so this will seem like a silly question..but..how much do you charge for your alters/commissions? I have what i think is a fair rate but now im not so sure...
It depends on how complex the alter is. I'm just starting out, and I've done some for other people. I've charged only $10 NZD for an alter (which is less than minimum wage , considering the time I put into them). When I get more confident in my skills, I would think about charging more, so that it is worth my time.
Also, I've seen your alters, and I enjoy your style. I do think you should go back to the drawing board on your signature though. You want something small and elegant, so as not to detract from the aesthetics of the alter. The only person that really gets away with a big sig (in my opinion) is poxy14. I'm fairly sure he is involved in some sort of wizardry or pact with the devil to get a signature that classy.
see, ive been keeping below 20$ when people ask, like 10 for simple 20 for anything complex..Im not sure if this is too much sometimes, but I feel its fair just for the cost of the paints themselves (I use gold acrylics) and time..
Yeah, my next batch Ive picked up some toothpicks so hopefully that works better for the signature. If you have any other suggestions, im more than ears! (pm or here).
Hello!
I was wondering if anybody could give me some tips, tricks, or ideas as to how you would paint Smoke or fog. I was looking for it to be semitransparent on the card. Clicking on the card smoke will give you a rough idea as to what I am talking about.
Edit
I am using Golden Fluid Acrilycs.
I would recommend you to play with glazing medium to thin your paints (wich makes the cover more transparent) and the dry technique (using an old brush that you wouln't mind to spoil more, and charging it with pretty small loads of thinned paint, squeezing it to the point that it just stains.) Play until you get a foggy effect you're comfortable with.
so this will seem like a silly question..but..how much do you charge for your alters/commissions? I have what i think is a fair rate but now im not so sure...
This is the million dollar question isnt' it lol. When i get in a groove i can paint about 10-12 alters in about 6-7 hours. For commons and uncommons i start Ebay Auctions at 4.99 freeshipping, for rares 7.99 free shipping and for mythics 9.99 free shipping. Sometimes i lose money but sometimes i get WAY more than expected. example, a boros charm i painted ended at $33.00.. i would never have thought that.. for me the price is set by the market. Some people can't do this, i understand.. but i really find that it ends up much better off for me. Especially when new sets drop, 4.99 auctions for a common usually end up between 10-20$ after bidding. For commissions (which i rarely do, because i do NOT paint other people's cards) i will only paint cards that i already own, and i base the commission off what they want on it, and how long it takes me. If it is just a common that takes me 30minutes to do i will charge around $8 if it's a rare i charge the price of the rare +$8 and so forth with mythics. If it's something reallycomplicated (like once i did a C3P0 on a solumn simulacrum, i charged $20 because it took me about 2 hours to do. I say if you haven't yet.. test out your work on ebay, trust me if you get a few "fans" they will outbid many people to collect your work, i'm assuming that's why CardKitty is so "popular" that and because she was just one of the first to get into the hobby. I've seen people whohave just as good work as her sell for much less, but fans are loyal and will pay top dollar to collect specific people's work. I truely appreciate my artwork "fans" they keep my bills paid.
New Threads in the Tutorial subforum don't get a lot of exposure so I figured I'd post a link to my card altering tutorial here. I go through step by step on altering a City of Brass, with tips along the way.
I know this has been done before but i also know how it is to have to go through pages and pages of information looking for something specific so i decided since i've been doing Alters for nearly 2 years now i'd give a list of my tips for beginners:
1.) Decide your style. Some people have very specific styles, and very unique, but sometimes also have a limited fan base (though loyal) if you have a unique style own it, if not make sure your work represents your abilites.
2.) USE the right tools. Many people buy overly expensive products feeling they are better than another or because they were told that's what to use. I personally use Basic brand tubed acrylics to alter my cards. I do a base coat of slightly thinned out black, (thinning only with a little water) sometimes i do 2 coats if it's a white boarder. Then i paint with very thinned out acrylic colors over that. Using liquid acrylics for me are a waste of money, they take many layers to get the same effect and i find are a little to "see through" to the card for me. But whatever works for you.
