COMMISSION PRICES AND INFORMATION 2021

For the second year in a row, I'm not changing my commission prices. I don't think it's right given the year we've had and the uncertain outlook with everything moving forward. 

I accept postal commissions all year round. So, if conventions don't return in 2021, we can sort it out online.

I've just been to the PO for the first time this year and discovered that Royal Mail have decided to double the cost of postage to the USA. So, from now on there'll be a basic charge of £10 for postage for anything going abroad. Otherwise, especially with sketchcovers, they're not worth drawing at the prices I do them at. For cover recreations it'll be £15. Again, that's less than what it costs to post something that size and weight to the USA, but it'll help keep my prices down. For large pieces, such as oil paintings, I'll be using UPS. For postal commissions within the UK, postage is free, unless it's a massive piece, a stack of blank covers, or there's some other one off situation involved, in which case, there'll be a fee.

How to pay: First, I take payment upon completion of the job, it makes the wait easier and also gives me incentive to get the commission finished. Paypal, bank transfer or cheque are all fine.

Here's the full rundown of what I do with examples and prices. As you'll see if you're a regular client, there isn't much new art, basically because I've been very limited with time since March due to the Covid-19 situation (and before the lockdown in March I was dealing with a sick parent). 

 SKETCH COVERS

These are still £50 for a b/w Copic sketch like the examples below, a single figure bust, a close up etc, even a single full figure or basic background. For a wrap that'd be £100. Colour (Copics and ink with watercolour wash) will be £60, £120 for a wrap. For anything like multiple figures, detailed background, complicated compositions etc then it'll be on a per job basis. We're not talking hundreds of pounds or anything, but they will be a little more money than the base price!

Also, I must point out, that the quality of blank variant titles varies greatly depending on the publisher. For example, DC generally have the best surface to draw on.

Marvel tend to be hit and miss. Also, be mindful that some Marvel blanks have a massive logo plastered across them that inhibits greatly where they can be drawn on. Why? No idea, it's inane. Think about that when considering those blanks for a commission!

Dynamite...every tool I use skates across the almost plastic surface and coagulates in a pool of frustration. So, not all options will be available for every blank variant. We can always talk about it beforehand. 

Just be aware that occasionally, I can't do what you want on a specific sketch cover so you may have to be prepared to accept an alternative. I have managed to draw some ok stuff on Dynamite blanks over the past year, but it was sans Copics! Time for the art!

Eartha Kitt, £50

Obi-Wan, £50 

Palpatine, £50

Jane Fonda, £50. Considering the surface, I thought this one came out quite well. Pencil and ink, no markers on this one, Dynamite can't cope with it.

Julie Newmar and Adam West, £65

Josh Brolin, Thanos, £50

Michael Rooker, Copics with colour wash, £60

Brie Larson, £50

Reeve and Kidder, £65

Poison Ivy portrait, £60

Adam west portrait, £50

Poison Ivy v Batman, £65

I can also do the above style of detailed sketches on regular paper, either A4 sized at £50 (£60 for colour (Copics with a watercolour wash) or A3 sized for £100 (£120 for colour), if you don't want them on blank variant covers. Again, it's a similar situation regarding detailed backgrounds and multiple figures. They'll be priced on a per job basis. 

One thing I no longer offer, on any surface, is likenesses of people who aren't celebrities, by that I mean family members, friends etc. It's just a load of hassle. Sorry. I know I've broken this edict in the past, but no more! 


Examples of A3 Copic tonal sketches

Joker's Daughter, A3 £110 (splash of colour)

Medusa A3 £110 (splash of colour)

WATERCOLOURS 

 These aren't to be confused with the Copic pieces with a colour wash, these are true watercolours, no ink or marker involved. 

Prices start at £200 for a watercolour piece A3 in size. That'd be with a fully rendered figure, or two if it's simple, with a basic background. For a more detailed background, for example with rendered buildings, it'd be more money, say £250. For multiple figures involved in a battle, then it'd go up in price again. See examples below with listed prices for an idea of the different costs.

Jakita Wagner, A3 watercolour, £200

Brie Larson, A3 watercolour, £200

Poison Ivy v Batman A3 watercolour £225

Web of Spider-Man #1 watercolour recreation A3 £200

The following are examples of A4 watercolours. 

90s Rogue, £60

Kid Flash, £60

70s Martian Manhunter, £60

Emma Frost, £60

Jean Grey, Black Queen, £60

Wonder Girl £60 

Speedy from Arrow based on Green Arrow #1 cover. £60

Banshee, full figure watercolour A4, £60

COVER RECREATIONS/ RE-IMAGININGS 

I enjoy doing these, for the most part, especially by artists who's work I like. Standard price, $300 (about £220) for the linework ones. That includes me drawing in the logo, price etc. Unless you don't want it on...The full tonal pieces are $400 (£270), they're obviously more time consuming, but they look pretty nice. I also colour recreations digitally, the cost of the digital colouring (a full size colour print is included too) is $100. Cover recreations are approximately regular comic art size 15.5" by 11".

