The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship - Cory Godbey: Art in Board Games #75
“Rereading that chapter in Fellowship of the Ring, the most terrifying part of those visions in the Mirror was Frodo seeing the Eye, and I knew I wanted to bring that image into the moment.”
Interview with artist Cory Godbey
In this board game art interview, I’m speaking to Cory Godbey, an award-winning artist whose work on The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship artwork caught my eye.
From picture books and board games to documentary films, Cory Godbey has worked with a wide range of subjects and styles to create thoughtful, engaging, and award-winning art for nearly twenty years.
Cory kindly joined me to discuss his career, creating fantasy art, and the brand new The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship board game. Grab a drink and settle in; this is my longest interview yet at 12 minutes read time. With such great answers, I could easily have talked to Cory even longer. Enjoy!
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For more great insights into board game art, check out the interview archive.
Thanks for joining us, Cory! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Thanks so much! I live in the upstate of South Carolina, which is near the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. I grew up in a little town called Travelers Rest. Aptly named, I suppose, because just beyond you begin to get into more of those rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
As a kid in the 1980s and early 90s, I wandered around in the woods a lot, liked to draw, and played my fair share of Nintendo. Though I’ve gotten taller, those three things haven't changed too much.
Have you always wanted to be an illustrator?
I have, though I probably wouldn’t have articulated it quite that way until later in high school.
Drawing has been one of the major constants in my life. I’ve told the story before, but when I was in kindergarten, one class project was to do a drawing of what you wanted to be when you grew up. I didn’t know (I don’t know what five year old would actually know). But I do remember thinking well, I’ll draw a picture of a cop. I vividly remember drawing an old time-y hat with a badge on it, sitting back, and thinking, hey, now that looks pretty good!
I was always the kid drawing during class. My abiding memory of elementary school is doodling in my textbooks, looking up and realizing I had no idea where the rest of the class was in the lesson, and then going back down to my drawings.
When I was 16, I started working as a textbook illustrator. I would go after school during the summers to a small publisher near my hometown. The serendipity of going on to create illustrations for textbooks that future students would, hopefully, go onto deface and add doodles to, just like I did, was not lost on me!
This year marks 20 years working full-time in Illustration, since 2005, if you can believe it. (Longer still if you count those early days doing textbook illustration.) I feel incredibly fortunate in that I’ve never once wondered what I should pursue.
How do you like to create your art? Are you more analog or digital?
For me, everything begins traditionally. What that usually looks like is a light Col-erase pencil sketch on Stonehenge paper or Strathmore 500 series Bristol. From there, proceeding onto a finished drawing usually alternating between Kimberly’s General 2B pencil, Blackwing 602, and your regular old BIC mechanical pencil, 0.7 mm or 0.9 mm.
Depending on the needs of the project, I’ll move on to watercolor and gouache or digital painting. Oftentimes a mix.
I don’t usually like drawing digitally, however, even if I am drawing in Procreate on the iPad, for example, I still do rough sketches on paper and scan those to begin. Each project is a little different, and over the years I found myself adjusting my process and methods accordingly. My goal is always that no matter how I’m actually working, everything feels consistent.
Your passion for fantasy is clear. What draws you to the genre?
In fantasy art, I can find the three things that I am always looking for with my own work: Draftsmanship, Imagination, and Narrative.
Yes, I was always the kid who drew in school, but really I think it was the 1-2 punch of experiencing the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece, Princess Mononoke during my formative years in high school in the late 90s that sent me down the path on which I still find myself walking.
Your artwork is very dynamic, from the composition to the lighting. Where do you begin when creating an image, and how do you convey a feeling of energy in the frame?
That’s very kind of you to say. It’s a great question, and it’s one that I’m not sure I can quite answer.
I know at least the key to my compositions, (most but probably not all) is a triangle. I don’t even plan it most of the time, it’s somehow instinctual. Makes sense to me, though. It’s a foundational, fundamental shape and it’s something the human eye is simply drawn to. It feels weighted and structured.
As for bringing a piece to life, that's a tricky business. The energy and movement in the piece is a part of it, of course. For me, it’s usually trying to approach a feeling or memory. How on earth something as grand as that, a living moment in time, can ever wind its way through shapes or color or lines is the real mystery.