3.) Be CLEAN. The easiest way to clean up acrylic on a card around boarders, titles and boxes is to use something that won't damage the card, but is controlable. Many people use toothpicks, i find them annoying, i use Skewers Exact same concept only they are long enough and thick enough to hold and control just like a pencil. In addition i touch the tip of it on my tongue getting it just wet enough to make the acrylic paint come off easier without having to "scrape" to hard. Dipping it into a cup of water however might make it TOO wet and damage the card, so i find this the best method for me.
4.) Keep your layers thin. Glooping up paint might cover a section easier, but the final result will look weird and raised, and also "mark the card" even in a sleeve. If it is "slightly" thicker than the card it's fine when you spray it with a clear gloss it will even the cards thickness back out. Thin layers take more time but are worth it with the results.
5.) Extensions and borderless are pretty much the best decisions when it comes to newer cards, most cards are played in standard and only very few make it to the popularity of other formats. If you get rid of the title, manacost, or rules text of a card many judges may not allow people to play them. EDH is an acception (so when doing full art cards select cards popular for the format they are legal to be used in.)
6.) Do many cards at once. I usually black out boarders of 10-20 cards at a time, that way when i get the color paints out i don't have to stop and start each one while my paint dries up. In addition i will do cards that have similar colors. I.E. i would paint 5 forest cards at once, because they all have greens, browns, and yellows in them. I wouldn't paint one of each land card at one time because i'd have to get out a much broader color range of paints and while painting a forest some colors for a mountain would dry up and i'm wasting money (via wasting paint).
7.) ask your peers for advice on topics, popular cards, and prices. If you really love the art on a card but no one is running it in any popular deck, chances are you won't sell it. Paint things that people want. I have 40+ cards that i've done for personal use because i liked the art. Its great having these, but they would be useless to try and sell.
8.) to match colors, is probably one of the hardest things to do in altered art. The best way i've found to fix this issue is first of all, MAKE SURE you are using proper natural light. Bulbs and lamps tend to give you a skewed view of what you are doing. Something that looks orangy red under a lamp might look yellowy orange in natural light, it will be too late to fix this if you put layers of the wrong color on. In addition, don't be scared to flow your paints into the center(original art) of the painting. If you can't match it fake it lol. Sometimes i've redone the entire background because i just could NOT get the colors to match no matter what i tried.
9.) Many people scan their cards, I take photos of mine in natural light BEFORE they are sprayed, to prevent that glossy or pixelated look. It may not be the preference of others but i find it gives the most honest look of how the card is altered.
I'm sure there are things i missed but maybe this little bit of advice will help others who just haven't thought about it. Good luck fellow artists i always enjoy new commers and their inspirational works!
Sorry, didn't realize I can't for ebay id's. I was so inspired by this thread that I went out and bought some cheap paint and brushes and tried it for myself. This is as far as I got before I realized I forgot to buy black paint. I'm also going to need a very tiny brush to get in the super small details.
I know there are some weird spots such as the bottom tail section. Any suggestions you guys can offer on how attack the rest of this?
Sorry, didn't realize I can't for ebay id's. I was so inspired by this thread that I went out and bought some cheap paint and brushes and tried it for myself. This is as far as I got before I realized I forgot to buy black paint. I'm also going to need a very tiny brush to get in the super small details.
I know there are some weird spots such as the bottom tail section. Any suggestions you guys can offer on how attack the rest of this?
It's actually lookin' pretty good for a first try and for not having black.. For the bottom tail section, creating a "shadow" to make it look 3dish might help with the weirdness. Just thin your black down a lot and drag the brush over it where you can see through it but it's noticable that it's a "shadow". Hope that helps Keep up the great start!
Is there a guide somewhere for foil cutout sticker alters? Does it require any special equipment? I know they're considered low-effort and mass-production-ish, but I have an idea to alter my commander and there's no way I'll be able to do the level of detail required by hand.
