Interview with Adam Paquette

At the artitst's own request, here's my interview with Adam Paquette from August this year. This is for you, Adam. Merry Christmas! :)


INTERVIEW WITH ADAM PAQUETTE
 

August: Hello, Adam. Thank your for accepting this interview!
I'm fairly certain you're from Australia, but apart from that I don't really know anything about you. Please tell us something about yourself!

Adam Paquette: I'm fairly certain of that too - although the more I travel, the more I wonder! Whenever I read or listen to interviews with other illustrators and concept artists, one thing that strikes me almost every time is how as children, those artists were very influenced by things like comics, movies like Star Wars, action figures, games and so on. This stuff wasn't really a huge part of growing up for me… and I always wondered if I could 'cut it' in the industry without the deep passion for these things that my friends seemed to have. But what I did have growing up was a lot of time in nature - my family spent a lot of time in the Australian bush, and I also grew up in an area with lots of walks and big trees. I also had a pretty alternative family growing up with a lot of different interests in spirituality, psychology, and native cultures. The more time goes on, the more I am growing into my love of painting these things - organic landscapes, wise characters and ancient, mythological things. I find it interesting how different people can arrive at the same point in such diverse ways! My childhood home was full of amazing stories, people visiting from far away places and beautiful objects collected from sacred places around the world. I hope one day I can raise my own children in such an inspiring place!

Au: Sounds like a great childhood!
Wizards of the Coast is one of the major players on the fantasy gaming market. How did you end up working for them?

AP: Before I worked on Magic the Gathering, I did about two years of work with D&D. The Magic staff obviously see a lot of this art coming in and occasionally have artists migrate across (or do both). In my case, I met Jeremy Jarvis at a painting workshop I attended in the US. I told him I'd really like to work with Magic, but I was worried that I could only tackle environments and couldn't handle the character and creature briefs. He was kind enough to bring me on board exclusively as a land-guy, and then work my way into the other stuff. The first job I actually did was concept art for Innistrad, and then came the cards!

Au: I've seen some work on your website that looks a little different, but the work you've done for MtG certainly has a touch of impressionism. Have you studied classical art?

AP: Glad that influence comes across! I never studied in a formal setting, but traditional painting is the 'other half' of my art life. Its what I love deep down, and probably where I'm headed more so in the long run. One of my big aspirations is that whatever illustrations I am working on, I can bring to them something of the maturity and depth I find in great classical painting. If you're too heavy handed with that influence your art can begin to look arrogant and it takes the fun out of it, but at the same time I think great entertainment should also come with something of the human spirit of curiosity and mystery. Sometimes I feel like I have been successful in this, and other times I feel that the pressure of the job doesn't leave time to sit with an idea the way you can with personal art. Magic is definitely one of those clients that gives you a huge amount of ownership over your conceptual process, as long as you stay within a few set boundaries. The more confident I become with painting, the less time I spend worrying about making things look pretty, and the more time I spend making sure they are inspiring and full of life! Here in Australia, our best period of art making were the 19th century Australian Impressionists like Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts and Sydney Long - some of whom studied in France with Monet, etc - and so they have all had a huge influence on me growing up.

Au: You've mostly done land cards for MtG. Considering your style is very atmospherical, I can certainly see why you were assigned this work. Are you happy with this though? Let's say you could be your own AD, would you do anything differently?

AP: At Magic, we are working on our illustrations quite a while in advance of the release of each set. So a lot of the work I have been doing the past year is actually character based as well. Land cards were my launch pad into this work, and they continue to be my real joy and comfort zone. I'd probably be happy doing them forever. Having said that, I made a conscious decision to expand my figure work and nail that long-term thorn in my side. I had an awesome and patient art director who gave me the freedom to take that track and I'm very happy I did. It has been (and continues to be) a great challenge, and its deepening my art making in ways I didn't expect. It also translates directly into the work I'm doing on my own time in oils. I guess I'm at a point now where I feel comfortable painting almost anything (except maybe spaceships!) and thats a great feeling - not to be limited by your own blind spots. Now I get excited almost no matter what brief comes in!

Au: Let's talk about some individual lands... Haunted Fengraf is my favorite piece of art from all of Dark Ascension. That cemetery just looks so eerie and beautiful. Can you tell us something about it?

AP: Awesome! Well that painting started with two trains of thought. One was that at the time I had just bought my first real camera - a Canon 7D - and I was researching all about different zoom lenses and so on. Amongst all that browsing I started looking at pictures of the moon people had taken with telescopic lenses, but with buildings or trees in between the camera and the moon. When cropped down it had the effect of making the moon look gigantic! I finally understood how all that worked, and I wanted to paint something with a gigantic moon in it!! Looking back now, I realise that doesn't actually make much sense with the way I actually painted the environment -- but by that point I was in love with it, so who cares!? The other inspiration was that after I visited Wizards in Seattle, I took a trip to stay with some friends down in the California redwoods. Those trees stuck with me for a long time… So Haunted Fengraf was Innistrad thrown in a blender with redwoods and a supermoon. Give it a shake (or was that 'Rattle'?) and the rest is history!

Au: You did the alternate art for Command Tower for Commander's Arsenal, a really gorgeous piece. Where you asked to reference Ryan Yee's original tower or did you work independently? What do you think about the original art?

AP: I wasn't asked to reference, but I was familiar with the painting and knew it was going to be its new baby brother! Ryan and I are part of a small group of Magic artists who give critique and feedback via email, so we are very familiar with each other's work. I love his paintings, and I don't think anyone handles wispy, translucent, ephemeral stuff quite like he does!! That painting was one of those ones that just flows, probably one of the quickest ones I've ever done, and one of my favourites too.

Au: Question from my wife: "if you were to build a house in one of your lands, where would you build it?"

