Discussion about AP Sketches

[Dredd84]

This is kind of a two part post regarding AP sketches. What would you say the average commission price is for an AP sketch on a licensed blank? I know it will vary based on the collectibility of the artist, but what’s the low end and high end from your collecting experience?

Also, I’d love to see some of your AP sketches! I have my first on the way that I’m excited to get in the mail hopefully this week.


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[DynaEtch]

Prices will vary widely by the artist. I don’t really do the commissions, but I’ll guess maybe $150-200 for a typical one? Highly in demand artists will be more. Might depend on set stock used also.

Is the AP you’re getting one that you had commissioned, or did you buy it as an existing AP sketch? I’ve bought lots of APs from the market, including finished ones from the artist themself, just never full-out commissioned one. I like to see the result already done before buying I guess.

[Dredd84]

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

Prices will vary widely by the artist. I don’t really do the commissions, but I’ll guess maybe $150-200 for a typical one? Highly in demand artists will be more. Might depend on set stock used also.

Is the AP you’re getting one that you had commissioned, or did you buy it as an existing AP sketch? I’ve bought lots of APs from the market, including finished ones from the artist themself, just never full-out commissioned one. I like to see the result already done before buying I guess.

The one I’m getting in was one that was commissioned directly with the artist. I’m a huge fan of his artwork so I felt comfortable with going that route with him. I gave him creative control for the character I requested. That makes sense about seeing the result before buying. I totally understand!


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[Fenian95]

Prices vary from $100 to 500 or more for the AAA artists.

[Dredd84]

Originally Posted by Fenian95

Prices vary from $100 to 500 or more for the AAA artists.

That’s kind of what I figured. Hoping to see some of favorites or APs from members.


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[Xazark]

Not always APs, but I know top tier sketch commissions go into 1k+ range, NAR for example although not sure if he does commissions anymore, I haven't seen one in a while. Having said that, his work and the presentation is top tier - it comes in a custom box with initial outline artwork and you unwrap it to get down to the actual sketch which always looks amazing.

I would love to own some of his work but its just out of my price range.

I think Jusko's APs from 16 MM were 1k+ too, I wouldn't be surprised if DDS is also in this range for MM24. These are obviously exceptions, the majority of artists can't command this level of premium, I have seen some offer as low as $50 with a list of the AP cards they have available, I think the AP set makes a difference too, i.e. if its a Masterpieces or Premier AP compared to Marvel Annual or Winter Soldier AP there is a premium on the higher tier sets

[ScullyMills]

I'm curious on this as well. I've purchased my first AP sketch a couple months or so ago but only because it was from a set I am collecting. I've been wanting to commission my own first piece but I am not sure I'm there yet...

Would love to see how your sketch turned out! What was the turn around time with the commission?

[glorbgorb]

I've commissioned probably 200 APs over the years, all official artists of those relevant sets. I think (going back in time) it was roughly $75 at the low end to about $250 on the upper end, but I intentionally did not go after "big and expensive" artists.

It is very much a double-edged sword. I tend to give very little direction aside from basic stuff--a specific costume or something like that. Most of the time it works out well. I truly enjoy most of them. Some I do not like at all, but that's the risk you take leaving it in the hands of the artist. But I have never backed out of a purchase or told the artist I disapproved. Chalk it up to experience and move on.

Probably the main complaint is that too many artists just do simple portrait styles. It works sometimes, but I kinda got bored after a while of a 3/4 portrait.

Sometimes artists will get you rough sketches or pencils of what they want. Sometimes they will ask about specific ideas. It is as dependent on the artist as the prices are, really.

A few random ones with some short notes. This is the first AP I ever commissioned (at least 99% sure it was the first). Mike Torrance 2-panel/puzzle from 2008 MM2:


2010 Heroes and Villains. I miss the uncut APs. This was George Calloway and has a ton of detail:


2020 MM by Juan Mendez. I'm a big Mendez fan and have over 100 of his cards. Unfortunately he didn't do Marvel for very long. He has a very distinct style that I really love.


Last but not least, this is the one card I said I would never get rid of. I worked with Sonny Strait several times in the 2008-2010 timeframe, and he was a great artist who (for PSCs at least) would try something, not really like it, try again, but send you both cards. Anyway, I told him I thought it would be funny to see Rhino at the zoo. He did this and it will always be my favorite:


Just a few of the many I have owned over the years.

[nabzy28]

Over the years, I would say I've paid anywhere from around $50-$300 for commissioned AP's. Usually does depend on the set, as the artists will typically ask a bit more for the blanks from the top/high end sets, which makes sense, since there usually tends to be higher demand overall.

I usually provide costume and pose reference images and just allow them to work from there. There are some that I've had for over a decade and, as noted above, some just don't strike me as expected - and if that's the case, I will set it free into the market. I have zero regrets doing so, as I always look at it as supporting the artist(s). Not typical, by any stretch, though. It's usually more of my personal preference of keeping only a 'top 5 or 10' of certain characters kind of thing.

[aggie4ever]

Of course the artist is extremely important, and prices will vary widely. But lots of other variables:

Franchise is pretty important, Marvel and Star Wars will typically be among the most pricey. They may go for 2-3x the price of a less popular franchise.