Just wanted to show an attempt at an alter for the general public to take a look at... And let me know what I could have done to improve it... I know it's just a token but I'm just starting and not sure if I'm good enough to start altering actual cards yet...
As per Artwork Subforum Rules, proper references must be provided while working with other people's images and/or characters. Image removed. Once you've provided such references, feel free to repost your image and remove this mod text. -BBull
I have recently finished some acrylic alters and I am not sure if I need to "finish them. I like the way they look and I want to use them in my EDH decks. Do I need to finish them and if so what do I use. I have looked at Hobby Lobby and the cheapest thing I have found is $15. I havent decided weather this is worth it or not. Help please
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Originally posted by Rywads Having a foiled set of avacyn's pilgrims must be on the same level as a dude who puts expensive spinner hubcaps on an old Honda Civic.
I have recently finished some acrylic alters and I am not sure if I need to "finish them. I like the way they look and I want to use them in my EDH decks. Do I need to finish them and if so what do I use. I have looked at Hobby Lobby and the cheapest thing I have found is $15. I havent decided weather this is worth it or not. Help please
Well, as I've suggested earlier in this thread, sealing the alters would help to preserve them, while also amalgamate all the textures into a single one (making it look more uniform.) Personally, I like the semi-gloss sealant for drawings from Acrilex. It just works perfect for me (not sure about the cost in other countries. Here in my country it costs around 120 argentinian pesos, wich happens to be around 20 dollars.) If you're going to sleeve them and never touch them again, may be you could wait until you feel your pieces are good enough and/or you love them enough to add extra protection. It's up to you.
I like to use Krylon Matte 1311. While they don't necessarily need it, spray finishing will do a lot to bring the sometimes glossy paint and card down together. This goes a long way to making the paint and non painted areas more homogeneous.
I also recommend warming the can in warm water until it no longer cools down when you shake them before you spray. Gives a more even spray for further down into the can before it begins to spit.
best recommendation for turning white bordered cards into black bordered cards? i cant seem to find a black paint that matches the sheen on a normal black bordered card. its always too glossy or too dull.
best recommendation for turning white bordered cards into black bordered cards? i cant seem to find a black paint that matches the sheen on a normal black bordered card. its always too glossy or too dull.
Here's a post by Galspanic from a while back, I believe it's what you're looking for.
Step 1: Use a damp paper towel (almost dry) to clean the surface of the card since most white bordered cards have a bit of a slick to them.
Step 2: Using a very fine brush and Golden Carbon Black airbrush acrylic paint a thin layer. Then, once dry, paint it again. I usually use 3-4 very thin layers.
Step 3: Let dry for a few hours and give it a spray coating.
Step 4: (Optional) I run a sharpie around all 4 sides so that you don't see the white of the cardboard on the side. It makes them marked without sleeves, but I only use sleeves and they are much cleaner looking this way. Notice in the picture that the Jokulhaups and Obliterate do NOT have the black card edge... I'm fixing that now.
The problem with other paints is that they are thick and can leave some surface to them. Airbrush acrylics are so watery that they lay almost perfectly flat. The downside is that they are incredibly brittle and will scratch off without the spray coat.
Here are some of my black bordered cards (Revised are the easiest and new borders are the hardest):
Note: Catastrophe is Beatdown because I couldn't find an Urza's... so it looks just like an Urzas... :doh:
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I'm a huge fervent of TappedOut. Most of my link will link there.
Galspanic tricked me into coming to his place by PMing me nudes, I rushed over and they were all just playing magic. I said what the hell, took off my leather mask, shuffled up, and played a few games.
I am a pretty janky artist, but I wanted to try some line art, pen and ink with hash shading kinda stuff in B&W and I figure I got enough garbage cards to try things on. Anyway, the first post gives a good idea of pens to use but I was wondering if it is better to blank a surface or to put a neutral (white) base coat down to draw on? Does the answer change if the alter will cross into other parts of the card? Also, back in my youth in my industrial design classes I seem to remember a liquid mask that could be painted on for complex edges, is something like that good for these types of applications if only part of the art will be altered?
