Introduction of my custom sports prints, custom cut autograph cards, etc.

GemMintArt

Hello fellow collectors,

Just wanted to introduce myself and tell everyone about what I'm all about. My name is Jack McDonough and I'm the owner and chief artist of GemMintArt.com

I try to employ a unique combination of pop art and cubism to pay tribute to some of the great athletes of the modern world. These iconic images are high quality digital prints hand signed by myself on the back and are numbered limited editions. For example, each copy of the first print, entitled “The Flying Dutchman” is numbered to 327, the career batting average of the player being honored with the work, legendary Hall of Famer Honus Wagner. There will only ever be 327 copies printed and signed, ever, guaranteed, and they will include signed and numbered certificates of authenticity which will be signed and numbered to match the piece, so these prints make great collectors items, at least I think so.

In addition I am open to commissioned work and I am constantly working on new pieces. I'm attaching the first 2 prints that are for sale, "The Flying Dutchman" and "The Splendid Splinter", the price is $20 per print, or and introductory price of $30 for both.

The main reason I am posting here is to let everyone know that I am also going to be offering cut autograph custom card services, I'm still perfecting my process and once this service is available I'll keep everyone updated on these forums and on my website, hopefully there is some interest in this, I really enjoy doing it and hope to keep the prices very affordable.

Basically I'm just another collector who is combining two of his favorite pastimes together, art and sports card/collectibles. I know you guys don't know me, but hopefully in the coming years I'll get to know some of you and maybe most of you. If anyone would have any questions you can post them here or email me at Jack@GemMintArt.com anytime. BTW I'm going to try to attach some small images of my first 2 prints so you call can check them out, the sizes are roughly 10x15 inches, maybe a little smaller/bigger, depending on the image.

Thanks for reading, very excited to join the group.

Sincerely,
Jack McDonough
Jack@GemMintArt.com
www.GemMintArt.com

GemMintArt

Hopefully this works, this is my first print, "The Flying Dutchman" numbered to 327.

Thanks,
Jack@GemMintArt.com

pdub1819

Welcome to the boards, I look forward to seeing your work.

Edited to add: I would love to see some Clemente artwork!

GemMintArt

This is my second print entitled "The Splendid Splinter" numbered to 406. Hope you guys like it!

Thanks,
Jack@GemMintArt.com

Elemenopeo

vladguerrero

Great stuff I ordered a bunch of prints off your website...

GemMintArt

Thanks Elemenopeo for posting getting the pics up there, I had to bring the quality way down to get them to fit within this websites parameters, the quality of the prints is top notch, looks much sharper in person.

Vlad, as soon as the site is up, ordering should be easy, but for now you can just email me at Jack@GemMintArt.com

Thanks,
Jack@GemMintArt.com

Elemenopeo

Use an external image-hosting site and you don't have to worry about CU's parameters... Here's a link to a useful tutorial.

HeritageAddict

Isn't that just the photoshop cutout filter?

jeffcbay

I would like to donate my oil painting.

HeritageAddict

Fantastic work Jeff, you've come a long way in your filter applications!

GemMintArt

I have to say I should have saw that coming No, it's not any type of filter or anything like that. What I do is hand draw every part of the art piece by piece, the Wagner took almost 3 months. I could understand why you guys might think that based on the scans, so my bad for not fully explaining the process. When I get some time I'll put up some more work that I have done that maybe illustrates the style a little bit better. Either way thanks for the feedback guys, I'll try to work on making my newest stuff look less generic I guess? Here is a cut autograph photoshop mockup that I'm in the process of creating using facsimile autographs at first, I'm still perfecting the matting and cutting of the autograph, pretty scary!

Thanks,
Jack@GemMintArt.com

jeffcbay

I'm just ribbing you Jack, good luck with your project! It's always good if you can make a little money doing something you love.

pdub1819

When is your site going to be up and running?

GemMintArt

Pdub, the site should be up and running by Thanksgiving at the latest, I hops to have a few more pieces for sale by then. I'd love to do something with Roberto Clemente, let me know if you have any ideas as to what direction to go and I'll try to c create something cool. The way I would do it is since he is such a popular player, I'd make a new limited edition print inspired by clemente, and you would get the 1st one, or maybe number 21 out of whatever the limited run will be. I'm excited to do it if you are still interested, thanks again.

Thanks,
Jack@GemMintArt.com

cwazzy

If you ever do Campanella I would be interested in a print. I know he's not the most popular player but he was a damn good one.

Stan Musial would be a good one as well.