You recently worked on The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship board game. Can you tell us more about this project?
I’d had the chance to work with Matt Leacock on a previous game called Ziggurat. On that project, I illustrated a number of storybook moments for the different “chapters” of the game as well as had the flexibility to create a dozen or so player characters. We had such a good time on that project, Matt was kind enough to invite me on board for this.
The main note I had from the team on Fate of the Fellowship was that these characters could not resemble the Peter Jackson films in any way. Good news to me! As much affection and admiration as I have for those movies, I wanted to do my own take.
In that respect, it was truly the perfect opportunity. Alan Lee's work is my personal favorite glimpse into the world of Tolkien. As such, I have no aspirations to illustrate the books. For me, they have been done. However, getting the chance to do a piece for the cover and spend time thinking about how I might handle the characters? That sounded like a perfect holiday in Middle-earth.
What it looked like for me was going back and rereading certain passages and scribbling through different ways of seeing the characters.
The cover for The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship packs in a lot of story. In your opinion, what is the key to creating captivating cover art?
For covers, I tend to defer to the needs of the project. And my own taste and preferences range, as far as what I like to see for a cover. Whether that’s a single, impactful image, or a character portrait or moment from the story. In this instance, they asked for all three of those.
As I recall, the idea was a central image of Frodo and Galadriel at the Mirror with a series of vignettes giving glimpses of other characters surrounding them.
Rereading that chapter in Fellowship of the Ring, the most terrifying part of those visions in the Mirror (famously, “For it shows things that were, things that are, and things that may yet be.") was Frodo seeing the Eye, and I knew I wanted to bring that image into the moment.
“But suddenly the Mirror went all together dark, as dark as if a hole had opened in the world of sight, and Frodo looked into emptiness. In the black abyss, there appeared a single Eye that slowly grew, until it filled nearly all the Mirror. So terrible was it that Frodo stood rooted, unable to cry out or to withdraw his gaze. The eye was rimmed with fire, but was itself glazed, yellow as a cat’s, watchful and intent, and the black slit of its pupil opened on a pit, a window into nothing.”
For me, that Eye was the key to making the entire cover work. Everything else could hang off that. In fact, when I sat down to begin the final art for the cover, it was the first piece I set out to paint. One thing I'm particularly proud of (why this exactly, I'm not sure, but I am nonetheless) is how the piece bends around either end to accommodate the sides of the box. You've got a side that works for stacking flat on the right and a side that works for standing in a row on the left.
You’ve illustrated instantly recognizable characters, from Lord of the Rings to Disney’s Lorcana. What are the challenges of illustrating such well-known worlds?
Each project is pretty different. With LOTR, I had the trust of the team on Fate to approach the characters how I would see them. I felt like I had as much flexibility as I could possibly want planning the characters and developing my vision for them. Something like Lorcana you’re working with established characters and a style guide for the whole world of the game.
My heart lies with the work I’ve been able to do for the Jim Henson Company. I’ve said it a number of times, but truly, it’s always seemed to me that they want the artist's thumbprint on any given project.
Between books and comics, I’ve been doing projects for them off and on these last 15 years. While, yes, it is licensed work with established characters and worlds, it’s always felt like much more to me. I’ve often described it like a garden. It’s not my garden, but occasionally I’m given the keys to go into that garden and tend a small corner of it. When I’m done, I leave my key on a post at the gate. They know all they have to do is ask and I’ll be back with my gardening gloves.
What's your experience been like working in the gaming industry?
The majority of my work over the last two decades has been in publishing and comics. Some animation projects here and there, but mostly publishing and illustration.
However, the last few years have seen a number of commissions coming in from the gaming world. Which I suppose is why we’re talking in the first place! MTG, Lorcana, and of course, Fate of the Fellowship. One particular experience I would love to highlight is Littlest Lantern’s Sea Beasts.
That’s a game coming out later this year, and I could never say enough good things about that project. One of the best, most collaborative experiences I’ve had in my career. Just such an incredible time working on dozens upon dozens of briny, salt-soaked beasts (and the Vikings to battle them). Can’t wait to see that one out, and people getting the chance to explore it.
From projects like Magic: The Gathering to board games like Ziggurat, everyone has been so welcoming and so kind. Wanted to take a moment and highlight that part of the gaming community.
