The very first card I owned was the alternate art 7th edition Thorn Elemental. Was it difficult building upon the work you already had done for the original?
Yes and no. I had a place to start and that made it a bit easier. I painted the 7th art considerably larger and spent more time on detail.
I know you also helped in designing the Planescape setting for Dungeons & Dragons. Did you do any work for for the video game, Torment?
None at all. They just ran with art that was already done.
There’s a clear Gothic influence in your work. Is there any piece in particular from this era that acted as a catalyst for you incorporating these elements into your own style?
I just love any illustration that was at the turn of the century. Especially Franklin Booth, Virgil Finlay, and Arthur Rackham.
What is your preferred medium to work with? Have you had any shift towards digital mediums in recent years?
Good eye. The first half of my Magic art was done in oils…then it shifted to digital, or at the very least, mixed media with a digital finish.
I’ve read in previous interviews with you that Unmask is one of the favorite cards you’ve done. What was given to you by the design team as the guidelines for it?
There was a basic story element and characters that needed used, but the rest was me.
In your (what I assume is infrequent) downtime, what hobbies do you have?
Not many really. I travel way to much and then have to bust out some work when I’m home.
What are your top 3 “stranded on a desert island” songs?
Hahahaha! I’m the lame guy that doesn’t really have any. I listen to whatever and whenever.
What card do you sign the most often?
I can tell you that I have signed over 6000 Modern Masters 2015 Fulminator Mages. Avatar of Woe is a contender too.
How many Fulminator Mages have you signed?
Weird, I just channeled this question with the last.
What advice do you have for people looking to start a career as an artist?
Oh hell. It’s not easy.
A big thank you again to rk post for taking the time for this interview. For those who are fans or interested in his art, please check out the following sites:
He has a wide array of tokens available for sale as well as art books. Please comment and share if you liked this interview and if you have any memorable experiences with rk post!
While not a mix of sugar, spice, and everything nice, Loren wishes to share his love of Magic with everyone. Loren plays Modern (not well) and EDH (not well). He lives in northern Arizona with his girlfriend and vault of artist-signed cards.
Q: How long have you been an artist and did you always want to be an artist?
A: I have been a professional artist since about 1995. But I’ve been making art since I was probably 1 or 2! And not consciously, no. As a kid I naively went through the gamut of seemingly adventurous occupations like archeologist (because of Raiders of the Lost Ark) or fighter pilot (because jets!) or Lego set designer (because Legos!). Not until high school did I start to realize that I was destined for a career in art. And even then, I wasn’t sure what kind of art.
Q: What is your preferred medium?
A: Depends on my mood at the moment! I guess if I could do all my projects and jobs in one medium, I pick pencil. But I do enjoy painting in acrylic and doing pen and ink work occasionally. And I enjoy mixing digital with my pencil work, too
Q: What was your first commissioned piece?
A: It was a piece for White Wolf Games Inc for a book called “Outcasts”. I did 6 or 7 images for that book I think but the one piece I did first was a pen and ink goth vampire girl with a bandaged stump arm.
Q: How long have you been doing work for Wizards?
A: Since 2003 I believe? My first gig was on concept designing the world of Eberron [Dungeons & Dragons].
Q: If you could have any super power, what would it be?
A: I don’t know if this is a super power, but I’d like to be able to zoom into any point in the history of Earth and just watch what is going on – not change the past, just check stuff out. Like a time-traveling fly on the wall. It’d be cool to just toggle back into the Triassic era and just observe the flora and fauna – or see how the battle of Thermopylae actually went down – or even just lingering as an invisible spectator in the pre-human Rocky Mountains.
Q: What is your favorite piece you have done for Magic?
A: Good question – and one that gets asked frequently. Hard to say, really. I like different paintings for different reasons. I like Silver Knight because I just like the brushwork a lot. I like my Hydra token and Leonin Iconoclast a lot because of the colors. And Rowdy Crew is my favorite painting as far as a multi-figure scene full of fun characters – and good lighting in that one, too. I guess my newest favorite is the Goblin Explosioneers contraptions – a ton of work went into that and it’s just a big ball of chaotic, goofy fun.
Q: What is your favorite food/drink?
A: Gah! Too many to pick a fave! In general, I love Indian food, specifically vegetable curry. I also like toasted coconut anything – and a perfectly ripe mango! Favorite drink is a tie between ginseng tea and Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Burning River Pale Ale (served with a hearty dinner!)
Q: Do you play Magic and if so, what format(s)?
A: I don’t! Not that I don’t appreciate the nuance and awesomeness of the game. It’s that strategy games are just not my thing. I like word games like Bananagrams, Scrabble, Balderdash, etc.
