IOW #4 - MtG: Even the Odds

[Andrew Sonea]

Illustration of the Week #4: MtG: Even the Odds


Topic
This week you are given a real description for a real Magic the Gathering card. This card already exists, but imagine it is being reprinted and needs new art. The card in question is called Even the Odds. The description the artist had for it was the same as is below. You must keep to the description but also ensure that it is not simply a ripoff of the original art. Here is what you have to work with:

Color: White Spell

Location: not important

Action: This spell "calls for reinforcements" when you're up against the ropes, in the form of three soldiers. How to represent this is up to you. One idea is to show a fallen soldier whose sword, helm, and shield have fallen onto the ground around him. The armaments reflect the fallen soldier's form, and those reflections have magically come to life and are emerging from the armaments, stepping foot into the real world.

Focus: The arriving reinforcements

Mood: the tide has turned



Deadline
The deadline is Sunday 18th of September, 23:59 GMT
This is a full illustration that requires a high level of finish, so you have a full two weeks to complete it. Have fun!

[Kafka Dreams]

I'm not that familiar with Magic the Gathering Cards. What does it mean when it says, Color: White Spell ? Is that important or symbolic to the layout of the card in someway? Also does the card have to be laid out like a Magic the Gathering card? I know that they have a description at the bottom of the spell and other technical terms, but should we include all that or just do the illustration? I want to resist googling this card to avoid being influenced by his design.

[Andrew Sonea]

I'm not that familiar with Magic the Gathering Cards. What does it mean when it says, Color: White Spell ? Is that important or symbolic to the layout of the card in someway? Also does the card have to be laid out like a Magic the Gathering card? I know that they have a description at the bottom of the spell and other technical terms, but should we include all that or just do the illustration? I want to resist googling this card to avoid being influenced by his design.

I was a little hesitant to do this topic just because people may not know Magic the Gathering very well...that said this particular topic is fairly open and doesn't require much knowledge of the game. When it says white spell, it describes what the card is. This usually means that since it is a spell the focus should be on the action of the thing happening, and the fact that it is white means that the painting shouldn't be a dark scene or overly colourful (white cards are typically bright and may be whitish-yellowish coloured or if it has other colours in it they aren't overpowering and dominant).

Also please just do the illustration--do not put the illustration onto the card.

Hope that helps

[OfficialLamp]

I'm not that familiar with Magic the Gathering Cards. What does it mean when it says, Color: White Spell ? Is that important or symbolic to the layout of the card in someway? Also does the card have to be laid out like a Magic the Gathering card? I know that they have a description at the bottom of the spell and other technical terms, but should we include all that or just do the illustration? I want to resist googling this card to avoid being influenced by his design.

Magic the Gathering has 5 basic types: Red, Blue, Green, White, and Black. Each have different attributes associated with them. White for example is about order, law, and light. It helps give "flavor" to the cards and makes them more interesting.

Here's a longer discription:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic:_...olors_of_Magic

This topic is going to take a lot of brainstorming, I'd better start right away!

[Leysan]

More related links:
The Magic Style Guide [1,2,3,4]
The Big Deal About Little Pictures
Related Critique Center Thread

Bigger image from the original Even the Odds - card.

[sevira]

so all of the "action" description we have to stick to is this part?:

"Action: This spell "calls for reinforcements" when you're up against the ropes, in the form of three soldiers. How to represent this is up to you."

Edit:
found some old cards
for those who are too lazy to search the Internet for how white cards tend to look like

I also scanned one of each of the other colors so you can see them as well

EditEdit: translation for the two german cards: Die Horde wecken - Stir the Pride / Spontanzauber - Instant (this is a spell) / Sonnenschwanz-Falke - Suntail Hawk

[danlambert]

This could be a difficult one, but another really interesting topic, thanks!

[Aksel Ludvigsen]

Oooh MtG, I hope to see some shiny art this round.

Time to rock some socks.

[Revolution77]

Great topic. I'll be jumping in on this one for sure.

I found a MtG style guide on their site.
http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazin...gcom/daily/mc3

It has good info on the card colors and general design tips as well.

[Misplacedhippos]

also, is there specific dimensions for a MtG card illustration?

2"x1.5"

[Zeitwolf]

I suppose it has to be medieval-themed?

[Revolution77]

the start to my interpretation.

[Artfix]

I suppose it has to be medieval-themed?

If you were doing a MTG card it most certainly would be. Technically the brief says 'soldiers' so maybe you could do marines or something. Good question for the mod.

revolution Love it. That is terrific. I have a feeling that these are all going to look very much alike. There is only so much you can do considering it needs to have a fallen soldier and 3 magical soldiers above him.

[Andrew Sonea]

I suppose it has to be medieval-themed?

This is for a Magic the Gathering card, so needs to be something that is a fantasy type of thing with swords and armour, yes. It doesn't need to be medieval necessarily (you can do it in an older time period or from a different culture or a made up one) but I won't be accepting entries that are modern. I don't want modern soldiers with guns and such.

[Zeitwolf]

thanks for the info Andrew. I'm totally ignorant of games of any sort (hm, with exception of football maybe), so please excuse my foolish question.

[danlambert]

Revolution77 that's looking pretty snazzy, and Artfix I agree there is a danger of that, but I think a lot of people will know that going in and maybe try to think outside the box a bit composition wise.
Also I think due to the topic there could be a lot of entrants this week, should be a good one!

