YESSSSSSSSSSSSS! I need an artist!

[Vater Araignee]

I have been green lit to to enter into the next phase of creating a custom deck of cards.

Now I need an artist to work with and am opening it up to DGNers first.

Please submit links to your portfolios here.

If you want to improve your chances of being selected, submit your current interpretation of a pip and court card that you think will get my attention. Your expected price range would be nice too.

 

Oh I should probably mention that the background color of the cards will be black like the tiger deck but...

not restricted to white and red.

[Troy Spiral (13)]

For these types of symbols / images there is really high quality clip art that will not cost you hardly anything in comparison to getting something custom made that likely will be the same quality, if even as good as most quality clip art at the big clip houses (Shutterstock being the largest) have some of the highest quality artwork, especially in the positive/negative style you'll probably want.   (Been around similar blocks to this many, MANY times).  Plus , once you take that clip art and put it into a card configuration it is then something you can copyright if you wish. 

 

As a side note I love specialized card decks.  I used to have a ton of them, downsized at some point and only have like 5 now. 

[Vater Araignee]

I'm not chasing a small run or that is the rout I would follow Troy.

The people I am in contact with insist that I have an artist who will be willing sign an affidavit stating that they created the each none public domain piece. I didn't ask why but I do know why. Copyright infringement. Producing a collectors deck using the name of a has been is enough of a risk and one they are willing to take but they are not willing to take on a copyright suit.

 

I have also read some of the "usage agreements" on those sites and they can be very restrictive and usage permissions can be revoked after X amount of time or X amount of production and a myriad of other reasons. If the first addition sells well, what happens to a second addition when the rights can not be repurchased? Now if an artist is commissioned, that means I own the art, and that means...

1. If there is a copyright suit, I become the target and if found guilty would then be responsible for going after the artist for defrauding me.

2. If everything is copacetic and the backers want to do a second addition, I can negotiate a larger cut for me and some royalties for the artist/artists or even gift them myself.

 

All but the most logical path point to commissioning the art.

The most logical path but least fun is for me to go with public domain. It is maximum profit and will probably sell better because of familiarity and I will be able to design the special cards faster. Oh look, I'm starting to talk myself into just scanning a bicycle deck and recoloring it then just finding someone to draw my jokers. We all know that with my ego, I must make an appearance in the deck.