Cel VS Sketch: Which is "Better" and Why?

[BuraddoRun]

I was just wondering what you guys think as far as collectibility and worth (whether personal or monetary) of cels VS sketches is? Do you prefer one to the other and if so, why? Here are some comparisons I was pondering:

1. Cels are more colorful. Some sketches have a lot of color and detail as well, but overall cels are usually more rich, vibrant, and showy.
2. Cels are done by machine technicians and colorists, while sketches are done by the artists. Having a piece by an original artist is very nice. If you have a key sketch, then you know it was done by a lead artist and in some cases you may be able to pinpoint the actual artist or original character designer who did them.
3. Cels require much more upkeep and protection, due to the fact that cel paint remains an active chemical that emits vapors. Trace lines fade, and the cel is at risk when exposed to light, certain temperatures, and weight if you stack them. Sketches can yellow when exposed to open air in time, and of course can be damaged by rough handling, but they are definitely easier to keep and protect than cels are.
4. Cels are pieces of an actual production that were used in filming, while sketches are the blueprints for the show. There's something about being able to pause your favorite anime or cartoon and hold a cel in your hand that is THE actual thing you're looking at on screen.
5. Cels are no longer produced (excluding rilezu and reproductions). Obviously, cels are more scarce at this point due to the industry change to cg. We still get new sketches for new and existing shows.
6. Backgrounds go better with cels, look-wise. I guess this could have been included with 1. but I just thought of it.

That's about all I can think of. Do you guys have any other comparisons? I don't think I can choose which I prefer to collect. I really like them both. I've purchased sketches without cels(when I know cels exist for them), and cels without sketches, and I really feel a piece is complete if I can get a cel with a sketch (even more so with a background of course). I know it's a bad way to start a topic but my answer for this is gonna have to be "I wanna have my cake and eat it, too."

[graymouser]

I suppose it depends on each person. I am drawn to color so I prefer cels and backgrounds. Other people prefer artwork done by an experienced artist instead of someone just pumping out a lot of cels as grunt-work. I do not think one is more important than the other. Different people are just attracted to different things. Only time will tell which is more "valuable". I think the important part is to collect what you enjoy and worry less about what may happen decades from now. For all we know neither may have any monetary value at all in the future.

[theultimatebrucelee]

one thing I can think of is that usually cel auctions are for single piece of cel and sketches are often times their entire sequence. and I think with production artwork, at least cash value wise currently, cels are better than sketches.

I also think there are many collectors who would prefer cel over sketch if there was that option, but people are forced into collecting sketches because thats the only form of production artwork available for newer anime.

[sensei]

I like both and collect both eagerly. But I agree that one of the key reasons to collect sketches (even when cels are available for the same series and even scene) is that you usually obtain the key animator's sketch that made the final image possible, and often even the animation director's rough (or "layout correction") that started the creative process. There is a lot to learn from sketch sets, even broken ones, and so if your main incentive is to know more about the process of animation, then these will be primary.

But I admit that they rarely produce the shivers that a really important and well-painted cel can inspire.

[GuyvarIII]

The way I see it is: all cels and sketches are not created equal. The depicted image is more important then the media it was rendered in, or its condition.

Cels and sketches are both “production artwork”; steps that are, or were at one time, needed to create an animated work. To have the show, cels needed to be painted; to create the cels, drawings needed to be made; to create those drawings, roughs needed to be drawn; and prior to this characters, costumes, actions, and plots had to be planned. The cels and drawings are preliminary, static images depicting a variety of scenes, and used in the creation of an animation.

Without mentioning any specific movies, OVAs, series, or creators; disregarding popularity; and thinking of the topic in a vague, general manner…

I think aesthetically pleasing or impactful images are the most collectable, because collectors will buy them without the need of any knowledge of what they’re from. An eye pleasing image can be rendered in paint, ink, pencil, or whatever. In this case, cels and sketches are equivalent.

The second most collectable image is a memorable moment or an important plot scene. And, the third most collectable image is a major character, or characters, performing a characteristic action or expression. These images can be either cels or drawings. However, all those watching the show saw and remember these scenes as being rendered in solid, cel-like, coloring; the cel was the actual piece filmed, after all. So, a cel is closer to the scene everyone remembers, and is more prized than a drawing. But, unless it’s too rough to be recognizable, a drawing from a memorable scene, or characteristic action, is worth more than an ordinary cel.

In regards to a cel and/or sketch’s condition:

As long as the artwork isn’t horrendously damaged, I think most collectors will expect to see some line fading and chipping on cels, and some yellowing, crinkles, and tape burn on sketches; and will overlook these blemishes in order to obtain a good image.


Still… deciding on cels vs drawings also depends on your own collection, since we are all limited by our own aesthetic tastes, as well as availability, i.e., what we’re able to find and acquire.

[star-phoenix]

Like what a lot have said, depends on the person and even the type of sketch we are talking about. I personally have a huge preference to cels, more specifically to "Key master set ups". Those are cels with the original matching backgrounds. In the vintage art world, cels are FAR LESS common than the sketches because they do not survive, and tend to fetch a much higher price.

I generally concentrate on the cels. But, I would love to have a great layout or storyboard from an old Disney film/short one day....

[Keropi]

Yeah, I agree. It really depends on the collector. I think more collectors would prefer a good cel over a good sketch if they were of the same quality and liked the anime the same amount.

I think if cels were still being used I would have preferred those over the sketches I was getting. Collecting sketches was more of an acquired taste for me, but I got used to it over time.

But I think sketches are pretty easy to destroy too if you live in the wrong area or store them in the wrong place. One reason I used to like collecting sketches was because I figured that sketches wouldn't discolor and get line fading. But sketches DO get discolored and foxed if the area they are store in is too humid. If I lived in a dry area I wouldn't be concerned about it, but if I moved to where my mom lives at...I would. The amount of humidity destruction she gets on a lot of things is pretty bad (shiny metals become corroded and paper becomes brown with foxing).

[sensei]

Keropi, you might consider an inexpensive dehumidifier. We have one in our garage that has substantially reduced problems we had with mildew and foxing. High humidity is also a factor in triggering vinegar syndrome, about which more tomorrow.

[Keropi]

I have a dehumidifier here in the Los Angeles area (I use it during the colder months), but since I'm probably going to be moving to Hawaii in the next two to four years it's not going to work there. Dehumidifiers don't work well in warm, humid areas. They have a harder time pulling moisture out of the air from condensation. And if I ever decided to move into my mom's large house for instance, it would be even worse because she lives in the valley. It rains more there because of the mountains and it's more humid there.

I suppose living closer to downtown Honolulu would be better humidity-wise, but I'm not encouraged by just that. I've thought about buying a few metallic or paper collectibles like iron meteorites and ancient bronze coins,etc, but then I think about the corroded copper and brass items in her house and I lose interest.

Unless they're polished continuously, they become corroded. That's just how it is.

I suppose I could put those moisture absorbers and put the coins in a plastic container, but eh. You have to keep changing them, etc. They don't work well with larger items (and especially the items where you don't want the humidity to become TOO low).

The environmental cabinets are too expensive in my case. I'm going to sell off most of my paper collectibles before I go. I'd hate to see foxing appear on my vintage Judy Garland autographed photo for example. That's one of the things I'd like to sell off before I go. Someone else could take better care of it than me. My collectibles shouldn't go downhill just because I am unable to or can't afford to do anything about it.