[Pixeltuner]

Might try my hand at this since the 'fantasy yourself' chow is not hitting any notes with me

EDIT: Yup, I'm in.

[Artfix]

I'll probly do one of these.

[Emil_J.]

this is what I've got so far:

[jagder]

edit: Now when I look at it, my card doesn't really feels like a white spell

[hunchback]

jag it looks fuckin awesome. Just make sure the soldiers are good. Ie silhouette and weaponry, armour stuf like that.

[Emil_J.]

@ jagder: maybe just try to inverse everything and see what happens. White figures on blackish background.

[sevira]

to the ones who already started on this:

keep in mind this is a SPELL(!)
just showing three soldiers plus a dead/wounded one is not enough
you need some action showing HOW the soldiers emerge/arrive

also keep in mind that we are supposed to draw soldiers(!) not knights
soldiers don't have shiny and complex armors, soldiers have the same basic armor and weaponry
there has always been a huge difference between soldiers and knights in Magic as there is a logic difference between them anyway

in the end people here on ca tend to mix "creativity" with "ignoring the brief"
but illustration is design and not art

[Artfix]

to the ones who already started on this:

keep in mind this is a SPELL(!)
just showing three soldiers plus a dead/wounded one is not enough
you need some action showing HOW the soldiers emerge/arrive

also keep in mind that we are supposed to draw soldiers(!) not knights
soldiers don't have shiny and complex armors, soldiers have the same basic armor and weaponry
there has always been a huge difference between soldiers and knights in Magic as there is a logic difference between them anyway

in the end people here on ca tend to mix "creativity" with "ignoring the brief"
but illustration is design and not art

This sounds a bit harsh lol. I for one don't like being told my illustrations are not art. If I wanted to do designs, I would be a designer, not a painter.

Anyway, why can't soldiers have complex armor? This is in the realm of fantasy isn't it? The official card does not show a spell either because that is impossible to do within 2 inches. Instead, he uses montage to imply that the three soldiers on top are some kind of overseeing presence.

I would ask that people DO try to be creative or all of these are going to look exactly alike.

In the future, I would keep your opinion out of the rules, and let the moderator speak up if he/she sees a problem. Obviously we will never agree, so what's the point of even telling us? And same goes for me too...I will stay out of it

[sevira]

its not a matter of how you like to call what you are doing
this is illustration of the week and I would suggest you to make some research on the difference between art, design and illustration

Edit: took me 10 seconds to find this, hope this explains what I mean:

"The difference between illustration and fine art is this: illustration always has 2nd place to that which it illustrates. The story or the product illustrated is more important than the illustrations. The illustrator cannot change the story (or product) because something else would make a nicer picture. However, the illustrator is compelled to follow the story in content (and hopefully, in style). And the product illustrator is bound by even more strapping limits."

then, someone already posted a link to a bigger version of the illustration and it clearly is a spell
I simply don't know what kind of montage you are talking about, the soldiers are emerging from the dead body

also
let me correct my statement about the complex armor as this is really rather relative
but, they are still soldiers and there is a reason why they have the same armor in the original illustration
this is not about illustrating three awesome and exciting warriors/knights or whatever, this can be done in CHOW ...

and the most important point:
this is not my opinion, everything I pointed out is standing either in the brief or can be found by visiting the various links that have been posted here

[Artfix]

Why are you so passionate about enlightening all of us on this?

You didn't say fine art in your first post--you said art. We all know that illustration is a spectrum between graphics and fine art.

I encourage you to make your 'design' however you see fit. As I said, we will never agree on some things so why even talk about it? Good luck to you.

[sevira]

(source:http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazin...gcom/daily/mc3)

"Instants, Sorceries, Enchantments
(...)
The focus of an instant, sorcery, or enchantment should be the action of the spell, not a creature or object."

(source: this thread by an IOW mod...so he already spoke up)

"(...)This usually means that since it is a spell the focus should be on the action of the thing happening,(...)"

I don't get why you are reacting this way

I simply gave a critique regarding information that can be found in this thread and the links as I already pointed out

and since the voters will vote for whatever they like and not what fits the brief this is the only place to talk about this kind of stuff

don't be so resistant to conversation, critique and/or information

[Pixeltuner]

Jeebus, someones going all venerable art-director on us

[Artfix]

Sorry Sevira but your first post sounded like an attack. People here are looking to further their portfolios and their skills in whatever unique way they can benefit the most from. And maybe that isn't by following what you think is best.

Keep that in mind. We are probly on the same side considering that I was frustrated in CHOW because so many pieces were simply characters with no story. I agree the image should be a spell. I think we're all trying our best.

[Nonobot]

Chill, have a beer.

Am I the only one who jumped on the "OH Hell YES!" train seeing this thread?
Drawing for MtG is one of my life goals, this is second best. 'A' Lets get this stuff ooonn.

My first sketch, going to do several more, but I really liked this one. Its got a punch, and i can get a fibonacci spiral in there if im clever about it. Might tilt it upwards a bit more so its like going up hill.
But not sure if it really shows equaling the battle field or last minute burst-o-power? Wich is the only way I ever win in MtG, its more of a red or green thing. :I

(edit: just to add a slight alteration sketch, didnt see the point in posting again so early. ;b )