Q: What is your favorite type of card to do the art for?
A: Any card that gives me the freedom to design my own thing – or my own version of a thing. Doesn’t matter if it’s red, blue, black or if it’s a creature or warrior or whatever.
Q: How much direction do you prefer is given to you for a card’s art?
A: I don’t mind a little direction at all. I’ve worked with many great Art Director’s on Magic and they all do a very good job of guiding and directing just enough. More often it is the initial description of the art that might be a little heavy handed but that is rare
A big thank you again to Steve Prescott for taking the time for this interview. Please take the time to check out Steve’s website:
On his site you can find a gallery of his work, his store, and contact information. He even has original art available for sale. Feel free to comment if you enjoyed this interview, your favorite piece done by Steve, or any other musings and mumblings!
While not a mix of sugar, spice, and everything nice, Loren wishes to share his love of Magic with everyone. Loren plays Modern (not well) and EDH (not well). He lives in northern Arizona with his girlfriend and vault of artist-signed cards.
How long have you been altering cards?
I’ve been doing 3D alters since 2010. Painted alters since 2013
Do you have a favorite type of card to alter?
Azami, Lady of Scrolls. She is super awesome from an artistic and playable standpoint. Her art has a colour palette that I absolutely adore, while she is a very viable Commander.
Do you do original art as well?
Yeah, however I don’t have as much time as I would like to work on my own pieces because of the commissions and my “real job.” I’m able to squeeze time in every now and then though. My roommate got me a 36×48 inch canvas for Christmas and I think I’ve finally figured out what I’m going to put on it!
Do you play Magic? If so, what format(s)?
Yep, commander is my favorite. My general at the moment is Nekusar. I also regularly attend Modern and Legacy events at my LGS.
What’s your artistic inspiration?
I enjoy art because I’m able to create something for people that they will use. With my canvases I can take lore from M:tG or other fantasy worlds and put my own spin on it. I have a line of tokens coming out soon that have a awesome theme to them. It will be made public in the next few months. My Patrons are able to get previews on all my original pieces as well as other perks when the pieces are finished.
Are you currently accepting commissions?
Yep! My turn around time changes based on my queue. Messaging me and checking is the best way to find out how long exactly.
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HurleyBurley/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hurleyburleyalters/
Twitter: @hurleyburleyart
Email: [email protected]
While not a mix of sugar, spice, and everything nice, Loren wishes to share his love of Magic with everyone. Loren plays Modern (not well) and EDH (not well). He lives in northern Arizona with his girlfriend and vault of artist-signed cards.
Today I bring you the amazing handmade deck boxes from Spencer Baumgarten. Spencer is a fixture among the PucaTrade Discord community and an avid user of the PucaTrade platform. On Puca and Discord, he is better known as 10101010101010. He has successfully married his love for the game of Magic, and his talent with handcrafts to produce some very beautiful and well-crafted deck boxes. I recently ordered 2 EDH boxes, one for myself and one as a giveaway for my Patreon subscribers to protect the Battle Box that is going out at the end of the month.
The packaging and delivery of the boxes were flawless, and I was really pleased with Spencer’s turnaround time. My initial thought of these boxes was that they seem really light for such a solid piece of woodwork. At first, I was nervous as to how solid they would be, but they are strong and not flimsy at all. As far as space goes, I am able to store 120 double sleeved cards, a divider, and my silica pack (TIP: You can use these to remove moisture from around Foils, to avoid warping.) I have become very familiar with my sweet new deck box, and I am happy with the quality and space.
The finish on these boxes is so clean that they almost appear to be machined, but after closer inspection, it becomes obvious that they are hand made. The two boxes I received were slightly different, as the lighter one has felt on the inside. I chose to keep the dark wood for myself, as I had no preference to the felt or not, and I just like the dark wood personally. I have already ordered a third one for a friend.
Spencer was also kind enough to share some photos of the next batch of boxes he is working on. These are from his personal workshop in his basement. Not only am I jealous of his skill, but I would also love to have a work area like he has.
The current price for the deck boxes varies based on the project, the ones that I ordered run about $40. Spencer takes custom orders for different sized boxes. Being as these are works of art, each request will be quoted differently.
Also keep in mind that as a small operation, Spencer is also at the mercy of supply costs, so if you are reading this long after the posting date, the details of cost may no longer be accurate. If you’re interested in contacting spencer to acquire some of his great work you can email him at [email protected].
May all your deck boxes be this awesome,
Strictly
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Jeremy aka “Strictly Average” is an ‘average’ guy with ‘average’ plans. He is the creator and overboss of Strictly Average Gaming, which includes the Patreon group and StrictlyAverageMTG.com