Deep Regrets Board Game Art - A Deep Dive into this Creepy Fishing Game - Interview with Judson Cowan (Issue #70)
“There are some really, really weird things in the ocean. One of the most difficult parts of filling my fictional sea with life was coming up with fake fish that were more terrifying or bizarre than the real fish..”
Confusing Lands Board Game - Combining Art & Game Design - Interview with Zak Eidsvoog (Issue #69)
“I got my first couple of board game clients after I did a self-directed fan redesign project where I made new art and graphic design for a game I really love..”
Fame & Fable Board Game Art - Creating New Fantasy Worlds - Interview with Owen Davey (Issue #68)
“Fame and Fable draws inspiration from folktales, mythology, classic and modern fantasy, and popular culture. It’s a love letter to all of those influences, but it also keeps things light and approachable…”
Magic: The Gathering Card Art - Artistic Process and Building Your Community - Interview with Sara Winters (Issue #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 Board Game Art - Reversing Gender Norms - Interview with Anne Heidsieck (Issue #66)
“I wanted to make a joke about the omnipresent sexism of the 50s era by reversing the roles on the cover. At first, I imagined a woman in a suit near a sold sign in front of a nice house, giving the key to her nice husband..”
Hedge Lord Board Game - Handmade Games and Traditional Methods - Interview with Timbrook Toys (Issue #65)
“The appeal of handmade products is that each item has special details which reveal the hand that made it.Working with irregular surfaces results in the kind of printing imperfections that distinguishes handmade art from mass-production… “
Techlandia Board Game - Silicon Valley meets Lovecraft - Interview with Dan Ackerman (Issue #64)
“The key for me was not to just have a guy in a suit with a Cthulhu head, but to have the guy in a suit with a Cthulhu head be just another cog in the corporate wheel…”
Kids on Bikes Art - Fighting Perfection and Finding Your Style - Interview with Heather Vaughan (Issue #63)
I went through a long time where in my head “Finished art” meant that the art was hyper realistic and perfect. It was a hard time training my brain to be okay with finished art that was polished, but not sterile.. That’s where my color choices and strange themes come from, me leaning hard into the skid of trying to buck the idea that realism is the only way for art to be truly “finished”.
Reavers of Midgard Board Game Art - Collaboration and Creative Direction - Interview with Tyler Myatt (Issue #62)
I remember at one point in time I was working on a Kickstarter, making graphics for 2 other games, AND doing the art for another game. It was pretty stressful but you have to get use to cutting down vines one at a time, eventually you start to see a clearing ahead..
Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig Board Game Art - Collaboration vs Solo Projects - Interview with Bartłomiej Kordowski (Issue #61)
All these things make sense if there is an art director. Someone who watches over everything and has a vision of how a particular game should look, selecting the right people and paying attention to graphical coherency…