I used to use Krylon Kamar spray varnish, but found that I didn't like it overly much. Then I found a paint on varnish by the same brand of paints I use. I was wondering if anyone else painted their varnishes on by brush?
I used to use Krylon Kamar spray varnish, but found that I didn't like it overly much. Then I found a paint on varnish by the same brand of paints I use. I was wondering if anyone else painted their varnishes on by brush?
I am not a great artist, more of a crafter, but I have used paint on varnish and I am not sure it would be good for a high quality alter. I could not apply it without leaving brush marks when it had dried. My project was mostly for myself and testing so it did not matter as much, but I would not want to use it on a quality piece of art.
I have begun playing around with the Krylon Matte 1311 spray varnish that iplaythisgame suggested earlier in the thread. I'm much happier with the results so far that I have been with either the Krylon Kamar spray or my paint varnish. So far, I'd definitely recommend it to others.
I'm no painter, but I do a little art from time to time. I'm going to college to be a graphic designer, and I took Design I, so I barely know the basics of color theory and the color wheel lol..
Also my alters have thick paints because I have no idea how people "thin" their paints or get the super smooth and even strokes. Mine come out all rough because I have no idea what I'm doing.
Question:
I'm using Nail Polish Remover, which contains acetone, to remove ink form the cards I want to alter. It's been fine so far, but I often find that I have to rub quite vigorously to get the result I want, which then damages the 'card' of the card.
Question:
I'm using Nail Polish Remover, which contains acetone, to remove ink form the cards I want to alter. It's been fine so far, but I often find that I have to rub quite vigorously to get the result I want, which then damages the 'card' of the card.
Any ideas?
I'm not sure what sort of alters you're doing, but many people have found success just using erasers (some types work better than others). I don't personally erase any of the ink from my cards, I just use a basecoat.
Question:
I'm using Nail Polish Remover, which contains acetone, to remove ink form the cards I want to alter. It's been fine so far, but I often find that I have to rub quite vigorously to get the result I want, which then damages the 'card' of the card.
Any ideas?
The advice I have been given is to skip that method of removal all together unless you can get 100% Acetone from a chemical supplier. Nail polish remover is not pure acetone so not only are you having to work much harder to get the ink off, but you are also rubbing all sorts of other garbage all over your card.
I have been told the eraser method is better, or if you are blanking the whole card you should just get a foil an peel off the art.
It depends on how complex the alter is. I'm just starting out, and I've done some for other people. I've charged only $10 NZD for an alter (which is less than minimum wage , considering the time I put into them). When I get more confident in my skills, I would think about charging more, so that it is worth my time.
Also, I've seen your alters, and I enjoy your style. I do think you should go back to the drawing board on your signature though. You want something small and elegant, so as not to detract from the aesthetics of the alter. The only person that really gets away with a big sig (in my opinion) is poxy14. I'm fairly sure he is involved in some sort of wizardry or pact with the devil to get a signature that classy.
Juju Alters - Altered MTG Cards
Yeah, my next batch Ive picked up some toothpicks so hopefully that works better for the signature. If you have any other suggestions, im more than ears! (pm or here).
This is the million dollar question isnt' it lol. When i get in a groove i can paint about 10-12 alters in about 6-7 hours. For commons and uncommons i start Ebay Auctions at 4.99 freeshipping, for rares 7.99 free shipping and for mythics 9.99 free shipping. Sometimes i lose money but sometimes i get WAY more than expected. example, a boros charm i painted ended at $33.00.. i would never have thought that.. for me the price is set by the market. Some people can't do this, i understand.. but i really find that it ends up much better off for me. Especially when new sets drop, 4.99 auctions for a common usually end up between 10-20$ after bidding. For commissions (which i rarely do, because i do NOT paint other people's cards) i will only paint cards that i already own, and i base the commission off what they want on it, and how long it takes me. If it is just a common that takes me 30minutes to do i will charge around $8 if it's a rare i charge the price of the rare +$8 and so forth with mythics. If it's something reallycomplicated (like once i did a C3P0 on a solumn simulacrum, i charged $20 because it took me about 2 hours to do. I say if you haven't yet.. test out your work on ebay, trust me if you get a few "fans" they will outbid many people to collect your work, i'm assuming that's why CardKitty is so "popular" that and because she was just one of the first to get into the hobby. I've seen people whohave just as good work as her sell for much less, but fans are loyal and will pay top dollar to collect specific people's work. I truely appreciate my artwork "fans" they keep my bills paid.
