>PDF\/POD book,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Vampire: the Masquerade (5e): The Chicago Folios<\/u><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/span><\/span>For <\/span><\/span><\/span>$100 <\/span><\/span><\/span>shipped<\/span><\/span><\/span>, I got the original art and a limited edition print, <\/span><\/span><\/span>which felt like a win. I couldn’t pass up on that cover nor his <\/span><\/span><\/span>cover and print for <\/span>The Black Hand: A Guide to the Tal’Mahe’Ra<\/i><\/a>, 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But, you may ask is, $100 per original cover art and limited edition print a good deal? To which I suggest, <\/span><\/span><\/span>don\u2019t take my word for it, let\u2019s look at what some original pieces of RPG artwork are going for in Q1 2021. Comparing these <\/span><\/span><\/span>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.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Limited edition print by Michael Gaydos for Vampire: the Masquerade (5e): The Chicago Folios<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

[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.]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>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\u2019re cheaper, yet rare, and they help the artist as they allow them to remonetize a created work. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n