AP: What a great question! Actually pretty easy to answer too… I have always been torn between living in the city, and living in the country. I love the complexity, crowdedness and emergent nature of the city. The way these beautiful unexpected spaces emerge from all the chaos and garbage of these places created by human minds. At the same time, nature is so vast and mysterious, and continuously rearranges itself to promote diversity, abundance and life. My favourite painting for Magic… ever… is probably the Basic Forest from Return to Ravnica. A rooftop shanty amongst the tree-city canopy? Best of both worlds! It's actually kind of sad to think that with all of our combined intelligence and imagination, we've never been able to create built spaces that harmonise beautifully with nature in that way. I hope one day that this generation of amazing artists can step outside the four walls of the canvas and begin to create some of these beautiful places for real.

Au: Recently, you've done some non-lands as well. One card that is pretty famous among players is Varolz, the Scar-Striped. That sure is one sinister-looking troll. Are you happy with the way he turned out?

AP: He was my first real character card - so he will always have a special place in my heart. I think part of his sinister vibe probably comes from how scared I was when I got that brief! I'm pretty sure Jeremy just figured it was time for me to step up to the plate, so he didn't mess around and gave me an important character to work on. I've been doing lots of characters since then, and recently, you could say some 'VIP's'. So, I guess I passed the test! I love the fungus on Varolz. See, another character torn between the city he loves and the nature he longs for! That's me showing my hand again...

Au: The members of our community were absolutely amazed with the art of Colossal Whale when they first saw it. Really epic, I like it too. Was it your first sea monster?

AP: It was! It was also an exercise in scale. Originally I just had the one ship in the foreground, and the whale in the background. I pushed the whale bigger…and bigger… and he just didn't look HUGE enough. Then I stuck that smaller ship in the middle, and pow - Colossal Whale. I feel like I captured something of an old fashioned sea-tale in that one - probably one of the pieces where something of my classical painting and poetic side had its say. In the research for that piece I read a lot of essays about the symbolism in Moby Dick, and how for some people the whale was a symbol of the vast and sometimes scary experience of being alive - the immensity of it all. Sea monsters are like those experiences in us that rise up mysteriously from the deep parts of ourselves, seemingly fill our whole world, let out a thunderous roar that shakes our foundations and then disappear just as quickly back into the silence they came from. All we are left with is a sense of awe and wonder and a renewed gratitude for being here, and alive!

Au: Fascinating! Thanks for sharing that with us.
Speaking of monsters, this fall we're off to Theros and the world of Greek mythology. Will we see you there?

AP: With bells on! Not only did I do plenty of cards for Theros, I was also a part of the concept team that developed the world. I can't wait to see how some of my favourite artists in the world have interpreted all those chaotic pencil scribblings we came up with! If you can't find me in the cities of Theros, its probably a safe bet you'll find me in the forest!!

Au: Thanks for doing this, Adam. Best of luck in the future!

AP: One last thing… for anyone out there who loves the art they see on games like Magic, and who maybe - just maybe - would like to do this for a living some day… I just want to encourage you to follow your heart and give it a go. I've met too many incredible people who decided not to pursue illustration because they were intimidated and thought they could never learn to draw. That is my worst nightmare! If there's one thing I can honestly say I hope comes from my art, its to inspire others with that spark of creativity to dive headfirst into their art, writing, music, or whatever - no fear! That journey is bigger than any reward!!

Thanks for the interview!

***

This interview was orginally published in Swedish on SvenskaMagic.

Interview with Eric Deschamps

The previous artist interview had an astronomical amount of views given this blog's regular standards. You sure have a lot of fans, Cynthia!

Next up is an interview I feel pretty excited about. Without further ado:

INTERVIEW WITH ERIC DESCHAMPS

August: Hello, Eric. Thank you for accepting this interview!

While I might know you very well as an artist, I barely know anything about you as a person. Please tell us something about yourself!

Eric Deschamps: 

• I live in New York (not the city but the state) in the U.S. 
• I went to college at Syracuse University with a major in Communication Design. 
• Before illustration, I worked as a broadcast designer for NBC in New York City. 
• I’d rather draw trees and mountains instead of buildings and roads. 
• I love the Zelda and Phantasy Star line of video games. 
• I haven’t decided which mana color I like the best. I know it’s not white. Coincidentally, I seem to illustrate a lot of white cards.
• I am married with an 8 year old daughter. 
• I enjoy playing basketball. 
• I have a beard.  

Au: According to your website, you have worked as an illustrator for 10 years. What was your first paid job as an artist?

ED: I received my first paid illustration job while attending the San Diego Comic-con. I signed up for a portfolio review with the Magic the Gathering art director at the time, Jeremy Cranford. I had exchanged emails with him a few times in the past but I did not receive any work until our face to face interview. My first assignment was Goblin S.W.A.T. Team and Pygmy Giant for the Unhinged set.

Au: Cool!
You have published some videos where we can watch you work from start to finish on some illustrations from MtG. I have to admit that I'm extremely impressed by your technical skill! When and why  did you start working digitally? 

ED: Thank you! Probably 11 or 12 years ago. I started working digitally almost out of desperation. Most artists that I knew started their path to become illustrators in college. I only took a couple of illustration courses in college and didn’t do much artwork after college while I worked as a graphic designer. I felt behind and I was worrying about bills pilling up if I painted traditionally. I thought working digitally would give me a quicker path to doing the paid work I wanted to do. If there are any aspiring artists reading this, I would discourage this route. Learning digital paint in place of traditional paint too early on can develop a lot of bad habits.

Au: You have been given an astounding amount of planeswalkers, powerful cards that often have a large impact on the game. Do you enjoy working with these iconic characters?

ED: I love working on planeswalkers. They are my favorite assignments. Illustrating a character that has the potential to stick around can’t be passed up. Even better if I get the opportunity to design them from the ground up.

Au: Speaking of planeswalkers, you have depicted Venser three times (two times as Venser, the Sojourner and once as Venser, Shaper Savant). Are you starting to get tired of that guy? ;)

ED: Nope. He was my first really big character. I owe a lot to him!

Au: Question from my wife: "What would be your title as a planeswalker?" (as in "the Sojourner", "Sun's Champion" and so on)

ED: Eric, Basement Office Dweller.

Au: Haha, that's epic!

Earlier this year, I did an interview with Adam Paquette. Together with Adam you were a part of the Theros concept design team, which also included Todd Lockwood, Peter Mohrbacher and Steve Prescott. Adam said the creative process was exhilarating. Please tell us about the dynamic in the group and the work you did together!