The set is also important, especially for Marvel. Really popular sets like Marvel Premiere or Masterpieces will usually be more expensive. Star Wars doesn't have as many high end sets, so I'm not sure there is a big difference in price between sets.

Oversized cards will be more expensive than regular sized cards, since they require more work. More work usually means more expensive. So, a portrait sketch with a solid color background might be pretty cheap, but a full body or action sketch with a detailed background is probably going to cost much more. Multiple characters may be an upcharge compared to a single character.

[Dredd84]

Originally Posted by ScullyMills

I'm curious on this as well. I've purchased my first AP sketch a couple months or so ago but only because it was from a set I am collecting. I've been wanting to commission my own first piece but I am not sure I'm there yet...

Would love to see how your sketch turned out! What was the turn around time with the commission?

I’ll definitely share it when I get it in hand! The artist was very good with communication. Originally I was told about 2 weeks but ended up being closer to 4-5 which I was fine with. I was in no rush. I would definitely get another AP from him down the road.


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[Dredd84]

Thank you everyone for the information and input! I really appreciate it. Gorb those are some really cool APs! I love them!

Do you all feel that artists put in more work / detail for their APs compared to their pack inserted sketches?


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[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by glorbgorb

I've commissioned probably 200 APs over the years, all official artists of those relevant sets. I think (going back in time) it was roughly $75 at the low end to about $250 on the upper end, but I intentionally did not go after "big and expensive" artists.

It is very much a double-edged sword. I tend to give very little direction aside from basic stuff--a specific costume or something like that. Most of the time it works out well. I truly enjoy most of them. Some I do not like at all, but that's the risk you take leaving it in the hands of the artist. But I have never backed out of a purchase or told the artist I disapproved. Chalk it up to experience and move on.

Probably the main complaint is that too many artists just do simple portrait styles. It works sometimes, but I kinda got bored after a while of a 3/4 portrait.

Sometimes artists will get you rough sketches or pencils of what they want. Sometimes they will ask about specific ideas. It is as dependent on the artist as the prices are, really.

A few random ones with some short notes. This is the first AP I ever commissioned (at least 99% sure it was the first). Mike Torrance 2-panel/puzzle from 2008 MM2:


2010 Heroes and Villains. I miss the uncut APs. This was George Calloway and has a ton of detail:


2020 MM by Juan Mendez. I'm a big Mendez fan and have over 100 of his cards. Unfortunately he didn't do Marvel for very long. He has a very distinct style that I really love.


Last but not least, this is the one card I said I would never get rid of. I worked with Sonny Strait several times in the 2008-2010 timeframe, and he was a great artist who (for PSCs at least) would try something, not really like it, try again, but send you both cards. Anyway, I told him I thought it would be funny to see Rhino at the zoo. He did this and it will always be my favorite:


Just a few of the many I have owned over the years.

Wow these are really good. All awesome but especially like the Thing vs Rhino….what an epic showdown. That Rhino at the zoo is also a really cool concept.

See this is what I would be hoping for with a commission but I know reality can often be different.

[jdandns]

I only have one, but I didn't have to pay for it. Rather, I traded the artist of it for a different (pack-pulled) sketch of hers. I'd posted my case break of 2007 Marvel Masterpieces on the Scoundrel Arts Forum and it featured a Kate "Red" Bradley sketch of the Rhino from a subset she did within her set which featured various heroes and villains as depicted as museum-style busts.

She saw it and PM'd me to tell me she was hoping to get one of those back for her own collection. I said, sure, I'll take any other drawing you want to do for it in trade, not necessarily expecting that it be on a sketch card as I told her regular paper would do. She asked me who my favorite Marvel characters were and I told her Spidey and Jean Grey. A month or two later, this showed up, a gorgeous illustration that looks even better in person, and to my further delight, on an MM07 artist proof sketch card.



The Rhino sketch was nice, but just the one character, and basically grey-tone. In that 2007 market, which was a bit up because the cards were new and sketch cards were still something of a novelty, I think it might've sold for something like $60. What she sent me certainly seems to be an upgrade in those terms, but I have no idea how much, as I've never tried to sell it and have no intention to. I'm not sure if Ms. Bradley is still involved in sketch cards, but looking at her website at the time, she was a real renaissance woman. She had all kinds of skills beyond art, including doing voiceover work, and translation. (She lives in Canada and speaks perfect French, as I recall.)

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by Dredd84

Do you all feel that artists put in more work / detail for their APs compared to their pack inserted sketches?

Just from observations of the market, I feel like quality of APs is elevated compared to regular, on average. Kinda makes sense artists put their best work into ones with a direct connection to a person, plus APs they finish and then sell to maximize selling value.

Not a hard rule though

[webjon]

I've briefly dabbled in APs.

I think for some Island Dreams APs I paid $20 or 25, and for some licensed sets I paid $75 to around $125 or $150.

The ones I was the happiest were the Island Dreams APs.

I stopped commissioning APs because I found at least half the time I wasn't thrilled with the AP -- generally just a preference to the pose or something. For me when I'm spending $150 I need to really like the end product. I've never sold an AP.

