I didn't really know where to put this topic really so I figured this would be a good place to start.

I've been thinking about this for awhile now, and was wondering if anyone has sold or sells the original artwork from their comics?

I've been thinking about doing this, because my pages are slowly piling up and I'm horrible at storing stuff. I was just figuring I could sell a few of the original pages here and there and maybe make some money to put back into my comic in other areas. As well as give a few of my readers a chance to own a piece of my webcomic art.

I know some people are averse to this sort of stuff, but I'd rather have one of my readers be able get a cool piece of memorabilia than have my pages just pile up over time and possibly get ruined.

Just curious as to everyone's thoughts on this. And if there are any dangers in selling off original pages?

There was a topic on TWCL a whiles back about this. The dude was askin' how much he should sell his original work for.

I don't know. Personally, I wouldn't. But that's just because a.) I don't trust technology; b.) if I ever publish, I'll want to scan some of the pages again, or have it done by a professional that can make 'em look better; c.) I'm a traditional artist what works on paper, and to me that's the "real" version.

That's my $.02, for what it's worth.

I did find myself needing to re-scan some of my old art, so I am very reluctant to do it. I also don't trust that my computer won't suddenly get up and go on a rampage downtown, causing me to lose all my work.
Of course, now I do everything digitally, so I don't even have anything to sell anymore.

I would, but I'm always messing up my inking, and have to fix things in photoshop... so they would get ink-smeared, crappy-looking, wrinkled pictures. I don't think anyone would EVER buy my originals. My boyfriend had to save some from the trash... (they take up spaaaccee)

I was thinking, once I finished The Optimist and started printing & selling it, I'd include an original watercolored panel in each copy until it was all gone... It seems like a good way to end things-- like scattering its ashes. (But then they'd be like, "wow, she really photoshopped this too!!" hehe.)

Kristen Gudsnuk
I would, but I'm always messing up my inking, and have to fix things in photoshop... so they would get ink-smeared, crappy-looking, wrinkled pictures. I don't think anyone would EVER buy my originals. My boyfriend had to save some from the trash... (they take up spaaaccee)

I was thinking, once I finished The Optimist and started printing & selling it, I'd include an original watercolored panel in each copy until it was all gone... It seems like a good way to end things-- like scattering its ashes. (But then they'd be like, "wow, she really photoshopped this too!!" hehe.)

Yeah I clean up a lot in Photoshop as well. But some people like to see the imperfections.

As far as losing stuff I have it all backed up 4x over Once on my computer and 3 Flash drives. So I'm not really worried about losing stuff.

Maybe I"ll wait a bit. I just had a few people inquiring about it that's really why I brought it up.

Zaymac, so a donate button is selling out, but literally selling off the originals is okay?
What kind of double standard is that?

Personally I wouldn't sell the originals, and my wife certainly wouldn't let me...unless someone was offering a big ole sack of cash!

harkovast
Zaymac, so a donate button is selling out, but literally selling off the originals is okay?
What kind of double standard is that?

Personally I wouldn't sell the originals, and my wife certainly wouldn't let me...unless someone was offering a big ole sack of cash!

Ok, first I never said putting up a donate button was selling out. I just myself wouldn't feel comfortable putting one up.

Secondly, I don't think it's a double standard. Because if someone pays me for the original art, they are getting something tangible in return. I'd feel more comfortable with my readers giving me money for my art or merchandise, rather than have them just give me money for producing a webcomic that I was planning to continue to do anyways.

For me I have years and years of my artwork laying around. There are certain pieces that I will always hold onto, but some I don't mind parting with. What would happen if every artist decided to hold onto every piece of art he ever created?

Just my opinion. There is no right or wrong here, I was just asking if anyone else had any experiences with this.

I've been an artist and publisher for over 25 years, and have made alot of money on my original art, selling it at conventions. That's why I don't care for the "all digital art" techniques. Selling originals is simply yet another way to make a living, doing what you love to do. An original is a one of a kind piece of artwork, that, to me, is as valuable as any famous painting. It is something, created from nothing, and that, to me, is as magical today, as it was when I was a small child, drawing on brown paper lunch bags, or doodling on the back of a school paper.

I wouldn't sell mine. Sure, I can draw fairly well, but I always, always mess up my inking. Some of my originals are covered in blobs of white-out (the brand I use tends to dry a light yellow; scanners don't pick it up, but it's weird to see a black-and-white page with yellow blobs all over it).

I have quite a few paintings still lying around from the initial series that started off my comic, as well as the first few pencilled pages and other pencil artwork from before I made it 100% digital.
It's funny because I was looking over that old stuff just a couple of days ago. I don't really need it, I could recreate the pencil art pages from all the rough copies I have online, that's the beauty of specialising in digital art skills ;).
The paintings were never really meant to be kept. I sold a few and gave away some as gifts years and years ago, now like with Zaymac the others are mostly taking up space...

Then again, I have a bit of an attachment to some of them, which is why they're displayed on my walls, but at the right price I'd still sell them. The trouble is I doubt there's much demand for my crappy student paintings of my comic series and they're probably more valuable to me as the funky little bits of artwork they are.

I thought about selling the original art from my comics, but the thing is I don't put the writing on until its on photoshop, so on the originals the writing is just roughly pencilled in lol

I do everything on the computer so....sure? I mean, everything is on file. What you see in my webcomic IS the original.

I've seen a few webcomic authors sell artwork from their comics. It's never the comic originals, just usually pinups of the more popular characters on bristol board. But they sold them on eBay, where the fans pretty much dictated the pricing, and I think that was probably a good way to do it. One artist made a couple hundred dollars on one of his pictures.