ED: It was intimidating to watch these artist work! It was my first time working on concept art with a team in the same location as well as being fully immersed in the process. Usually when I work as a concept artist I am working remotely. I am mostly filling in gaps for a game company’s on site staff. Partaking in the full process was quite a learning experience and I was very inspired by it. It seemed that each person was picked for a certain strength they had. For example Steve Prescott can draw just about anything in a moments notice and Adam Paquette kicks out great environment ideas like a factory. 

Au: You have some card illustrations in Theros as well. Elspeth, Sun's Champion of course, and Purphoros, God of the Forge. Purphoros particularly, looks absolutely amazing! To be honest, I even have him as desktop wallpaper on my Macbook. How was it to give life to a god?

ED: It is challenge to get that sense of scale and grandeur you want in a depiction of a god. You almost always want the camera angle to be really low for that sense of scale, so at least I knew I could start there! I also tried to get him to meld into his environment and become a part of it. One trick that is used pretty often to make something look huge is to use atmospheric perspective where the atmosphere between the object and viewer makes the object look low in contrast and color. Since these gods had to have the black night sky peeking through their shadow areas, this common trick couldn't be used to any significant degree. Because of this, a lot of extra time was spent trying to really get the drawing right, so that it looked like we were seeing Purphoros from far below.

Au: I'm sorry if I'm completely off the mark here, but I have to ask: doesn't Purphoros have some striking similarities to one of your older works? The armor especially, has much in common with… Mirran Crusader!  What do you say?

ED: Hmmm. Richard Whitters did a bulk of the design work on Purphoros. But you are right, I see the similarity to Mirran Crusader. Maybe it is way I interpreted Richard's design. The Mirrodin characters consisted of a lot of metal and Purphoros is similar in that way. It makes sense that I might have unknowingly pulled from my work on the Scars of Mirrodin block.

Au: If you were commissioned to illustrate an actual god from Greek mythology, who would you choose?

ED: If I had to choose it would be Neptune. My choice has nothing to do with the story of Neptune. I have always had a connection to envisioning sea people. I was really excited to illustrate the tritons in Theros.

Au: You did the illustration for Oloro, Ageless Ascetic from Commander 2013. He sure looks awe-inspiring and erh… giant. Please tell us about the creative process behind this card!

ED: Oloro is supposed to be an ancient giant who has discovered the secret to eternal life. It is the waterfalls falling off of his enormous throne. He rarely moves off of it. I decided to focus on the throne before I worried about to much about Oloro. I wanted it to pass as ruined architecture that served as a throne for a giant. Next was figuring out how to make him look huge. I did this with a tree next to his throne that is about the same height as his sword. A low camera angle always helps too. I also put in a few subtle touches that you would only notice if you saw the artwork big. His chest and bicep straps are affixed with human swords and axes.

Au: On your website it says that you have worked as a video game concept artist. Considering I'm quite a gamer, this makes me curious! Which clients and games have you worked with?

ED: I worked on the game Marvel Ultimate Alliance II where I got to design a bunch of the heroes and villains for the game. I also worked on Reckoning: Kingdoms of Amalur and End of Nations.

Au: Please don't be offended by this, but since it's become an internet phenomenon: what's up with Olivia Voldaren's dress?

ED: Don't worry, I am not offended. This probably the most frequently asked question! I guess the hanging drapery of her dress doesn’t work as well as it should have. You can’t win them all.  She is supposed to be holding her dress up daintily while floating above with both of her legs stretched out. Nothing phallic. :)

Au: I actually find it kind of depressing that's the most common question. Good answer, though!

Thank you for your time, Eric, and thank you for all the fantastic art.

This interview can be found in Swedish on SvenskaMagic.

CSS Invitational 2013

I lördags hölls CSS Invitational, en turnering där Kalmars tolv bästa spelare från det gångna året möttes för att spela Standard, Modern och draft. Varje format räknades som en separat swiss och det var alltså fullt möjligt att möta samma spelare flera gånger (något jag bittert skulle få erfara).

Fram till en FNM för ett par veckor sedan hade jag inte spelat Standard sedan 2002 eller något sådant. Jag hade varken orken att sätta mig in i metat eller ekonomin för att skaffa en dyrare lek. Mitt val blev därför att spela Heroic Red, den billigaste leken i formatet som fortfarande håller på tävlingsnivå. När leken flyter som den ska vinner den i princip mot allt som inte har Supreme Verdict eller Anger of the Gods.
Listan jag spelade på Invitational spelar Chainwalker över Ash Zealot för att få ut det mesta av Emissary.

HEROIC RED
Standard

Varelser (24)
4 Akroan Crusader
1 Arena Athlete
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Foundry Street Denizen
3 Gore-House Chainwalker
4 Legion Loyalist
4 Rakdos Cackler

Övriga spells (19)
4 Dragon Mantle
3 Lightning Strike
4 Madcap Skills
4 Shock
4 Titan's Strength

Länder (17)
16 Mountain
1 Mutavault

Sideboard
1 Coordinated Assault
2 Electrickery
4 Firedrinker Satyr
3 Peak Eruption
2 Pithing Needle
3 Skullcrack

Jag slutade 2-1 i Standard efter vinster mot Johan "zathe922" Fröbergs RDW och Robin "Rawbean" Karlssons Selesnya Aggro, samt förlust mot Martin "GlueBall" Thernlunds Naya.

Robin Karlsson spelade Selesnya Aggro i Standard,

Sedan jag började med Modern hösten 2012 har jag spelat Soul Sisters i olika utföranden, och jag visste därför att mina motståndare skulle utgå från att jag spelade en sådan lek. Istället bestämde jag mig för att överraska och dyka upp med en Boros Aggro.
Det finns egentligen väldigt mycket att säga om denna lek, men jag nöjer mig med att understryka förekomsten av Theros-korten Soldier of the Pantheon och Chained to the Rocks. Soldier är säker från mycket av det removal som spelas i Modern och springer dessutom igenom många av formatets vanligaste varelser, som till exempel Deathrite Shaman och Kitchen Finks. Chained är bättre än Path i leken eftersom den inte sätter fram motståndaren en runda, något man absolut inte har råd med mot kombo och kontroll.