HeritageAddict

What size are the prints?

MBMiller25

How big are these prints, or what size could make these prints?

What is the turn around time on something new, that you haven't created?

MUSIAL MUSIAL MUSIAL! -Hope you got the subtle hint.

Look forward to reading the answers.

GemMintArt

cwazzy, Campanella and Musial are both great ideas, I'll start keeping a list of requests and eventually they will get done. It's easier for me if I have a direction to go with the art rather than finding my own inspiration, so I really encourage the requests/suggestions, thanks a bunch and I'll let you know when Campanella is coming up.

Heritageaddict, The sizes are usually in proportion to the size of the card I'm paying tribute to. So The Flying Dutchman obviously is inspired by a T206 so I think it's about 9x17 inches and The Splendid Splinter is about 12x17 inches, I'm at work right now but when I get home I'll double check on the sizes. Any size is more or less possible though, especially if it's a new piece. Example, I'm making a portrait for my brother in law for Christmas and I made that 8x10 just for ease of framing. Thanks!

Just so everyone knows I am currently working on a Gordie Howe, Mickey Mantle, Ty Cobb and my personal favorite one, BJ Penn. If anyone would like to see anyone else let me know and thy will be done! Thanks again all!

GemMintArt

MB Miller- Turnaround time, tough question. Honus took me 3 months and I scrapped 3 complete finished pieces because they just didn't have the look i was going for. Ted took me 2 months because I had gotten better at the style so it didn't take as long, although I think I scrapped 4 finished pieces on him! Mickey Mantle I have been working on for 6 months, I just am never happy with it, but eventually I'll get it where I want it.

That being said, I'm not working on them every second of every day, if someone wanted something made to purchase, thats a whole different story. I could work a few hours a day on it and be done maybe in a week to 2 weeks for a piece I'm happy to put my name on. It is a subjective and relative process, so I think what I would do is finish a piece, post it here or on my site and go from there with the printing process, because if you all were not happy with it, I would start over and make something we all enjoyed.

I covered the sizes in the other post before this, but how big could they be made? I printed an example of The Flying Dutchman at a size of roughly 3 feet by 5 feet and it looks sharp at that size, I create them between 600 and 800 dpi so even printed pretty big, they look good to me. But once we are in a limited run, the size is the size, I suppose if you wanted bigger we could do a 1of1 type thing, where I guaranteed to never make more in that size? Whatever anyone would want, I'm confident we could get it done or come to a compromise. Thanks for the question!

Any particular Musial card/photo/pose that inspires you? Or would you want me to use my imagination and come up with something?

HeritageAddict

Matt,here is a quick Musial for your fix.

MBMiller25

<< <i>Any particular Musial card/photo/pose that inspires you? >>



52 Bowman

5714Ks

Nice work, can't wait to see more!

A Nolan Ryan in his Astros uni would be nice!

GemMintArt

MBMiller - 52 Bowman sounds good, always loved that set. Looking forward to working on that one!

5714Ks - Thanks for the kind words, for Nolan Ryan I have some ideas, one of which includes an Astros pose, I'll keep you posted, thanks!

Dboneesq

Jack,

The pics look really nice ... great job. I think it would be kewl to have one done that is very unique ... not a copy of a picture or a card, but rather one that is drawn not from another picture but something that is original. What do you think?

GemMintArt

Dboneesq- Thanks for the kind words, basically anything is possible. I draw the card tributes because it's what I really love the look of. Something totally new, like an image inspired from an event that may or may not have happened is something I have in the works. Extremely unique pieces are what I'm trying to create and I'm going down that road, whatever anyone can think up I can do.

The BJ Penn piece I'm working on is in that vein. All of the images are drawn by hand from a blank canvas but they usually have a clear inspiration i.e. a card or existing photo. The BJ Penn piece is an image that currently only exists in my head, so I'm liking what your saying and I'm working on stuff like that. Anything in particular you would like to see? Thanks!

Dboneesq

Have not thought about anything specific, but I just thought that something that is not already around would be fun.

GemMintArt

Just a quick update, hoping to have a Musial piece done by next week and just started working on a Nolan Ryan that is going to be in 8x10 inch size and is different then my other pieces thus far.

I look forward to sharing them with you all!

Also just noticed for all the Musial fans, there seems to be a nice article in SMR this month about him, also a piece about 52' Bowman, so I'm looking forward to reading those ones for sure!

MBMiller25

<< <i>hoping to have a Musial piece done by next week >>



Looking forward to it.

