LOTR Evolution

[Guest]

[blackcat20]

Hopefully an Aragorn and a Leggy; but I think Ill wait to see what is (or isnt) in my boxes before I make any more purchases 

[Bryanjs14]

[beckham1]

I like that card.  Doesn't seem like a bad price for it either.

[GrantGoBoom]

ferdinand_the_yak -- Thanks for the kind words!     I'm glad people are liking my artwork.  (and hey, I noticed someone put that color Aragorn/palantir one up on ebay)

savage727 -- Yeah, the logo was placed in a very poor location..  Don't get me wrong, I love Topps, they have great card designers and the stock is always quality..  But the LOTR logo placement was very annoying.  It should've been on the bottom, or off to one of the sides..  But I guess in the end it isn't too big of a deal.  Most of the artists found ways to work around it.   

[beckham1]

For our artists just curious which sketches you did for the set that you are most proud of.  It goes without saying post the scan if you have one of the card.  Maybe top 5 or 10.

[ferdinand_the_yak]

I have another question for our artists - if we see a particular sketch we like, is it OK to ask the artist to do a replica? For example, I would love an exact copy of the Galadriel I mentioned earlier as its exactly what I am looking for, but it may be stuck inside a box for years before it turns up. I'm unlikely to pull it or buy it from Ebay. Would it be acceptable for me to ask the artist (Grant in this case) to draw an exact replica? I'm not sure of the protocol for sketch cards

[GrantGoBoom]

I have another question for our artists - if we see a particular sketch we like, is it OK to ask the artist to do a replica? For example, I would love an exact copy of the Galadriel I mentioned earlier as its exactly what I am looking for, but it may be stuck inside a box for years before it turns up. Would this be appropriate?

Personally, I'm cool with that.  I prefer not to try and duplicate one of my drawings exactly, but if someone were to ask me to copy one of my other poses and maybe even improve upon it, I certainly give it my best shot.   If anything, I'm better now at drawing the LOTR characters, so the "replica" would probably look even cooler than the original.  If you're interested in having me do any cards for ya, send me an email -- I'll help ya out for sure. 

[GrantGoBoom]

For our artists just curious which sketches you did for the set that you are most proud of.  It goes without saying post the scan if you have one of the card.  Maybe top 5 or 10.

Hmmm... well, how about I break it up into color and b&w.  These are probably my 3 favorite color ones that I did:

   

And these are probably my 3 favorite b&w ones that I did:

   
I'm not sure why I like that Aragorn one so much.. It's one of the more simple Aragorns I drew, but I love how it turned out.  And that last guy is my favorite orc..  the one with the white eye who spots Sam & Frodo in the company of orcs.  I'm secretly hoping to find that one on ebay sometime and buy it back.  hehe

It's hard to pick favorites though..  I was pretty pleased with a lot of my cards.  I really wished I had more time to work on them, because I would've loved to have made them all color, or at least a large percentage of them..  But over all, I'm pretty happy with 'em.  And I hope the fans like 'em too.   

[beckham1]

That so interesting I loved your Eomer sketch, I think that completely captured my perception of Eomer and your Lurtz color face close up has to be tops along with Kayanans.  I really liked how you both captured the hand print on his face.  Your Oliphant was in my top 3 too, appartantly that one has made its way out of a box. I guess we will have to keep an eye out on  for that one or will it stay in the finders collection?

[ferdinand_the_yak]

Personally, I'm cool with that. I prefer not to try and duplicate one of my drawings exactly, but if someone were to ask me to copy one of my other poses and maybe even improve upon it, I certainly give it my best shot. If anything, I'm better now at drawing the LOTR characters, so the "replica" would probably look even cooler than the original. If you're interested in having me do any cards for ya, send me an email -- I'll help ya out for sure.