BOROS DECK WINS
Modern

Varelser (21)
3 Figure of Destiny
2 Goblin Bushwhacker
4 Goblin Guide
2 Grim Lavamancer
1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
3 Ranger of Eos
4 Soldier of the Pantheon
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben

Övriga spells (15)
3 Chained to the Rocks
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Helix
2 Proclamation of Rebirth
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of War and Peace

Planeswalkers (2)
2 Ajani Vengeant

Länder (22)
4 Arid Mesa
2 Marsh Flats
2 Mountain
4 Plains
4 Sacred Foundry
2 Slayers’ Stronghold
4 Tectonic Edge

Sideboard
2 Blood Moon
2 Boros Charm
1 Chained to the Rocks
3 Combust
2 Forked Bolt
3 Rest in Peace
2 Wear // Tear

Modern var det format jag förväntade mig skulle gå bäst, men lite snöpligt slutade jag 1-2. Jag inledde med en förlust mot David "duddelutten" Calås UWR. Därefter förlorade jag näppeligen med 1-2 mot Thernlunds Twin (han hade 1 liv kvar i avgörande duellen) och vann till sist mot Fröbergs Scapeshift.

Förra årets mästare, den diaboliske Martin Therlund.

Jag överlevde cutten till åtta spelare och gick därmed vidare till sista tävlingsmomentet, tre rundor draft. Vår ditresta domare Mikael "maddog" Ristovski såg till att det blev en called draft, vilket påskyndade det hela och var väldigt tacksamt för alla trötta spelare.
Jag älskar Theros-limited, men med en genomgående hög nivå på spelarna blev det svårt att få ihop sina 23 playables. I slutändan hade jag en varelsetung, i mitt tycke ganska dålig lek.

UB
Booster Draft

Creatures (16)
3 Breaching Hippocamp
1 Burnished Hart
1 Cavern Lampad
1 Crackling Triton
1 Erebos's Emissary
1 Felhide Minotaur
1 Fleshmad Steed
1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Horizon Scholar
1 Keepsake Gorgon
1 Mogis's Marauder
2 Omenspeaker
1 Prescient Chimera

Övriga spells (7)
1 Annul
1 Dissolve
1 Divine Verdict
1 Lash of the Whip
1 Pharika's Cure
1 Triton Tactics
1 Voyage's End

Länder (17)
8 Island
1 Plains
6 Swamp
2 Unknown Shores

Draften inleddes med dagens tredje förlust mot Therlund. Ganska förödande för självförtroendet, men jag lyckades vända det och vinna mina två resterande matcher mot Davidh "galatorik" Gunnarsson och Sebastian "sebas3n" Hernandez.

Mikael ser föredömligt bister ut, som en domare bör!

Efter nio spelade rundor slutade jag femma. När prisceremonin började satt vår judge redan på tåget hem mot Skåne. Förstaplatsen och en display Modern Masters plockades hem av Mr SvM TV himself, David Calås!

Årets julklapp

På något vänster lyckades jag komma 2:a i årets PT Picks på SvenskaMagic. Vinstpengarna gick egoistiskt men välförtjänt till att köpa julklappar åt mig själv. Bland annat blev det en spelmatta och plastfickor från Dragon Shield, samt en Holiday Gift Box.

Holiday Gift Box är en fantastisk produkt, en snygg förvarningslåda med plats för ca 2000 kort och dessutom medföljer avskiljare, fyra boosters och ett promokort. Även om man inte hade fått extraprylarna hade enbart själva lådan varit värd sina 180 kr. Utan tvekan årets julklapp!

En vanlig onsdagskväll

Som gamla läsare vet vid det här laget så är det EDH-kväll hemma hos mig och min hustru varje onsdag. Hur många spelare vi blir varierar ganska kraftigt från gång till gång, men stämningen brukar alltid vara på topp! Denna kväll kom Emil "edeenmango" Erlandsson och Fredrik "madao" Karlsson.

I första matchen spelade Fredrik den Oloro-lek som jag hjälpt honom med tidigare (se här).

Fredrik hade ally-tröjan, men det var jag som spelade allies. Leken har fått sig några uppdateringar sedan jag skrev om den på Casualhörnan (se här) och är nu riktigt vass!

Krond the Dawn-Clad ville inte riktigt prestera denna kväll och gav sin pilot en hel del huvudvärk.

Andra matchen plockade jag fram min nya Jeleva-EDH. Mina motståndare stoppade Jeleva relativt snabbt, men Erebos bevisade sitt värde i EDH och jag kunde rocka på ganska bra i alla fall!

Tredje matchen hade jag plockat fram den mill-EDH som presenterades på Casualhörnan nyligen (se här). Matchen inleddes snöpligt med att Fredriks Bane of Progress förstörde Sword of Body and Mind, Lightning Greaves och Dimir Keyrune, men bevisligen var jag glad i ändå!

Sewer Nemesis och Consuming Aberration är två killar som är ganska trevliga att ha i spel efter man har resolvat en Traumatize...

Så hur slutade matcherna? Jo, jag plockade hem tre segrar. Tur för mig att mina motståndare inte är långsinta!

Interview with Cynthia Sheppard

As some of you might already know, I've been doing interviews with MtG artists for a couple of years now. These interviews have been published on www.svenskamagic.com in Swedish. The downside is, of course, that most people can't read them. From now on though, that will change.

All interviews will still be posted on SvenskaMagic in Swedish, but they will also be posted in English here. Thanks to Björn "Beakid" Andreasson for generously agreeing to this.

First out is the talented Cynthia Sheppard. Enjoy!

INTERVIEW WITH CYNTHIA SHEPPARD

August: Hello, Cynthia. Thanks for accepting this interview!

I already know you a little, but would you like to introduce yourself to my readers?