5714Ks

x2

GemMintArt

Here are 2 links to higher resolution watermarked copies of The Flying Dutchman and The Splendid Splinter, hopefully now you can see how much I put into them.

The Flying Dutchman 1/327

The Splendid Splinter 1/406

thenavarro

Those are cool. If the Rangers happen to win the World Series this year, I might commission a piece through you. (Don't hold your breath though, they are not looking too good right now)

Mike

Dboneesq

Jack ... tried responding to your PM but you have your Private Message turned off.

GemMintArt

Mike-I'm rooting for them too, as a Red Sox fan though, for me if they aren't in it, it's anyone but NY. Whatever you need I can do it, thanks!

Doug-Sorry, I'm still getting the hang of the forums, it's fixed now.

Back to work on Stan The Man!

MBMiller25

<< <i>Back to work on Stan The Man! >>

GemMintArt

Sorry for the delay folks, but these things have a mind of their own and this one is taking longer than I thought, it's turning out beautiful though, just haven't been happy with some of the more important aspects of the piece, especially his face. So, again I'm sorry to those who are looking forward to it, but it's coming! Thanks!

pdub1819

<< <i>Pdub, the site should be up and running by Thanksgiving at the latest, I hops to have a few more pieces for sale by then. I'd love to do something with Roberto Clemente, let me know if you have any ideas as to what direction to go and I'll try to c create something cool. The way I would do it is since he is such a popular player, I'd make a new limited edition print inspired by clemente, and you would get the 1st one, or maybe number 21 out of whatever the limited run will be. I'm excited to do it if you are still interested, thanks again.

Thanks,
Jack@GemMintArt.com >>




I might hurt some feelings when I say that none of Clemente's base cards are that exciting (except the '56) IMO. I would love to see an action shot of him making a catch or throwing. Since he was a 5 tool player, you can't go wrong with what you create. Here is a link of a photo I found on ebay. I would love to see a color version.

Clemente making a catch


Or even these two:

GemMintArt

Color work of Clemente making a catch, love the idea. It's on the list as of now.

GemMintArt

UPDATE, here is an in progress shot of Stan Musial, I'm thinking I'm going to keep this one an extremely limited edition, probably 24 for his 24 time all star status, that always impressed me. But I'll start a new thread when I'm done with "Stan The Man" Here is what I have so far, it's coming along as my most detailed piece yet, ignore the color testing in the black canvas area, just testing things out. Let me know what you all think.

EDITED, way too big to post in the forums, heres the link. It needs a ton of cleaning up and finishing stuff, but just so the Musial guys on here get an idea, hoping I'm on the right track.

"Stan The Man" in progress

WinPitcher

I think you need to make it smaller.

GemMintArt

WinPitcher, I was hoping no one else saw that lmao, sorry all!

WinPitcher

Freaking thing almost ate me.


lol


Steve

MBMiller25

Jack, Coming along nicely. Look forward to seeing the finished project. What size are you making this?

GemMintArt

Matt, I'm creating it around 12x17, once it's done if I change the size that will be it. If you guys want it smaller, there will be 24 prints in that size, but it's whatever the masses are looking for, I'd say the size I'm making it in is perfect. Here is a link to a shot of #1 of the flying dutchman which is on one of my walls at home. Sorry for the hipstamatic shot, I was messing with my iphone. Free shipping for CU message board members btw.

Honus on the wall

WinPitcher

Jack

You do nice work.


Steve

GemMintArt

<< <i>Jack

You do nice work.


Steve >>



Thanks Steve, I appreciate that.

GemMintArt

FINALLY done, this one was a beast, beautiful card to begin with, so it's tough to decide how to honor it properly. Anyway, I'd say this one is more detailed than my Honus and Ted combined, I love it!

Anyhow, I'll make a new post tomorrow with a pic, but I can let you know it's going to be limited to 24 pieces and still cost only $20. But if you want all 3, Honus, Ted and Stan, $50, free shipping for all CU forum members, I'll have something up by 8 p.m. tomorrow, payment details, etc., thanks for the patience folks, I really hope you enjoy this one.

5714Ks

did you post it elsewhere and i haven't found it.
can wait to see it.

MBMiller25

Anxiously waiting...........

GemMintArt

Web hosting troubles folks, so so sorry for the delays, should have something tonight, one way or another. I think this one is my favorite of all my work so far, when it's up, I'll post a link here to the new post. Again, I'm very sorry for the delay everyone who is waiting, I am usually on point with this stuff, keep your eyes on this post, should be soon!

Francart

Jack, how about Roger Maris?