http://kersmtgalters.deviantart.com/
To buy some of my alters check out my ebay page and add me to your favorites here:http://myworld.ebay.com/queen_gothica13?_trksid=p2047675.l2559
Thanks!
Juju Alters - Altered MTG Cards
1.) Decide your style. Some people have very specific styles, and very unique, but sometimes also have a limited fan base (though loyal) if you have a unique style own it, if not make sure your work represents your abilites.
2.) USE the right tools. Many people buy overly expensive products feeling they are better than another or because they were told that's what to use. I personally use Basic brand tubed acrylics to alter my cards. I do a base coat of slightly thinned out black, (thinning only with a little water) sometimes i do 2 coats if it's a white boarder. Then i paint with very thinned out acrylic colors over that. Using liquid acrylics for me are a waste of money, they take many layers to get the same effect and i find are a little to "see through" to the card for me. But whatever works for you.
3.) Be CLEAN. The easiest way to clean up acrylic on a card around boarders, titles and boxes is to use something that won't damage the card, but is controlable. Many people use toothpicks, i find them annoying, i use Skewers Exact same concept only they are long enough and thick enough to hold and control just like a pencil. In addition i touch the tip of it on my tongue getting it just wet enough to make the acrylic paint come off easier without having to "scrape" to hard. Dipping it into a cup of water however might make it TOO wet and damage the card, so i find this the best method for me.
4.) Keep your layers thin. Glooping up paint might cover a section easier, but the final result will look weird and raised, and also "mark the card" even in a sleeve. If it is "slightly" thicker than the card it's fine when you spray it with a clear gloss it will even the cards thickness back out. Thin layers take more time but are worth it with the results.
5.) Extensions and borderless are pretty much the best decisions when it comes to newer cards, most cards are played in standard and only very few make it to the popularity of other formats. If you get rid of the title, manacost, or rules text of a card many judges may not allow people to play them. EDH is an acception (so when doing full art cards select cards popular for the format they are legal to be used in.)
6.) Do many cards at once. I usually black out boarders of 10-20 cards at a time, that way when i get the color paints out i don't have to stop and start each one while my paint dries up. In addition i will do cards that have similar colors. I.E. i would paint 5 forest cards at once, because they all have greens, browns, and yellows in them. I wouldn't paint one of each land card at one time because i'd have to get out a much broader color range of paints and while painting a forest some colors for a mountain would dry up and i'm wasting money (via wasting paint).
7.) ask your peers for advice on topics, popular cards, and prices. If you really love the art on a card but no one is running it in any popular deck, chances are you won't sell it. Paint things that people want. I have 40+ cards that i've done for personal use because i liked the art. Its great having these, but they would be useless to try and sell.
8.) to match colors, is probably one of the hardest things to do in altered art. The best way i've found to fix this issue is first of all, MAKE SURE you are using proper natural light. Bulbs and lamps tend to give you a skewed view of what you are doing. Something that looks orangy red under a lamp might look yellowy orange in natural light, it will be too late to fix this if you put layers of the wrong color on. In addition, don't be scared to flow your paints into the center(original art) of the painting. If you can't match it fake it lol. Sometimes i've redone the entire background because i just could NOT get the colors to match no matter what i tried.
9.) Many people scan their cards, I take photos of mine in natural light BEFORE they are sprayed, to prevent that glossy or pixelated look. It may not be the preference of others but i find it gives the most honest look of how the card is altered.
