Heroes' Tale: Rage Process

Here's a process gif for one of my Heroes' Tale cards: Rage. I included the three thumbnails I sent to Chris. They're extremely rough and I've since tightened my sketches before sending them off to ADs. It's just easier for everyone if the idea is clearer from the start. I do think the thumbs captured a primal energy (read:rage) that I tried not to lose in the painting by stiffening up too much. I think overall it was fairly successful and it's one of my personal favorites from the set.

Questions/Comments? hit me up

-V

Heroes' Tale Printed!

In February of 2013, my good friend Andrew Theophilopolous contacted me about a fantasy card game being created by fellow Ringling alumn Chris Merlino. Back then, it was just an idea and a dream. Chris had contracted me to do 5 promotional images for the kickstarter, which went on to raise over $64,000, after which I was illustrating cards for the game all summer. Now, almost a full year later, the game has printed and shipped, with Chris personally delivering my copy yesterday!

Needless to say, I am deeply grateful and humbled to have worked on this game, especially alongside my friends and fellow illustrators Andrew Theo, Audrey Benjaminsen, Gal Or, and Evan Monteiro. It was a good year, and I owe thanks to Chris and the Heroes' Tale team! Check out the website:

www.heroestalecards.com

Without further ado, here are the last few cards from Heroes' Tale: the Corrupted Forest!

Blight Shade

Chaos Orb

Titan Armor

Imperial Polearm

I illustrated a total of 18 cards for Heroes' Tale, and I learned a ton along the way. The difference between the first (Explorer) and last (Caltakan) card I painted is pretty staggering. Process Gifs to come!

-V

Erasing Amyloo

an illustration based on Russell Edson’s poem, “Erasing Amyloo”

(and inspired by my recent purchase of the Art of Brom)

“A father with a huge eraser erases his daughter. 

When he finishes there’s only a red smudge on the wall.

His wife says, where is Amyloo?

She’s a mistake, I erased her.

What about all her lovely things? asks his wife.

I’ll erase them too.

All her pretty clothes? 

…I’ll erase her closet, her dresser—shut up about Amyloo! Bring your head over here and I’ll erase Amyloo out of it.

The husband rubs his eraser on his wife’s forehead, 

and as she begins to forget she says, hummm, I wonder whatever happened to Amyloo? 

…Never heard of her, says her husband.

And you, she says, who are you? You’re not Amyloo, are you? I don’t remember your being Amyloo.

Are you my Amyloo, whom I don’t remember anymore? 

…Of course not, Amyloo was a girl. Do I look like a girl?

… I don’t know, I don’t know what anything looks like anymore…”

As my first fully oil illustration, I would like to further discuss my process and thoughts on this piece in a future post. Stay tuned!

-V

Valley of the Titans

playing with scale, my favorite thing :-P

will post process soon for anyone interested...

-V