Cynthia Sheppard: Heya! I’m a 29-year-old artist working from my studio just outside of Washington, DC in the United States. I make paintings for Magic: The Gathering as well as other games (Call of Cthulhu, Elder Sign, A Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Lamentations of the Flame Princess, Hex, etc.), and books, too! Check out more on my website, http://www.sheppard-arts.com and blog, http://sheppard-arts.blogspot.com/

Au: You come across as a very accessible person, and seem to have a great deal of contact with your colleagues as well as fans. Is this true? If so, is this an important quality for an artist?

CS: I think it’s important to stay connected to both your colleagues and your audience. 

Most of my close friends are professional artists, and a few of them also work for Magic. I love it, not just for the camaraderie (they’re totally amazing people), but for idea sharing, too. Sometimes we give critiques, or ask advice when we’re stuck on a painting, and that kind of collaborative insight is essential to any creative person. I also really enjoy talking with Magic fans, especially if they’re interested in the art. I hope to stay somewhat accessible at conventions and via social media, but it’s been getting harder and harder to keep up with messages, especially in the wake of Commander!

Au: You are fairly new to Magic the Gathering. What was your first contact with the game?

CS: I remember the game started showing up at my school when I was in sixth grade (1994?), and quickly got banned because kids were beating each other up over valuable cards. That made me curious about it, then I saw the art, and was really enamored. Fast forward 16 years, and I realized I wanted to make some of that art, so I signed up for a portfolio review with art director Jeremy Jarvis. Shortly thereafter I got my first assignments in the Innistrad block.

Au: In my opinion, a lot of your work has a certain goth quality to it. Since I have the somewhat unfair advantage of having access to your Facebook pictures, I also happen to know that you used to look a bit like Shadow Alley Denizen back in the day (well, minus the fangs, dagger and crows). ;) Were you ever a goth?

CS: Yes, I was the quintessential goth chick in high school. I wore long black Morticia Addams-style hair for a number of years after school, too. I guess I grew up relating to that ideal of dark beauty, so even though my personal appearance has changed I still occasionally paint characters with that in mind.

Au: That's cool! I used to have a mohawk, black coat and combat boots in high school. Good times!

Regardless of gothic past, Jeremy Jarvis has certainly given you a fair share of vampires to illustrate. I have to say that your take on these nocturnal creatures is among the most beautiful and vivid in the game. Do you enjoy painting vampires?

CS: I’ve been drawing vampires since I was a teenager, and yes, I still love it! They’re complex, tortured creatures, which allows for a huge range of emotion to come through, and keep things interesting from painting to painting.

Au: Most recently, you did Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge from Commander 2013. I fell in love with this card immediately and built a Commander deck for Jeleva the moment I saw her. The artwork is simply stunning! Can you tell us more about this piece?

CS: Jeleva uses mind games to taunt her victims, so I wanted her attire to leave most of her shrouded in mystery, except for the important stuff: the burning eyes, hungry mouth, and the hands that are grasping for you. From a personal artistic standpoint that choice also worked out in my favor; I love painting faces, hands, and flowy fabric, and the design let me do just that.

Au: Speaking of Commander 2013, you also did the new artwork for the legendary classic Rubinia Soulsinger. As I have previously told you, I think you did an awesome job! She truly looks like an alluring faerie queen. Please tell us how you gave Rubinia new life!

CS: Thanks very much! I started by thinking about who she is- a collector of creatures, one who conscripts souls into her army, basically- and thought she should have a powerful and demanding expression. Her clothing and surroundings were designed to have elements of all three of her colors of mana, blue, green, and white, while also having a gossamer quality suitable for a legendary faerie.

Au: I think you succeeded extremely well in illustrating your thoughts. She definitely has a commanding presence!

Have you seen Rob Alexander’s original artwork for Rubinia? Rob is one of the most experienced MtG artists still around, so if you had seen the original, did you feel any pressure reinterpreting his work?

CS: There is always some pressure when reinterpreting a classic card; I did look at Rob Alexander’s original illustration, though I was more focused on reinterpreting the character than the art itself. Wizards wants the artists to put their own spin on things, and in some cases they ask specifically that you don’t imitate older artwork.

Au: Recently I did an interview with a friend of yours, the incomparable Adam Paquette. Adam has mostly done land cards for MtG, while all of your work is character based. You do characters extremely well, very lifelike and expressive. Would you call character work your specialty?

CS: Well, first off, I’d say Adam is one of those artists who can pull off anything. ;) He’s great. Character work is definitely more my specialty than environments, but I actually enjoy doing both, and hope to branch out more eventually. Again, tracing the lines back to my childhood, I grew up wanting to be a portrait painter like my father, so I tend to put a lot of effort into creating expressive faces and gestures.

Au: Question from my wife: "your characters have such strong expressions. Do you think about who they are, take your time to get to know them before you paint them?"

CS: I act out all my characters in a mirror, male, female, doesn’t matter. Sometimes I get really into it. While I was painting the bared fangs on Bloodcrazed Neonate, as an example, my jaw would hurt from actually making that face while I was painting. 

Au: Haha, I will never look at Bloodcrazed Neonate in the same way!

One character, which coincidentally looks like he could be quite a character, is Young Pyromancer. This guy looks absolutely insane! He sort of reminds me of Howard Wolowitz from the Big Bang Theory transformed into a crazy pyromaniac. How did you come up with the look for this guy?

CS: Young Pyromancer is a Chandra fanboy. People have gone totally nuts over that since I posted about it on my blog! I called up my memories of me and some of my friends in high school (as a goth, of course) and some of the alterations we used to do to our appearances to look more like our music idols- ripping sleeves off shirts, pinning fabric patches to things, dyeing our hair- and cobbled his outfit together that way. His expression is saying, “Ha! Look what I can do! Just like… her.”

Au: Awesome! I love the concept. :)

Thank you for the interview and the exclusive photo, Cynthia. See you online!

EDH-verkstaden: Oloro, Ageless Ascetic

Artikelserien där jag bygger EDH-lekar på beställning fortsätter! Denna gång är det Fredrik "madao" Karlsson som ville ha hjälp med Oloro, Ageless Ascetic, en av de nya generalerna från Commander 2013. Madao gav mig dessa förutsättningar att jobba med:

• Lifegain i någon form skulle vara ett centralt tema i leken.
• Leken skulle inte vara centrerad kring artefakter, vilket är den mest uppenbara vägen att gå med Esper i EDH.
• Madao hade redan tillgång till en del kort, bland annat hade han förhandsbokat en komplett uppsättning Commander 2013. I övrigt fick jag en budget på ca 1000 kr att röra mig med.

