Blindsightjs wrote: With that cel, for instance, it would be awesome to somehow magically find a background that belongs with it, and hypothetically, if I did, I could match them up. So my question is has anyone ever been able to get a background for a cel separately from the cel?
There are some separate issues here that I'll point out, and, as there are different opinions on them, maybe others can chime in, or when you have time you can use the "search" function (which works really well in Beta) to track down some of the debates from the past.
First: yes, everything you saw on the screen really existed at the time the art went under the camera, so there is a chance that all of it is out there somewhere. I've been able to mate at least two cels that I bought separately with their backgrounds,
one from CCS and
one from Tonde Buurin. But I'd have to say that it is rare -- not magically so -- but uncommon. It's much more likely to have the jobber or original owner keep one cel with the background, as the two are more valuable kept as an original set-up than sold individually. The
Tonde Buurin case was where a number of cels from the same cut came on the market, and finally the complete set-up.
I know the real, painted, matching background is almost impossible to find that way, but is there a place people look to find some kind of copy of a matching background or something?
Well ... Rubberslug
did have a feature where you could download good scans of backgrounds that collectors donated to the cause. But that was disabled at the time of the last server move and never set up again. I do know from links that are still live in my gallery that the scans are still there on the server and still downloadable --but the directory is kaput. Sometimes sellers will keep their original set-up and sell the extra cels with good-quality copies of the original background. (Inuyasha cels often come onto the market with these copies.) And with a little trying you can do a screen capture of the moment and print that, though this is problematic as the cels are larger than the "safety" or portion you can see on the screen. (Good way btw to spot fakes, as real cels are painted in the same degree of care outside the safety while forgeries made from screen caps either show only what's visible on the screen or are more carelessly done around the edges.)
Most often the solution is to Photoshop digital backgrounds and then layer the scan of the cel on top.
Vapalla's Cels is a good model for this technique, as this collector's family seems quite talented in the use of Photoshop, and the cels are displayed brilliantly. (Vapalla, alas, was kidnapped and brainwashed by bjds a few years ago, so this collection is no longer growing.) Otherwise, you can keep an eye out for non-matching backgrounds of similar impact and mate cels with them. The RS shop has a large quantity of backgrounds, and I know that most shops and auction sites have quantities of now-anonymous bgs, some of which are really outstanding in artistic quality.
In my own collection I've at times made good matches within a series by fitting a cel from one scene with a bg from another, such as
this cel of The Watery from CCS. And at times a bg from one series will work with a cel from another, such as
this cel of The Firey that went well with a bg from
Bleach.
even though I don't have the real background, it would be cool to float the cel over a copy of the matching background.
You'll want to get some advice on framing, as cels are prone to "intrinsic vice" (the bad tendency of chemically active art objects to destroy themselves over time) and so you can damage one by careless framing and displaying. I tend to be a "keep them in the dark" fussbudget, but other Betarians have successfully framed and mounted objects of their own. You are quite right in wanting to float the cel, as it should be separated from the (plexi)glass in front and any mat or background in back. But there are some other precautions to take, including care in choosing materials and a place to hang it. That I'll leave for others with more experience on that front.
): 
. So now that I get how that works and why it's useful, I have a question in response. With that cel, for instance, it would be awesome to somehow magically find a background that belongs with it, and hypothetically, if I did, I could match them up. So my question is has anyone ever been able to get a background for a cel separately from the cel? I know the real, painted, matching background is almost impossible to find that way, but is there a place people look to find some kind of copy of a matching background or something? I don't know what I'm really even getting at, but I'm just thinking for framing purposes, even though I don't have the real background, it would be cool to float the cel over a copy of the matching background. Sorry for the rant, but hopefully it sorta makes sense.