With the demands of being a commercial artist, do you still have time for personal works?
I can trace a very direct line from any significant client project commission back to some piece of personal work. In many ways, my personal work is what fuels my client work. What that usually looks like is an editor or art director referencing some piece of personal work and saying, that's what we want for this project.
Back in 2008 I began creating a yearly sketchbook. The first few were a hodgepodge of whatever sketches and drawings I had done in that year that weren’t for a client or any particular project. But it was in 2011, I hit on the idea of creating a new sketchbook on a theme. Not just the leftovers or whatever I had scribbled that year but an entirely new collection. Giving myself a framework and limiting the scope, I found, to be expansive.
To take a single idea or a theme and try and look at it from every possible angle and see-through it like a prism. It lent so many more ideas than just doing a one off piece here and there. Ultimately, I have found nothing better for my own personal and professional development than creating an annual sketchbook.
Do you have a favorite piece of art you’ve created?
In 2022, we began construction on a new studio for me. But before I packed up and moved out of my original studio, I wanted to make one last piece to sum up my time in that space. I’d been in that studio for the last 10 years and had to send it off right.
The original drawing for this one is one of the largest I’d ever attempted and based off scribbles for an idea I had back in 2015 but felt unable to fully realize, back then. It also functions as tribute to two of my illustrative heroes, John Bauer and Charles Vess.
The Idylls.
Do you have a dream project?
I love any chance I get to walk in Thra, the world of The Dark Crystal. I’ll draw my way through as often as they ask. And there are a few more stories I'd like to tell from that place.
For projects I would love to illustrate that no one has commissioned yet, I’ve got a list of dream books, of course, but The NeverEnding Story would be the first. Penguin, Penguin Random House (I think they have the US rights). I am speaking directly to you now.
And you know what, I'd get a kick doing something with Pokémon. I've been a lifelong fan and for fun, I entered the TCG art contest back in 2024. I didn't place with my Feraligatr (and trio of Totodiles), but a friend also entered and did place! And that was exciting.
And as for my own personal work, I’ve been working through a massive, sprawling fantasy story called WHENCE for quite a while now. Essentially, this is the well from which I pull most all the imagery and things for my personal work and sketchbooks. Not ready yet, but it’ll get there!
What are you reading, listening to, or looking at to fuel your work?
I’ve read with my three kids every night since they were small but now that they’re a little older we’ve been on quite a journey through a number of books. The last year or so has seen us go through The Hobbit, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, The Neverending Story, and The King of the Copper Mountains. Right now, we’re in the middle of The Chronicles of Narnia (currently reading The Silver Chair).
As for music, I’m often on a Joe Hisaishi kick. Some other musicians I’ve been playing a lot in the studio recently are Max Richter, R. Missing, and Hiatus. I don’t get the chance to really sit down with many movies or shows, despite how much great stuff it seems is out there. I do watch a lot of documentaries while I’m working during the day. Especially, if it’s something easy to just listen to.
If I’m winding down for a little while in the evening, two recent games I’ve replayed are Link’s Awakening on the Game Boy and Pokémon SoulSilver on the Nintendo DS. Still getting in that Nintendo time.
Finally, where can we see more of your work?
A number of places to keep up! From my portfolio site to Muddy Colors. You can also find me on these social media sites: Patreon, BlueSky, and Instagram.
Magic: The Gathering - Sara Winters: Art in Board Games #67
“In 2012 I made my first fantasy illustration portfolio and brought it to an artist convention in Kansas City called Spectrum. I showed it to as many artists and art directors as possible. Even though I knew that I wasn’t ready, I made this portfolio as…”
Welcome to issue 67 of my series sharing the stories behind board game art. If you’ve played Magic: The Gathering or The Lord of the Rings TCG, you’ll likely have seen her work. Her incredible ability to capture the energy and presence of the figures she illustrated drew me in, and I’m so happy she took some time to talk about her work with me.
For more great insights into tabletop game art, be sure to check out the interview archive.
Hi Sara, thanks for joining me! For our readers who aren't aware of your work could you tell us a bit about yourself and what you do?
I am a freelance artist working in the gaming industry and specialize in character design and illustration. Although I was born and raised in New Jersey, I currently live in the Seattle, WA area. I am 30 years old. My husband Mark Winters is also an artist and former art director for Wizards of the Coast. We have five chihuahuas and our first child turned one recently!