I also do completely original linework commissions and also original tonal pieces done in pencil, ink and Copics. Same pricing as the recreations. See an example of those below after the recreations!

The linework recreations, $300

Digital colouring, original art and colour print included, $400. An example of an original (non recreation) commission.

Another example of an original linework piece, re-imagining this time, coloured digitally.

The tonal recreations, $400 each

Example of digital colour over tonal b/w art.

The following are in another artist's style (Nick Cardy in this case) but are original compositions.

OIL PAINTINGS

I paint in oil on canvas board. I can work to specific size requirements but the usual size is approx 18" by 13". I used to paint on stretched canvas but various postal services seem to enjoy bending the art and trying their best to damage it. I always use UPS to post oils, it's quicker to foreign lands and that helps alleviate the stress of art being in the post. Also, both the recipient and I can track it (something unavailable with Royal mail and USPS, despite what they say.)

Below are a some examples. I'll talk about pricing underneath each image. I price each piece according to the size and subject matter. 

Daredevil, 24" tall, $2750

TV and Movie Heroes, 24" $3000. This one cost more because of the extra time to get the likeness right.

Oversized canvas, 24" tall, $2750 (£2000)

Oversized canvas 24" wide, $2750

Surfer cover recreation in oil, approx 18" tall $2000 (about £1500)

About 18" tall, $2000

Batman C-44 Collector's Edition oil recreation, $2000 

18" tall about $2000

Oversized 24" tall, based on Silver Surfer 4 cover, $2750

18" tall, $2000

Oversized, 24" tall, $2750

If you're interested in me doing a commission, then get in touch via johnwatsonart@gmail.com or message me on FB! 

The Generation: Origins; an update.

It's been almost six years since I began writing the first in series of books. It began as a collaboration with my friend, Russell Payne, ground to a halt, and then re-emerged as a solo project. Russ is now also writing his own book based on what he'd begun (and never finished) for our joint effort. His book will be about the perception of reality, something I'm certain will be unique.

I finished writing book one some time ago, in late 2018. Or so I believed. Outside of a vaguely pretentious dissertation I wrote for my degree, I'd not written anything of length or scope since my GCSE English years. And, looking at what my teenage kids know about the English language, I didn't learn that much about the English language at school. The result? Editing the book myself was always going to be difficult with my lack of edification regarding the rules. So, I'm having the book professionally edited.

After an initial read through by the ed, it turned out that I hadn't really finished writing the book. I've recently added four new chapters that tie together several loose ends, seemingly random events connected through time, and create an entire new world for the protagonists to attempt to make sense of.

So far, the process is going well. The editor makes notes and I have the option of ignoring him, or applying his notes and advice. So far, I've been happy to go along with all the changes and I'm learning about the things that bypassed me at school (although I'm pretty certain I was never taught them in the first place. However, since I spent most of my schooldays daydreaming, who knows?)

For those folk asking when the book will be published, my answer is, 'when the editing process is finished.' I'm currently awaiting feedback on the new chapters. The cover art is done, although I'll need to alter the thickness of the spine in light of the additional chapters.

In the meantime, I'm writing book two. For the fourth time. Altering the end of book one threw the new book into disarray, so I decided to scrap the entire thing and begin again. I actually enjoy the writing process, so it's not really an issue. It's a very different story from what I intended and the characters, after a little resistance, are beginning to settle down after all the plot-line upheaval.

Book 2 is set in the 1980s. It's a different 1980s from the one anyone my age will recall, as a result of what happens toward the end of book one, but it's still recognisable. Researching the decade, and delving into my own experiences has been a blast, although having Sinitta's So Macho stuck in my head for the past week has been problematic. Could be worse, could be the theme tune to Postman Pat. I've also ended up becoming a little obsessed with old school BMX. They're ace. Uncovering songs that I probably only heard once when they were released, the titles and artists lost to time, but the tunes eternal, has led to an expanded playlist to accompany my late night writing sessions.

I'll be self-publishing through Lulu in paperback. Eventually it'll be out as an Ebook, but not for a while.

Commission Prices 2020

I'm not changing my commission prices, for the most part.

I accept postal commissions all year round. So, if you can't make it to one of the very few comic cons I attend then no problem, we can sort it out online! 

Because of the cost to send a blank sketch cover in a mailer to the US, almost doubling for some reason, (seriously, gone from £4+ to £7+ since my last trip to the PO) I'll have to start charging for postage to places outside the UK. It'll be £5. For postal commissions within the UK, postage is free, unless it's a massive piece or there's some other one off situation involved.

How to pay: First, I take payment upon completion of the job, it makes the wait easier and also gives me incentive to get the commission finished. If the piece is for collection at one of the comic cons I attend, then cash on collection is fine. Also, if you have a phone, Paypal is obviously possible at cons too. Cheques are ok, at least until the last bank within several miles of where I live closes. 

Here's the full rundown of what I do with examples and prices.

