10. New Way Forward
Between the rich skin tones, clear effects, strong posing, and subtle but effective stylization of the hands, there's a lot to love about Wayne's work this set! This would low-key be a near-perfect image for the Avatar!
As many of you have probably noticed, I tend to prefer cards with a strong pop of color, stark comic-book lighting, and striking gestures. This piece has none of those things, seemingly swimming in a sea of subtle muted greyish colors. And yet I find it absolutely beautiful! Nice to enjoy a subtle, sensitive piece (that still kicks ass on a card) every once in a while.
8. Kishla Village
This piece perfectly bridges the gap between last time we visited Tarkir and now. I love the clear layering of Old Sultai decrepit temples in the shadows of the island and the new fishing village catching the sunlight. It also has the rare and distinct quality of bringing a smile to my face every time I see it for some reason. Some paintings just do that! It's just a perfect little painting.
7. Sagu Wildling
This is quickly just becoming a Gaboleps appreciation page. What can I say, I adore his digital empasto style, buttery strokes, vivid colors, clear contrasts, graphic effects, and yummy volumes. They feel like paintings made to look good small on a trading card, which is no easy feat. Plus, chonky green dragons just really do somethin for me. Anxiously awaiting for the full hi-res versions to be posted!
6. Monastery Messenger
Forrest continues to deliver incredibly graphic, impactful images that look second to none on the actual cards, especially Monastery Messender. I love the energy and shapes on display, reminding me of my favorite Reynolds or Prescotts, and how Forrest incorporates the colors of the creature into the art which really help to tie the whole thing together.
5. Rot-Curse Rakshasa
Simply masterful.
4. Zurgo, Thunder's Decree
I get a headache just thinking about how I would balance a purple lightning effect on a pale Orc, in front of a stadium bathed in golden light, with a roiling dragonstorm in the far background. Yet Steve makes it look pitch perfect and dare I say effortless. Pure Prescott excellence.
"Are you not entertained?!"
3. Eski Dragonclaw
An absolute standout traditional piece from the set, and a fan favorite amongst collectors, players and artists alike, Eshki Dragonclaw is a clear winner. Graphic, bold, dynamic, and simply beautiful! In my opinion, matching an unreal talent like Tran to a legendary creature is an absolute no-brainer and should have happened ages ago! Magic is lucky to sport an image like this on their products.
2. The Fetchlands
I don't usually include lands on my list (I really should) but Adam just popped off on this series. Honestly, his work on Magic of late has really been doing it for me, being a highlight of the otherwise unspectacular Thunder Junction. All in oils, with his signature eye for flow, shapes, light, and color!
1. The Spirit Dragons
Not content to redesign the five chromatic dragons and five metalic dragons for DnD (some of the best, most thoughtful, most compellingly naturalistic designs), Ostrowski now blesses us with 3 of the 5 Tarkir Spirit Dragons (the other two were designed and illustrated by Victor Adame Minguez, and stunning in their own right).
I am just in awe not only of this man's seemingly overnight cemented legacy in draconic fantasy but also his eye for illustration which lends his pieces an unparalleled authentic and researched quality. In this case, the dragons themselves are interesting and gorgeous, but seeing them in their environment is what takes these over the top for me. Betor amidst arid scale-like stones, Teval skating across a marshland lake, and Ureni soaring above the Temur tundra.
Incredible precision, legibility, and mood, all while avoiding any signs of belabored over-rendering. There is a playful impressionism and masterful brushwork on display despite the detailed feeling of the paintings.
In the end, they feel like beautiful, hand-painted stills from an Attenborough-narrated Natural History episode of Tarkir, and that is just extremely my shit, and thus worth all the praise I can muster.
The distinct, high-key value scheme of Ureni is a particular standout and second to none in this set, in my humble opinion!
As always, here's many more ; )
