While you cannot be 100Ï@Ï@HEAD>












Cels Forum






ure 1001f the time about whether
a cel is fake or not, there are steps you can take to help
minimize the chances that you buy a fake.

1. Know your shows and your characters.  If you are very 
familiar with a series and you notice a cel of a character
wearing an outfit that never appeared in a series, or contains
a character that didn't exist then you can safely assume
someone other than the studio made it.

2. Most cels are not hand inked.  When you look at most cels
you can tell that they were xeroxed onto the acetate.  If
you find a cel that looks like a technical pen was used to
apply the ink, it probably isn't original.

3. Know your art styles.  Each show has a certain way of drawing
lines, hair and eyes.  Often you can identify a "version" of
a series (like the many Tenchi Muyos and El Hazard) by the
art style.  If you know which style goes with each show then
you have a better chance of noticing a fake.

4. Paint application.  Production cels usually look different
- this hard to explain.  I do my own cels - not copies, but
original art - and the way I apply paint to the acetate "looks"
different than how a professional would do it.  Usually they
apply the paint thinner and in a less careful manner.

5. Get familiar with paint colors.  The animators are usually
very careful to consistantly use the same colors for a 
character's costume and hair (within a given lighting situation).