That's great! I didn't mean exact copy as in stroke for stroke and colour by colour, but I just like the portrait style that you've take with that card and the colours are very striking as well and go perfectly together. I will see what I pull out of my boxes and decide then

I've found a new want.... this one is for you too Ed - hopefully he did two

A Dillon Aragorn

[kbmum]

I'm probably going to embarrass myself here, but I have a question.  On some auctions, sellers are listing the level and number of the sketch.  I know that there are six levels, A through F, but how are they coming up with the numbers, like C14?  There aren't 14 artists within the C category.

[Roz]

No, I think the majority of these 'codes' are the seller's own identification codes.

[savage727]

Hi Jo:

Thanks for the post of Dillon's color Aragorn sketch card.  I purchased a Black & White sketch card by Ray Dillon of Aragorn a few days ago.  This is the first one of his works that I have seen in color.  Do you have a link to this one Jo?  I have seen Grant's color work of Aragorn holding the Palanatir out there on ebay.  Man I just cannot believe some of the people offering the really great looking sketch cards for sale - if it was me they would never leave my sight!   

[ferdinand_the_yak]

Hi Ed, that sketch was from the www.lotrsketchcards.com site. I had a look at the Topps site and was reading some people's posts about the 'Big 3/4/5' which kind of irked me a bit. I mean, who's to say that any other artist who's work may not fetch mega $$$ can't be as good as the 'Big 3'? I had a look at the other artists that sketched for the set and I was scrolling through some of the 'lesser known' artists when I came across that beauty in Dillon's section. Man, that made me stop and drool for a bit I like how he alternates between realistic and cartoon depeictions of characters

[Bryanjs14]

Hey Cat,
if you do not mind me asking, was your color One Ring sketch one of the ones you requested back from Topps?

I just want to know if it is, if you will be listing it on Ebay like the Jackson cameos...

Thanks!

[neko]

wow ..go away for a day and there are tons of questions..sorry let me try to answer some of them

For our artists just curious which sketches you did for the set that you are most proud of. It goes without saying post the scan if you have one of the card. Maybe top 5 or 10.

OK..My faves would take up four pages But if i had to narrow it down it would include some of these...





It would probably be easier for me to pick out my least favorites as i could go on and on and on..

I have another question for our artists - if we see a particular sketch we like, is it OK to ask the artist to do a replica?

I don
t mind doing a similar card but I am not big on repeating an image or exact, even though some of the projects i am working on now are calling for that. To me it takes away from it eventually. They lose some of the energy. Like Grant said.. email away.

Hey Cat,
if you do not mind me asking, was your color One Ring sketch one of the ones you requested back from Topps?

I just want to know if it is, if you will be listing it on Ebay like the Jackson cameos...

Thanks!

It was on my list BUT..It did not work out that way..so it is out there *sniff* I actually wanted it back to keep.. it was by far my favorite card I did for this set. I have actually sent out a request to anyone who finds it..please send it home..I will make you a pretty picture 

As for that Big 3 thing that is floating around...while it is flattering it is not something I choose to take part of. I have too much respect for my fellow artists and the hard work everyone did for this set, to exclude them form any credit. I understand they may only be talking from a money stand point for ebay auctions, but it is not for me.

[CC]

I agree with Cat about that 'big 3' thing. It's not very respectful to the other artists who worked so hard on these cards.

[Roz]

Not at all, and I am actually having trouble who I'd personally 'classify' as the big three... I write a list of my favs and it's FAR more than three

[tialessa]

As for that Big 3 thing that is floating around...while it is flattering it is not something I choose to take part of. I have too much respect for my fellow artists and the hard work everyone did for this set, to exclude them form any credit. I understand they may only be talking from a money stand point for ebay auctions, but it is not for me.

Before I first started looking at the sample sketches I knew only of 3 artists that did photo-realistic sketches, so those were the ONLY three I wanted.  After looking at samples I found more I liked, even those not specificaly photo-realistic.  Then I got my case, started looking at cards on ebay, and now I'm doomed...

I have to have one from everyone.....

[blackcat20]

Well, my boxes have arrived, and the packaging has a 17cm tear (more like puncture) in it! Dont know whether thats due to USPS or Aus post, but its not very impressive. Luckily the boxes look undamaged. Ill be opening shortly...