Sketching A Post Out

 It has been a long time since I've made a post about sketch cards. It has been a long time since I have looked for or even bought any. The cards in this post I have been meaning to post about for some time since I have had them for 10-11 years. My criteria for sketch cards is generally first their appearance and that includes the quality of the art work and the price. Just like regular cards I don't like the super high prices that many ask for any card let alone a semi rare art card. Back when I used to hunt for sketch cards a decade ago. Many of them were just that a SKETCH card, usually one of a kind and often they were in just pencil or uncolored black pen & ink. Then some of the artists colored in their work and often they would make print copies to sell so they could keep their original art. I don't mind photocopies if they look OK and if I know upon purchase that they are prints. Anyway that is more than enough talk, time to show the cards. Oh one of these cards I have another sketch card by the same artist whose full name I do not know. In a previous post I mentioned another card by the artist named "Phil" whom I can't make out the last name.

So let me start by showing this second card by the artist "Phil" this is one of two sketch cards I have with Pauley Perrette as her character Abby Sciuto. It is also one of two sketch cards I'm showing that have a gold sticker "sealing" the card as a "Limited Edition Collectors Series". Back in the day I loved getting them for the gold seal to show they were sort of authentic, but if you really think about it, it doesn't make them any more special, as often the seal can be worn or damaged negating the whole specialness of them.

2012? Sketch card NCIS canvas prints Pauley Perrette as Abby Sciuto by Phil #200/250

Next the other "sealed" card from a similar series probably commissioned by the same Ebay seller from the Doctor Who canvas prints series we have Matt Smith as The 11th Doctor floating with his TARDIS by Michael Celona.

2012? Sketch card Doctor Who canvas prints Matt Smith as The Doctor by Michael Celona #246/250

Now the other Abby Sciuto sketch card this time by artist David Coalburn this one seems to be a print and it is numbered to only 25 and is dated 2012.

2012 sketch card Pauley Perrette as Abby Sciuto by David Coalburn #2/25

The final card is another print numbered to 25 by artist David Coalburn this time the subject is Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman.

2012 sketch card Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman by David Coalburn #1/25

Holy Hawaii Batman!

I got two more sketch cards one on Wednesday 02 February 2012 and one the following day. These cost a bit more than the pencil sketch cards I had mentioned before. First up is a sketch of DC Comic Heroine Batgirl on her Batcycle.

 

This card is a pencil sketch with pen & ink with gray shading, watercolor? The back is signed by the artist Lyle Pollard and dated "2k'12" it has ink bleed-through from the ink on the front.

I like his style but I have a problem with some of his faces, there were other cards I saw where I liked the subject but there was something about how he did the face that didn't sit with me well.

 After studying this particular sketch I noticed that Batgirl has a scrawny pencil-neck. I also noticed that her windblown hair seems to be too high behind her, maybe her pony tail is high and that is the loose hair below the hairband.Those are my only complaints about this sketch. I got it from Ebay for $14.99 w/Free Shipping.

 Next up we have a card from an "upcoming designer of non-sports trading cards" of the Hawaii Five-0 Character Kono Kalakaua played by Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica).

 It is a pencil sketch colored with what looks like watercolor. The artist uses thin paper stock that is textured to simulate canvas. The back is actually a second piece of paper stock that has a certificate and is serial numbered to 250. Each of this artist's print runs is numbered to 250. It is sealed in a toploader (no penny sleeve though). I got this one for $12.99 w/ $1.95 shipping. This one is numbered 224/250.

 At first I thought and assumed (dangerous to do I know) that the seller was the artist his Ebay ID is vinestreetstuff. It doesn't look like he is the artist as the guy has a couple of other artist's work for sale. One of the artists this guy sells cards of is named Michael Celona, but this signature doesn't match the one for him. The signature on the back looks like it starts with a "P" maybe "Phil"?

It seems that sketch artists don't put their cards in a penny sleeve before putting them in the toploader. At least most have the sense to use toploaders and not those silly "card savers". (see my post on My Cal Ripken RC) The card saver is better than nothing, unfortunately a lot of card sellers and card collectors will put cards in them and ship them in a thin envelope (bad) or a PWE (worse). They are usually OK if put in a bubble mailer or a more substantial mailer or box. Cardsavers are OK for storage and display, but not for shipping.