One artist told me after I attempted a commission that it would take 9 months to complete. I said no thank you, but was happy I was told in advance. On my largest commission was 3 sketches -- the artist got a black ink smudge on one of the 3 -- it was very obvious black in a very obvious area. Either the artists agent noticed the smudge or I saw it in a scan before the card was sent -- but I had to ask to have it 'fixed' and the fix wasn't great.

I dunno -- some people love it, but it's just not for me. . . I'm much better at seeing something I like and buying it than I am trying to ask someone to create me something I will like.

[HiltonL]

Originally Posted by webjon

I dunno -- some people love it, but it's just not for me. . . I'm much better at seeing something I like and buying it than I am trying to ask someone to create me something I will like.

Kindred spirit! I am the same in that I struggle to describe what I want to an artist. Much better to look at finished work and decide whether I like it.

Some artists I just enjoy their work without regard to the subject.

[glorbgorb]

It's certainly easier to claim an already-completed AP, no doubt. Don't like the artwork or pose (or price), pass on it.

The whole commission conversation speaks more to the relationship, I suppose, between the artist and the buyer. Sure, there are artists who see it simply as another job--take your money, do card, ship card. I can name numerous artists who fit that transactional path. Honestly it's probably the majority of them.

But there are others, like the Sonny Straits or Rhi Owens of the world, who I think--and maybe this is not the right word--care about the collector's perceptions of the cards and the actual interaction itself. Note that I mentioned those two specifically, and those were over a decade ago for me. Maybe it's just a sign of how things change.

I dunno. I'm just a collector. Maybe I'm seeing through rose-colored glasses. I have had bad experiences like many others, which despite me not stating it outright above, is the primary reason I stopped commissioning so frequently anyway.

[webjon]

To clarify -- I think most of the artists cared about the sketches/collectors.

The one with the ink smudge not so much, but I probably commissioned 4 or 5 other artists and they all cared.

[DynaEtch]

Disadvantage- can’t see what you’re buying (well the AP commissions, not the APs done and then sold). Possible long time to wait too. I think some people are still waiting 3+ years for a Jusko commission, although that’s an unusual case.

Advantage- the freedom to choose, whether the character or even finer details like portrait or pose, if applicable. Also as mentioned artists will often put nicer work on APs than some pack inserted. Finally, the interaction with the artist and the knowledge your money is going right to them for their work and not a middle man who’s making money off it.

I mean if I want something pretty specific…an Iceman drawn by Norvien Basio or something, it could be the way to go, and I might not be able to find that elsewhere (dunno if he actually does commissions or not, just an example). Someone above talked about Nar- he is definitely done doing art commissions. Some of the commissioned AP sketches I’ve seen of Nar’s are among the best looking sketches I’ve ever seen. I regret to this day not bidding the $3 or $4k or whatever it was for that Doom Nar AP that hit eBay, full color insane sketch of Dr Doom on 07-08MM stock.

A side note since we’re talking about APs…the new MM XL set with oversized sketches has *regular* sized APs, on 2.5x3.5. UD didn’t give the artists large blanks for
APs, what a bum deal.

[rice71]

Back in 2021 I was able to get a commissioned AP sketch on UD marvel Avengers endgame from one of the artist on the set. If I remember I paid a little under $200. besides the sketch, He made a custom box to hold the magnetic case and sketch and on both sides of the box it had the prelim sketches of it too. That extra put the sketch even more over the top. It took around 2 months from contacting artist to getting the final product. The artist was overseas too.

[dd316]

Could be $20, could be $1,000. The biggest factors are the set and the artist.

[Angus Con]

Covid was a real bad time for commissions. I had a few artists flake out on me and just not respond or do any of the work they had been paid to do. It very much soured me on commissions. I recently had one done at it was a delightful experience.

Also, I did get an AP done during Covid from an amazing artist. Probably took a year of back and forth before it finally got in my hands. Cost $150. Current cost for the same artist for an AP? $1000.

So yeah, $75-1000 is pretty much the ballpark. And outside of that, the timelines are real wild depending on who you're working with and how busy they are. Some charge more for anything beyond the 1st character as well.

If you like to live on the wild side, AP's are the way to go. haha

[aggie4ever]

I've purchased many already completed AP cards, but have only commissioned a handful of cards. I guess I like to see what I'm getting.

One exception was a card from Elaine Perna, who traded me an AP from my favorite set (Vampirella) for a card she wanted from one of their sets:


Most of the others I happened to see posted on ebay as auctions, and I won them at great prices.

Here are 3 oversized APs from Marco Carrillo:


All have fairly simple backgrounds and the base body is similar on all of them, but they are still very nice, and I'm pretty sure all 3 together were around $100 total, which was a great deal for me. I think these were the first commissions I ever did, and Marco was very easy to work with, and he completed the cards quickly.

I'll try to get a few more cards scanned to show off.

[Dredd84]

Thanks to everyone who joined in the discussion. I really appreciate all the feedback and comments. Just wanted to share my Doctor Doom commission that I had done by Kursat Cetiner.


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