I'm sure there are things i missed but maybe this little bit of advice will help others who just haven't thought about it. Good luck fellow artists i always enjoy new commers and their inspirational works!
http://kersmtgalters.deviantart.com/
To buy some of my alters check out my ebay page and add me to your favorites here:http://myworld.ebay.com/queen_gothica13?_trksid=p2047675.l2559
I know there are some weird spots such as the bottom tail section. Any suggestions you guys can offer on how attack the rest of this?
It's actually lookin' pretty good for a first try and for not having black.. For the bottom tail section, creating a "shadow" to make it look 3dish might help with the weirdness. Just thin your black down a lot and drag the brush over it where you can see through it but it's noticable that it's a "shadow". Hope that helps Keep up the great start!
http://kersmtgalters.deviantart.com/
To buy some of my alters check out my ebay page and add me to your favorites here:http://myworld.ebay.com/queen_gothica13?_trksid=p2047675.l2559
As per Artwork Subforum Rules, proper references must be provided while working with other people's images and/or characters. Image removed. Once you've provided such references, feel free to repost your image and remove this mod text. -BBull
EDH-
Shattergang BothersGBR Kaalia the Vast RBW Pillowpants the Blackblade, Troll of the PillowfortBUW Jarad Golgari Lich Lord's Pet CemeteryGB (Retired)
Ghave Guru of SporesGBW (Retired)
Jenara, Asura of WarGWU Norin the WayR Rhys the RedeemedGW Oloro, Ageless AsceticBUW
Ezuri, Renegade LeaderG
I also recommend warming the can in warm water until it no longer cools down when you shake them before you spray. Gives a more even spray for further down into the can before it begins to spit.
Gallery
PM me for Commissions
GBU The Mimeoplasm Combo EDH
Here's a post by Galspanic from a while back, I believe it's what you're looking for.
EDH Commanders:
Ridiculously Threatening Auras
Project Simic Experiment [№001384]
:symr::symw::symu:Zedruu, Candidate for Presidency:symr::symw::symu:
Trade Binder or Here
Reprint Opt for Modern!!
FREE DIG THOROUGH TIME!
PLAY MORE ROUGE DECKS!
formely known as Wolf_Cub82
my altered cards on Facebook my altered cards on Tumblr
BurnR(Legacy)
ReanimatorUB(Legacy)
Ghave, Guru of SporesWGB(Commander)
HumansRW(Standard)
Reprint Opt for Modern!!
FREE DIG THOROUGH TIME!
PLAY MORE ROUGE DECKS!
formely known as Wolf_Cub82
my altered cards on Facebook my altered cards on Tumblr
BurnR(Legacy)
ReanimatorUB(Legacy)
Ghave, Guru of SporesWGB(Commander)
HumansRW(Standard)
I'm no painter, but I do a little art from time to time. I'm going to college to be a graphic designer, and I took Design I, so I barely know the basics of color theory and the color wheel lol..
Also my alters have thick paints because I have no idea how people "thin" their paints or get the super smooth and even strokes. Mine come out all rough because I have no idea what I'm doing.
The actual video quality isn't that great because I recorded on a whim(in the wrong format). From a commission from last month.
http://youtu.be/u-dtPMRXGqc
Gallery
PM me for Commissions
GBU The Mimeoplasm Combo EDH
I'm using Nail Polish Remover, which contains acetone, to remove ink form the cards I want to alter. It's been fine so far, but I often find that I have to rub quite vigorously to get the result I want, which then damages the 'card' of the card.
Any ideas?
I'm not sure what sort of alters you're doing, but many people have found success just using erasers (some types work better than others). I don't personally erase any of the ink from my cards, I just use a basecoat.
Juju Alters - Altered MTG Cards
I have been told the eraser method is better, or if you are blanking the whole card you should just get a foil an peel off the art.
Reprint Opt for Modern!!
FREE DIG THOROUGH TIME!
PLAY MORE ROUGE DECKS!