It's Andy Fish!

Convention season is in full swing– especially as you’re reading this- I’m writing it on Memorial Day weekend– and one of the things most exciting for fans is to get an original art commission by a favorite or an up and coming artist.

HOW TO OBTAIN AN ORIGINAL ART COMMISSION: SEVERAL OPTIONS

1- Go to a comic book convention, your best bet for this is to somehow get passes from someone who is setting up at the show as a dealer or an artist– sometimes if you’re a friend or a regular customer this can be arranged. I have a niece who is a big Harry Potter fan so I got her early passes to South Carolina Comic Con so she could get in before the crowds and jump in autograph lines before they got crazy. I think she even ran into some of the stars just walking around before the show opens.

2- Get over to the table of the artist you want to commission– if they are a “big name” it’s likely their list will already be pretty full. Sometimes you can pre-order directly thru the artist and arrange pickup at the show, usually they have a public website or an artist rep that will take your order, and hopefully the piece will be ready for the show. It saves the artist or rep the hassle of mailing the piece and most artists are good about having things they promise ready.

3- if you go with an up and coming artist you might find not only is their list not full, but their prices are better. Flip through whatever samples they brought and see if they seem like a good fit for what you’re looking for.

4- If everything has lined up, you tell the artist what you’re looking for and they either agree or decline and they’ll either give you options for what different sizes and characters will cost. If that all works out, most artists prefer you pay upfront and will deliver your commission at the show.

5- Some artists ask for your cell, I do, because I will text you when the piece is ready, I’ll also include my booth number so you can find your way back to pick up your piece.

ALTERNATELY:

You can order commissions online through the mail, Comic Art Fans is a terrific resource for this– most artists have commissions listed on their website. You simply tell them what you’re looking for and they agree or decline and they give you a rough deadline– you pay them electronically and then you watch your mail.

I personally like to keep in touch with the person ordering the commission, telling them when the piece is done and giving them the tracking information.