 SKETCH COVERS

These are still £50 for a b/w Copic sketch like the examples below, a single figure bust, a close up etc, even a single full figure or basic background. For a wrap that'd be £100. Colour (Copics and ink with watercolour wash) will be £60, £120 for a wrap. For anything like multiple figures, detailed background, complicated compositions etc then it'll be on a per job basis. We're not talking hundreds of pounds or anything, but they will be more money than the base price!

Also, I must point out, that the quality of blank variant titles varies greatly depending on the publisher. For example, DC generally have the best surface to draw on, it's a decent surface. Except Adventures of Supergirl which has a surface like 1970's school toilet paper and has my vote as the worst blank variant ever made. 

Marvel tend to be hit and miss, some are fine, some are ink, Copic, paint and even pencil repellent. The most recent ones are the best but they do have a tendency to soak up the colour from paint. Also, be mindful that some Marvel blanks have a massive logo plastered across them that inhibits greatly where they can be drawn on. Why? No idea, it's inane. Consider that when considering those blanks for commissions!

Dynamite...every tool I use skates across the almost plastic surface and coagulates in a pool of frustration. So, not all art options that I do will be available for every blank variant. We can always talk about it beforehand. Just be aware that occasionally, I can't do what you want on a specific sketch cover so you may have to be prepared to accept an alternative.Time for the art!

Julie Newmar, £50

Julie Newmar and Adam West, £65

Josh Brolin, Thanos, £50

Adam West, yes, I like drawing him! £50

Michael Rooker, Copics with colour wash, £60

Brie Larson, £50

Reeve and Kidder, £65

Poison Ivy portrait, £60

Adam west portrait, £50

Poison Ivy v Batman, £65

I can also do the above style of detailed sketches on regular paper, either A4 sized at £50 (£60 for colour (Copics with a watercolour wash) or A3 sized for £100 (£120 for colour), if you don't want them on blank variant covers. Again, it's a similar situation regarding detailed backgrounds and multiple figures. They'll be priced on a per job basis. One thing I no longer offer, on any surface, is likenesses of people who aren't celebrities, by that I mean family members, friends etc. It's just a load of hassle. Sorry.


Examples of A3 Copic tonal sketches

Joker's Daughter, A3 £110 (splash of colour)

Medusa A3 £110 (splash of colour)

WATERCOLOURS 

 These aren't to be confused with the Copic pieces with a colour wash, these are true watercolours, no ink or marker involved. 

Prices start at £200 for a watercolour piece A3 in size. That'd be with a fully rendered figure, or two if it's simple, with a basic background. For a more detailed background, for example with rendered buildings, it'd be more money, say £250. For multiple figures involved in a battle, then it'd go up in price again. See examples below with listed prices for an idea of the different costs.

Jakita Wagner, A3 watercolour, £200

Brie Larson, A3 watercolour, £200

Black Cat A3 watercolour, £200

Black Canary A3 waterolour, £225

Poison Ivy v Batman A3 watercolour £225

White Queen A3 watercolour £200

Web of Spider-Man #1 watercolour recreation A3 £200

The following are examples of A4 watercolours. First up are some profile pieces that proved to be very popular. I'll be doing more of them to sell at conventions and, very occasionally, online through my Facebook page. 

Emma Frost, £60

Jean Grey, Black Queen, £60

Wonder Girl £60 

Guy Gardner £60

Speedy from Arrow based on Green Arrow #1 cover. £60

Banshee, full figure watercolour A4, £60

COVER RECREATIONS/ RE-IMAGININGS 

I enjoy doing these, for the most part, especially by artists who's work I like. Standard price, $300 (about £220) for the linework ones. That includes me drawing in the logo, price etc. Unless you don't want it on...The full tonal pieces are $400 (£270), they're obviously more time consuming, but they look pretty nice. I also colour recreations digitally, the cost of the digital colouring (a full size colour print is included too) is $100. Cover recreations are approximately regular comic art size 15.5" by 11".

I also do completely original linework commissions and also original tonal pieces done in pencil, ink and Copics. Same pricing as the recreations. See an example of those below after the recreations!

The linework recreations, $300

Digital colouring, original art and colour print included, $400. An example of an original (non recreation) commission.

Another example of an original linework piece, coloured digitally.

The tonal recreations, $400 each

Example of digital colour over tonal b/w art.

The following are in another artist's style (Nick Cardy in this case) but are original compositions.

OIL PAINTINGS

I paint in oil on canvas board. I can work to specific size requirements but the usual size is approx 18" by 13". I used to paint on stretched canvas but various postal services seem to enjoy bending the art and trying their best to damage it. 

Below are a some examples. I'll talk about pricing underneath each image! I price each piece according to the size and subject matter. It's easier that way!

Oversized canvas, 24" tall, $2750 (£2000)

Oversized canvas 24" wide, $2750

Surfer cover recreation in oil, approx 18" tall $2000 (about £1500)

About 18" tall, $2000

Batman C-44 Colector's Edition oil recreation, $2000 

18" tall about $2000

Oversized 24" tall, based on Silver Surfer 4 cover, $2750

18" tall, $2000

Oversized, 24" tall, $2750

If you're interested in me doing a commission, then get in touch via johnwatsonart@gmail.com or message me on FB!