Det vanligaste när man bygger en EDH-lek är att utgå från generalen och så har jag gjort även här. Vi har alltså en general som ger oss kortövertag och liv, samtidigt som han långsamt sänker motståndarnas life totals. Oloro är helt enkelt en perfekt kontrollgeneral och jag bestämde mig för att bygga en lek med life drain och kontroll som centrala teman.
Nästa steg blev att titta på Eternal Bargain, den förkonstruerade leken där Oloro ingår. Som med de flesta precons är det en ganska ofokuserad lista (se här), men den har trots allt en hel del kort som passar in i min valda strategi. Jag behöll de delar som passade, funderade en hel del och kom slutligen fram till följande:

EVIL ASCETICISM
General - Oloro, Ageless Ascetic

Varelser (24)
1 Ashen Rider
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Blood Artist
1 Bloodgift Demon
1 Disciple of Bolas
1 Drogskol Reaver
1 Duskmantle Seer
1 Erebos, God of the Dead
1 Graveborn Muse
1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
1 Mnemonic Wall
1 Oloro, Ageless Ascetic
1 Phyrexian Delver
1 Pontiff of Blight
1 Rhox Faithmender
1 Scholar of Athreos
1 Serra Ascendant
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Sun Titan
1 Treasury Thrull
1 Vampire Nighthawk
1 Vizkopa Guildmage
1 Wall of Reverence

Övriga spells (37)
1 Armillary Sphere
1 Azorius Signet
1 Blind Obedience
1 Coalition Relic
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Death Grasp
1 Debt to the Deathless
1 Dimir Signet
1 Dromar's Charm
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Exsanguinate
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Greed
1 Lim-Dûl's Vault
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Merciless Eviction
1 Mortify
1 Obzedat's Aid
1 Orzhov Signet
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Phyrexian Reclamation
1 Pristine Talisman
1 Rescue from the Underworld
1 Revoke Existence
1 Sanguine Bond
1 Scatter Arc
1 Snuff Out
1 Sol Ring
1 Strategic Planning
1 Subversion
1 Surveyor's Scope
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Unmake
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Well of Lost Dreams

Planeswalkers (1)
1 Sorin Markov

Länder (38)
1 Arcane Sanctum
1 Azorius Chancery
1 Bad River
1 Barren Moor
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Command Tower
1 Dimir Aqueduct
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Fetid Heath
1 Flood Plain
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Godless Shrine
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 High Market
1 Kor Haven
1 Lonely Sandbar
1 Orzhov Basilica
1 Secluded Steppe
1 Sunken Ruins
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Temple of Deceit
1 Temple of Silence
1 Temple of the False God
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Vault of the Archangel
1 Watery Grave
1 Island
4 Plains
7 Swamp

Vad vi har är en ganska klassisk Orzhov life drain-EDH fast med blå splash. Tanken är att etablera kortövertag samtidigt som man stjäl liv och kontrollerar brädet.
Låt oss granska leken lite närmare!

Generalen
Commander 2013 släpptes i fredags och jag har inte hunnit uppleva Oloro i spel ännu, men på papperet ser han kusligt stark ut. Han börjar generera liv ögonblicket spelet börjar och när han väl kommer ut ger han dessutom kortövertag och "blöder" motståndarna.
Egentligen hade man nog kunnat bygga en ganska vanlig kontrollek kring Oloro, men eftersom madao ville ha lifegain som centralt tema så är lekens primära wincon life drain. Jag tror dock att även detta är en strategi som bör fungera alldeles utmärkt.

Life drain/Lifegain
Orzhov är bättre än någon annan färgkombination på att stjäla liv. Till att börja med får man brutala, matchavgörande spells som Debt to the Deathless och Exsanguinate, men man har även tillgång till extort och trevliga småkort som Scholar of Athreos. I denna kategori finner vi också Kokusho, det bästa life drain-kortet i formatet. Om Kokusho dör några gånger under en match är spelet oftast över, och det är inte svårt att se varför han är bannad som general.
Förutom att stjäla liv har leken också gott om lifegain. Rhox Faithmender ger dubbel utdelning, Loxodon Warhammer ger möjligheten att gå aggro med Oloro och Disciple of Bolas och Drogskol Reaver ger både kort och liv.

Keepers
Så vad har jag valt att behålla från Eternal Bargain? Leken har ett ganska klent utbud av varelser, men bland annat Wall of Reverence och Vizkopa Guildmage är bra nog för att stanna kvar. I kategorin "övriga spells" finns ett betydligt fler kort som passar i leken. Starkast är förmodligen Well of Lost Dreams som ger ett helt makalöst kortövertag och är ett sådant där kort som motståndarna måste hitta ett svar på direkt om inte matchen ska snart ska vara över.
Pristine Talisman är väl sådär lagom imponerande i sig själv, men som blir riktigt vasst tillsammans med Oloro. Eternal Bargain innehåller också en hel del kort som låter en dra nytta av alla de extra liv man får.

Blodsoffer
När man har en lek som hamstrar liv är det lika bra att använda en del av dessa för att skaffa sig extra fördelar. Svart gör detta väldigt bra, och det märks också att Wizards försökt inkorporera detta i Eternal Bargain. Redan från början har leken exempelivs Greed, Phyrexian Reclamation, Lim-Dûl's Vault och Toxic Deluge - starka kort som låter en göra galna grejer genom att betala liv. Jag har dessutom valt att lägga till Phyrexian Arena, arenademonen och Duskmantle Seer, en kille som bör vara riktigt stark i leken. Min bedömning är att det helt enkelt är värt det att bjuda motståndarna på extra kort eftersom de allra flesta inte kan kompensera för förlusten av liv som den här leken kan.
Erebos är värd ett särskilt omnämnande, då han inte bara agerar en extra Greed utan dessutom förhindrar motståndarna från att gaina liv. Med guden i spel krävs det bara lite fart på stölden av liv och segern är din!