I love being part of the artist community and used to run figure drawing nights and industry lectures in Seattle. I’m planning to do more of that in the future.
Sara Winters - Pisces - Llewellyn's 2019 Astrological Calendar
The freelance illustration industry is tough to break into, so how did you get started?
I attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City from 2006 to 2010 and received a bachelor’s degree in illustration. In college, I wasn’t really sure what type of illustration would be a good fit for me professionally, but I knew that I loved designing clothing and painting expressive characters. As a child I used to play a lot of video games with my father and brother. Some of my favorites were Tomb Raider, Diablo, Starcraft and Warcraft. I loved copying drawings from the World of Warcraft handbook and Tomb Raider comics. At some point, I started designing my own characters. I’m actually a bit bummed that I missed out on playing Dungeons and Dragons and Magic The Gathering as a kid. I know I would have loved it!
Sara Winters - Loyal Sentry - MTG: Masters 25 - © Wizards Of The Coast
After college, I started to get more serious about becoming a professional artist. Throughout high school and college, I worked in various retail, bartending, and waitressing jobs. In 2012 I made my first fantasy illustration portfolio and brought it to an artist convention in Kansas City called Spectrum. I showed it to as many artists and art directors as possible. Even though I knew that I wasn’t ready, I made this portfolio as a starting point. After the convention, I made a whole new portfolio with all of the precious feedback in mind. A few months later, I brought it to a convention in Pennsylvania called Illuxcon. I had reviews with art directors from Wizards of The Coast, Paizo Publishing and Fantasy Flight Games. That next year I would start working with all of these companies on various projects.
Sara Winters - Ravager - The Lord Of The Rings TCG - Fantasy Flight Games
The first art director that reached out was Zoe Robison from Fantasy Flight Games. She gave me my first shot and I can’t thank her enough! My first assignment was for a Lord of The Rings Card game. As a child, I probably read The Lord of The Rings Trilogy over ten times and used to copy all of the maps in the books. I was so excited to work for a brand that I understood and cared about.
The first year of working for games companies was off and on. I was also housecleaning and nannying on the side. Whatever it took to make enough money to be able to pursue becoming a professional artist! By 2014 I was completely full time with my art.
Sara Winters - Tolarian Scholar - ©Wizards Of The Coast
Getting that first shot is a huge step but a challenging one too. What do you think you learned from it?
I feel that I did well with that first assignment by executing the art description and making the deadline. I definitely had an unnecessary amount of stress involved though. I am an over-thinker by nature. Looking back now, I would have approached the work with a healthier mindset. This assignment was very useful in helping me analyze the deficiencies in my process. I learned a ton from the experience.
From both a personal and professional perspective, how important is it for artists to seek out each other in the community?
Being part of a community is a crucial part of being an artist. For one, you can get meaningful critique of your work from your colleagues. They can help you see something in your work that you cannot. It’s also incredibly inspirational to see what people are working on. I was lucky that I grew up near New York City. There is an incredible community out there.
There are also a ton of online resources for aspiring artists that don’t live near a big city. I really enjoy Artstation, which is an artist community website. It’s an easy way to show off your portfolio. Artstation also has a ton of helpful resources such as job postings, articles, etc. There are also magazines such as Firestarter and ImagineFX that have a lot of info for artists both aspiring and professional. I also recommend going to conventions if possible. Ones that helped out my career are Spectrum, Illuxcon, and Gencon. There are also a ton internationally such as Trojan Horse Was a Unicorn, Industry workshops, etc.
Sara Winters - Daenerys - Game Of Thrones TCG - Fantasy Flight Games
Bringing the focus back to your art, what’s your process when working?
Nowadays, I have a pretty set process. It can change based on the assignment, but I generally compartmentalize. I start with research and thumbnailing. I will occasionally create concept art in this stage too if necessary. During this stage I want to identify the win conditions for the assignment: "What does the client need to make a successful product?" and “how do I make this assignment as enjoyable as possible for me?”. The latter question is much more simple for me. I typically won’t take an assignment that doesn’t fit me as an artist. It’s pretty rare for me to receive an assignment that doesn’t fit at all. I really enjoy the problem-solving aspect of an assignment.
