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Whether you’re a first-time buyer or a seasoned connoisseur, sketches, watercolors, and prints done on paper can be a sound investment or affordable opportunity to add a coveted name to your collection. Here are the 10 most exciting works on paper coming up for auction.

Frank Auerbach Untitled (Self-Portrait), felt-tip pen on paper

$20,000 - $26,000

Christie’s London - Post War and Contemporary Art Day Sale

October 5th 2018

The art world's critical and commercial fascination with Auerbach has much to do with his paintings’ unique existence in a kind of flux between object-hood and process. His signature inches-thick application of oil paint means his works are often sculptural and imposing. But he famously scraped layers away onto his studio floor in a furious and perpetual motion. The ‘finished’ work often simply represents a chance mainstay in an unceasing process. Owning an intimate sketch of Auerbach’s, and a self-portrait nonetheless, is a rare and piquant opportunity to tangibly experience the workings of a true master’s mind.

Jean-Michel Basquiat Standard Saw, oilstick on paper (1983)

$280,000 - $364,000

Christie’s London - Post War and Contemporary Art Day Sale

October 5th 2018

Basquiat needs no introduction. This sketch is instantly recognizable as his work, showcasing all of his visual charm and literary wit. It’s a sharp comment on art-as-craft and represents a (relatively) affordable opportunity to own an original piece by one of the most acclaimed artists in history. Because of the heat in the market for Basquiat paintings, the auction-house estimates on his sketches tend to be ambitious, so this could be a good opportunity to buy below presale price. He’s ever-present at big exhibitions and auctions, so owning a Basquiat is a great way of remaining active in the market.

Keith Haring Untitled, ink on paper (1983)

$78,000 - $104,000

Christie’s London - Post War and Contemporary Art Day Sale

October 5th 2018

Haring’s signature style (simple, linear, and gesturally inclusive) combined with his broad and lasting influence on modern aesthetics and fashion makes him an excellent artist to add to your collection. Haring’s works aren’t seeing their strongest performances at auction in recent years, with many going unsold, but he’s a constant presence in the market and is often-exhibited, so this can be viewed as a reasonable fluctuation.

Yayoi Kusama Flower 6 H.T., pastel, gouache and ink on paper (1954)

$78,000 - $104,000

Christie’s London - Post War and Contemporary Day Sale

October 5th 2018

With a huge exhibition upcoming at Victoria Miro and an essentially untouchable reputation, the chance to own work by Kusama for under $100,000 is rare and exciting. This is a darkly atmospheric composition, an interesting counterpoint to the universe of dots and colours more famously occupied by Kusama’s work. It does, however, have her characteristic vibe of combining organic form with a neon-infused futurism. Though the estimate is high and the auction could easily go higher, this is a great chance to pick up a work by a truly incomparable and timeless artist.

Thomas Hart Benton Study for a Self-Portrait, pencil on paper

$3,000 - $5,000

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Chicago - American and European Art

October 15th 2018

Considered the father of , Thomas Hart Benton is a beloved and important figure in the history of the US. The Regionalists represented a significant moment in the American cultural consciousness. Their paintings sang the epic song of the Midwest through the 1930s and ’40s, giving voice to rural heartland-America at a time when urban centres were obsessed with the European avant-garde. This drawing represents an excellent and affordable chance to purchase a piece of American history. As an investment, Benton is a little risky (41% of his works have performed below estimate at auction), but 2016-17 saw his value grow. This could signal an upturn for a historically underappreciated master.

Lucian Freud Francis Bacon, conté-crayon on paper (1951)

$650,000 - $912,000

Christie’s New York - Post War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale

October 4th, 2018

Two of Freud’s crayon-sketch portraits of Francis Bacon go on sale as part of the Post-War and Contemporary sales at Christie’s early in October. Freud’s treatment of line and posture in representing the human form mean that his drawings retain much of that dense evocation of embodied feeling which so defines his masterpiece-paintings.

Francis Bacon Gouache, distemper and watercolour on paper (1939)

$234,000 - $286,000

Christie’s New York - Post War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale

October 4th 2018

Though he’s most well-known for his obsession with human meat, Bacon’s feel for the screens, the portals, and the corners which can open up within a composition was developed in his early-stage cubist forms. This de Chirico-esque architectural exploration is a valuable piece of work by one of Britain/Ireland’s finest ever artists. His extraordinary painting, Figure in Movement, goes up at the same auction with a pre-sale estimate of $20-26 million, which could stimulate the market for his work in the near future. Buying this piece on paper could represent a neat entry into this market.

Max Ernst Le Peuple Des Oiseaux, pastels on paper (1942)

$20,000 - $30,000

Sotheby’s New York - Creating a Stage: The Collection of Marsha and Robin Williams

October 4th, 2018

One of the most exciting lots at the upcoming sale of Marsha and Robin Williams’ collection is this sketch by Max Ernst. In his major paintings, Ernst’s luscious textural representations of flesh, feather, and fabric are always complimented by his eye for composing striking surrealist figures. Seeing a pared-back example of his anthropomorphic shape-making talents is a thrilling experience, and the chance to own this large pastel drawing should be jumped at.

Li Keran Kunlun Mountains, ink and colour on paper (1965)

$1.9 million - $2.6 million

Sotheby’s Hong Kong - Fine Chinese Paintings

October 2nd 2018

In the Chinese and East-Asian markets the usual Western-inflected distinctions between paper works and paintings (and between painting and poetry) are blurred. Works of great beauty and significance are often inked calligraphies, blending gesturally expressive mark-making with semantic fields of meaning. Li Keran’s mountainscapes are lusher and more bodied than many examples in the tradition, which might go some way to explaining their longstanding appeal to Western collectors. Li Keran (known as ‘Sanqi’) is a master of epic narrative art, a truly major artist, and the estimate here reflects that. But with similar ink-on-paper works of his selling for around $29 million in recent years, and considering his habit of massively outstripping pre-sale estimates, serious collectors should consider having him in their roster.

Ben Enwonwu Study of a Policeman Marching, watercolour (1982)

$13,000 - $19,000

Bonhams New Bond Street - Africa Now

October 4th, 2018

This is a timely and powerful piece of modern Nigerian art. Throughout his lifetime, Enwonwu painted and sculpted from Yoruban tradition but with a keen eye on the increasingly urbane, Westernized metropolis of Lagos. Earlier this year, his masterpiece, Tutu (dubbed the Nigerian Mona Lisa), was sold in London for over $1.6 million, quadrupling Bonhams’ pre-sale estimate.

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