Återvinning
Lekens staying power kommer inte bara från dess förmåga att stjäla och gaina liv, utan även från möjligheten att återanvända kort. Phyrexian Delver ingår i Eternal Bargain (den här gången med en illustration som inte orsakar blindhet), och har en inbyggd Reanimate (eller Death, om vi ska vara petiga). Rescue from the Underworld är ett kort med potentialen att bli riktigt galet, åtminstone om man kombinerar det med starka etb- eller ltb-triggers som hos Kokusho, Disciple of Bolas eller Ashen Rider. High Market är också med främst för att kunna snurra varelser som Kokusho, exempelvis tillsammans med gamla EDH-favoriten Phyrexian Reclamation.

Förbättringspotential
Om madao vill spendera mer pengar i framtiden så finns det ett antal lite dyrare kort som med lätthet hade passat in. Exempelvis tror jag att Sword of Light and Shadow hade gjort underverk i leken, och Volrath's Stronghold hade varit ett väldigt starkt supplement till reanimator-korten.

Givetvis finns det mer att säga om leken, men lite ska ju vara kvar för madao att upptäcka själv! ;)

Om någon behöver hjälp med en lekidé är det bara att höra av sig! På återseende.

Commander 2013 - ett infriat löfte

Idag spoilades Commander 2013 i sin helhet på moderskepppet och Wizards gjorde mig sannerligen inte besviken. Förutom alla nya spännande kort bjuds vi på massor av härliga reprints, varav många med ny läcker art. Bara mina två förbeställda lekar (Bant och Grixis) innehåller Basalt Monolith, Control Magic, Starstorm, Karmic Guide, Baleful Strix och mycket annat. Dessutom får jag återknyta bekantskapen med en gammal flamma.

Rubinia är tillbaka efter 20 år och ser intressant nog 20 år yngre ut!
Först Theros och sedan detta, 2013 ser ut att gå till historien som ett fantastiskt Magic-år. Nu räknar vi ner dagarna till 1:a november!


EDIT: Kontaktade just Cynthia Shepphard för att uttrycka min beundran, och vips var nästa illustratörsintervju bokad! :)

Originalkonst

Som tack för intervjun på SvenskaMagic så fick jag en originalteckning av Adam Paquette. Teckningen är liten, ca 10x10 cm, och det visade sig lättare sagt än gjort att få tag på en lämplig ram. Clas Ohlson blev räddningen till slut och jag har nu originalkonst av en magicillustratör på vardagsrumsväggen. Såväl nörden som konstentusiasten inom mig jublar!

Descent into Madness

Mill har alltid varit en marginaliserad strategi som endast undantagsvis varit framgångsrik i Magic. Visst, Michael Loconto vann den första Pro Touren med en lek som spelade 3 Millstone och Nephalia Drownyard möjliggjorde nyligen en mill-lek i Standard. Med lite tur har ibland spelare även kunnat decka sina motståndare i limited med exempevis Sword of Body and Mind eller Increasing Confusion.

Att spela en millbaserad lek i EDH, formatet där lekarna innehåller 100 kort, måste väl dock bara vara galenskaper? Jag vet i alla fall vad Mirko Vosk har att säga om saken.

Om vi lämnar inavlade nördskämt därhän så kan jag avslöja att jag spenderat den senaste tiden med att utröna huruvida mill fungerar i EDH. Frågan väcktes när jag satt och stirrade på Mirko Vosk en kväll. "Den här killen är cool, hur skulle hans lek se ut?"
Det var uppenbart att Mirkos vara eller icke vara i EDH var detsamma som mills vara eller icke vara. Jag började bygga en lek med följande förutsättningar:

• Mirko Vosk som general. Jag tittade även på Wrexial, men jag ville ha en general som millar. Jag tog även Szadek under övervägande, men cmc 5 kändes avgjort bättre.
• Leken skulle kunna dra fördel av motståndarnas graveyards. Att decka multipla motståndare kändes helt enkelt inte realistiskt, och då måste man hitta en användning för korten man millar.
• För att ge mig själv en utmaning bestämde jag mig för en begränsad budget. Jag tillät inte heller mig själv att spela mina dyraste kort, och hade därmed inte tillgång till godis som Damnation, Cryptic Command, Snapcaster Mage, osv.

Med detta i åtanke konstruerade jag min lek. Jag har nu hunnit testspela och uppdatera den under någon månad. För närvarande ser listan ut såhär:

MIRKO'S MIND FUNERAL
General - Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker

Varelser (21)
1 Archaeomancer
1 Avatar of Woe
1 Body Double
1 Chancellor of the Spires
1 Consuming Aberration
1 Dimir Doppelganger
1 Duskmantle Guildmage
1 Fog Bank
1 Geth, Lord of the Vault
1 Guard Gomazoa
1 Havengul Lich
1 Jace's Mindseeker
1 Lazav, Dimir Mastermind
1 Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker
1 Mnemonic Wall
1 Nemesis of Reason
1 Riddlekeeper
1 Sewer Nemesis
1 Szadek, Lord of Secrets
1 Thassa, God of the Sea
1 Wrexial, the Risen Deep

Övriga spells (39)
1 Animate Dead
1 Archive Trap
1 Armillary Sphere
1 Beacon of Unrest
1 Bloodchief Ascension
1 Brainspoil
1 Concentrate
1 Counterspell
1 Crypt Incursion
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Dimir Cluestone
1 Dimir Keyrune
1 Dimir Signet
1 Dismiss
1 Far // Away
1 Fireshrieker
1 Grisly Spectacle
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Increasing Confusion
1 Induce Paranoia
1 Life's Finale
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Memory Erosion
1 Memory Plunder
1 Mindcrank
1 Mind Funeral
1 Mind Grind
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Psychic Intrusion
1 Psychic Spiral
1 Read the Bones
1 Sever the Bloodline
1 Soul Manipulation
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Sword of Body and Mind
1 Syphon Mind
1 Telemin Performance
1 Traumatize

Planeswalkers (2)
1 Jace Beleren
1 Jace, Memory Adept

Länder (38)
1 Bad River
1 Barren Moor
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Dimir Aqueduct
1 Dimir Guildgate
1 Dreadship Reef
1 Duskmantle, House of Shadow
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Frost Marsh
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Jwar Isle Refuge
1 Lonely Sandbar
1 Mystifying Maze
1 Nephalia Drownyard
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Tainted Isle
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Temple of Deceit
1 Temple of the False God
1 Terramorphic Expanse
10 Island
8 Swamp

Detta är helt enkelt en UB kontroll som millar och använder motståndarnas graveyards som resurs. Låt oss titta på leken i detalj!