Sara Winters - Cancer - Llewellyn's 2019 Astrological Calendar
The second part of the process is the sketch phase. I essentially detail the thumbnail that I picked and send that to a client. Once the sketch is approved then I will compile reference. I always do a photo shoot with models. I never find a pose online to go from. One, this is typically copyright infringement. Even if you purchase a stock photo legally, you are letting the photo dictate what you draw. I like to have complete control over lighting, pose and costuming. Reference should help to elevate the work, not be a crutch.
Once I am ready for final, I have little to nothing to figure out in the piece. All of the planning is done and I can focus on painting only.
Sara Winters - Thought Collapse - MTG: Ravnica Allegiance - ©Wizards Of The Coast
After 5 years as a freelance illustrator, do you have any advice for those looking to go down the same road?
I think it’s important to always consider yourself a student and always keep improving. You never want to plateau. It’s important to keep the energy going. I also believe that there are other things in life other than art. When I take time for family, friends and hobbies, I am refreshed and I feel like when I do paint, my work is better for it. Burnout isn’t just tough on you physically and mentally, but I believe the work suffers for it.
Sara Winters - Taurus - Llewellyn's 2019 Astrological Calendar
With creative fields, it can sometimes be forgotten that the paid work you do is still exactly that, work. What brings you enjoyment in the jobs you’ve had and how do you look to keep yourself motivated and inspired?
I really like to diversify the type of projects that I take. This prevents me from getting bored and burnt out. As an example, a perfect work week; I would maybe work on an illustration one day, concept art another, have a meeting with a client, then do some oil painting for myself. I’m very extroverted and don’t really enjoy being in my studio all day. I would also have plenty of time to relax and spend time with family and friends. I really feel like taking breaks fuels me to be a better artist and get excited about what I’m working on. I also think having other hobbies helps with idea-generating. For example, I love fashion. This really helps inspire my costume designs for my characters.
Sara Winters - Sanguine Glorifier - MTG: Rivals Of Ixalan - © Wizards Of The Coast
Let’s talk a minute about your use of models for artwork. Where do you start and how do you draw inspiration in terms of the poses and positioning?
It’s really important to take great references. Especially as a character artist. It will always improve your anatomy, posing, expressions, etc. I always try and take as exact reference as I can in order to make the most believable image possible. It’s easiest for me to hire models and put them in the exact costume. I always thumbnail/ sketch out the illustration first to figure out the pose, costume, lighting etc. I use this as a map for my painting and photograph the reference exactly how I want it. Hiring my own models gives me complete control over the painting. I hire models through friends, finding cosplayers at conventions, or use websites like Model Mayhem. Sometimes I model myself or have friends pose. It really depends on the needs of the project. Over the years I’ve developed a model list and have a great working relationship with some incredible local models.
Lighting can give characters a sense of presence and help bring them to life. Are there any key concepts you focus on when applying it to your imagery?
Lighting for me is all about mood for a piece. It can be a great tool for storytelling. Also, some illustrations call for a particular setting. I have a ton of lights I can use to create the exact setting I want in my photoshoot.
Sara Winters - Wizard - MTG: War of The Spark - © Wizards Of The Coast
This is probably a tough one to answer (personally I'm terrible at choosing favorites) but do you have any particular pieces of work that you're especially proud of?
I think my favorite piece that was released so far is my Wizard Token for MTG: War of The Spark. I had something in mind and felt that I achieved it. I also have my first oil painting in the newly announced MTG: Throne of Eldraine set.
What are some non-game related creations (books, music, movies, etc) that you’re currently enjoying?
It sure is hard reading or watching shows with a new baby, but lately, I finished the Chernobyl series on HBO. While it was at times heartbreaking to watch, the cinematography and performances were breathtaking.
Sara Winters - Honored Crop-Captain - Magic: The Gathering: Amonkhet - © Wizards of The Coast
Do you have any current projects underway, or coming up that you’d like (or are able) to tell us about?
I’m planning on doing some fine art for myself focusing on oil-painted portraits. I’m really looking forward to doing work without a purpose other than expressing what’s in my head.
Finally, if we’d like to see more of you and your work, where can we find you?
You can follow me and my work on my website, Twitter and my ArtStation.
All images provided by Sara Winters.
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