Generalen
Vad vi har är alltså en 2/4 flygare som ger en Mind Funeral varje gång han skadar en motståndare. Om du tycker att det verkar bra så har du alldeles rätt!
För att ge Mirko lite andrum har jag valt att spela både Lightning Greaves och Swiftfoot Boots. Fireshrieker är också med för dubbel Mind Funeral, men kombinerar såklart även bra med exempelvis Wrexial eller Szadek.

Mill
Mirko kan inte dra hela lasset själv och här finns massvis med sköna millkort för att hjälpa honom. Memory Erosion äter sakta upp motståndarna bit för bit, Traumatize tar halva leken och Mind Grind blir fullkomligt förkrossande när den kommer i lategame. Min personliga favorit är dock kort som både millar och gör någonting annat. Psychic Intrusion är en kontring med mill, Grisly Spectacle är ett removal med mill, och Telemin Performance millar fram en varelse (stundtals träffar den Avacyn, Angel of Hope och dylikt). Det galnaste kortet i denna kategori är kanske Life's Finale, en sweeper som dessutom letar fram en motståndares bästa varelser och lägger dem i graven.

Millsynergier
Att utnyttja korten man millar är lekens primära fokus. Reanimation är kanske det allra mest uppenbara sättet att göra detta. Animate Dead och Beacon of Unrest hämtar in det bästa motståndarlekarna har att erbjuda, även om den sistnämnda också kan hämta Caged Sun och annat trevligt.
Memory Plunder är valfri instant eller sorcery för 4 mana i instant speed, vilket förstås har potentialen att bli riktigt bananas. Starkast är nog dock Bloodchief Ascension, ett kort som snabbt vinner matchen om ingen sitter på ett svar. Bloodchief Ascension ingår också i en infkombo tillsammans med Mindcrank, och Mindcrank utgör i sin tur en infkombo tillsammans med en viss varelse.

Varelser
Undantaget blåa och svarta fuskkoden spelar leken de bästa varelserna som milltemat har att erbjuda. Szadek millar groteska mängder kort om han får hållas och Wrexial ger en Memory Plunder varje gång han kommer igenom. Lazav, Body Double och Dimir Doppelganger kopierar brutna saker. Dubbelgångaren kan dessutom användas defensivt genom att exila exempelvis Anger eller motståndarnas egna reanimation targets.
Havengul Lich låter dig spela om dina egna killar eller motståndarnas om de spelar dina färger, och Geth både reanimerar döda varelser och millar. Fog Bank och Guard Gomazoa håller fortet, och Riddlekeeper ger motståndare incitament att anfalla någon annan.
Det verkliga monstret i leken är Consuming Aberration, som oftast är en one hit kill och dessutom millar. Thassa kan hjälpa Aberration eller hans lillebror Sewer Nemesis att komma igenom, och hon är såklart även otroligt bra med Mirko, Szadek och Wrexial.
Ovan nämnda infkombo innehåller förutom Mindcrank även Duskmantle Guildmage. Infkombos är egentligen inte min stil, men eftersom alla iblandade kort är bra även för sig och mina motspelare dessutom tycker att det är helt ok så låter jag det vara.

Kontroll
Leken har flertalet kontrollelement för att skydda sig medan den millar och bygger sitt bräde. Kontringarna finns givetvis där. Förutom ovan nämnda millande kontring har jag inkluderat Dismiss och Counterspell. Soul Manipulation kontrar enbart varelser, men har fantastisk kortekonomi och får därför vara med ändå.
Det livsviktiga kortdraget representeras av Phyrexian Arena, Syphon Mind, Concentrate och nya myskortet Read the Bones. Life's Finale och Cyclonic Rift rensar brädet, och behöver man ytterligare sweepers finns alltid motståndarnas kort att tillgå. Leken har även en del spot removal i form av Far // Away, Sever the Bloodline, tidigare nämnda Grisly Spectacle och flexibla Hero's Downfall. Brainspoil är också ett removal, men spelas oftare som en tutor för att hämta exempelvis Consuming Aberration eller Traumatize.
På tal om tutors kanske ni har lagt märke till något? Just det, avsaknaden av dem. Tutors är lite tråkiga i formatet eftersom det ofta blir så att man hämtar samma saker match efter match. Vid sidan av Brainspoil spelar leken därför enbart Mystical Tutor som enda kort i kategorin.

Fail safe
Det sämsta med att spela mill i EDH är att strategin ibland gynnar dina motståndare. Reanimation, flashback och kort i stil med Anger är vanligt, och förr eller senare kommer du att milla ner kort som motståndaren faktiskt vill ha i graven. Vad man behöver då är ett antal försäkringar så att leken inte biter sig själv i baken.
Ett ganska stort problem för mig har varit kort i stil med Angel of Glory's Rise, som helt enkelt hämtar tillbaka alla killar jag millat ner. Räddningen i detta fall är Crypt Incursion. Denna spell ser inte mycket ut för världen, men senast jag resolvade den exilade den 26 varelser, hindrade ca 20 humans från att komma tillbaka och genererade 78 liv. Bra value för tre mana!
När man verkligen inte har något annat val än att exila en hel graveyard spelar leken Bojuka Bog.

Sammanfattningsvis är detta en förvånansvärt stark lek som är fantastiskt rolig att spela. En skön aspekt är att leken alltid håller ungefär samma nivå som motståndet eftersom den använder fiendens kort för att spela. Svaret på frågan om mill håller i EDH är ett rungande "JA!".