SOULSPARK GOES LIVE MAY 7TH!!!!

Thursday May 7th is the worldwide release of the app game SoulSpark! The game is a real-time based card battle game and is a visual feast if you like these stocky little fantasy characters and creatures I have been posting on my blogs and Facebook.

Not sold yet? Check out this kick-ass video trailer!


It will be free to download so do check it out. If you like it, help spread the word of SoulSpark!

SoulSpark in Pencil!

As many of you know (because I have been peppering the inter webs about it for like 11 months now), there is a most excellent app game coming out soon called SoulSpark! The game was created by Denmark-based Copenhagen Creators and WizKids and every illustration was done by yours truly! There'll be more thorough articles in the near future about the creation of SoulSpark but I thought I'd share a few of the detailed pencil drawings that went on to become full color characters for the epic adventure of SoulSpark.

The horrid thing at the top is the drawing for the carnivorous plant that awaits you in the dark forest. I liked the trope of a plant with teeth but didn't want to go the route of the straight up venus flytrap since it has been done so much. So I went with a kind of pod that scrabbles around on little tuber-like legs and a four-section mouth that opens like a milkweed or one of those eggs from the movie ALIEN. Inside are lashing grabby tentacles, lots of teeth, and a grisly demise.

This is a Frost Hawk - an ice winged predator of the cold mountain region. If you hear the tinkling of ice getting closer, you're about to be set upon by these frigid creatures.

There are three different fungus monsters that will impede your journey to find the SoulSpark - and none of them take kindly to adventurers. If you research images of fungus you get quite an extraordinary array of shapes, patterns, colors, and textures. There really are quite remarkable - even if most are unsettling and rather creepy. I used portions of many different kinds of fungi to create the SoulSpark fungus monsters to make them unique and visually appealing. Warning though: DON'T eat these mushrooms. DO NOT.

You will encounter a mysterious tower on your quest. It is filled with all sorts of mechanical adversaries. This monkey bomb construct shouldn't be allowed to get too close for obvious reasons.

Bluestone was one of the very first drawings I did for the game. It actually was drawn before there was ever even the idea of SoulSpark - before I ever even talked to the fellows at Copenhagen Creators. This guy's attitude and design made him a favorite among the game makers which helped to make Bluestone the lead hero in the SoulSpark story.

If you should be unfortunate in your battle with the enemy, you will be greeted with the Defeat illustration - your weapons and armor bashed and strewn about the battlefield - your banner a tattered reminder of the cards you should and shouldn't have played. Oh yeah, and to add more insult, here come the vultures to pick your defeated bones!

There is no specific date of international release just yet but SoulSpark will be available for FREE download in late April. If you are a resident of Denmark, the game IS currently available for download.

Make sure to go to: SOULSPARKGAME.COM for more information and even a 30 second video trailer featuring the excellent SoulSpark musical score!

KHANAR artwork

Elite Scaleguard

Haven't posted in a long while. The reasons are many but the main reason being I've just been a busy bastard the past year. I picked up a crazy and unique and huge project that filled in all the cracks of my schedule and them some for most of the past 12 months.  It mangled up my schedule something good but it'll be well worth while. The project was for the soon-to-be-released mobile app game: SoulSpark.  The game features tons of artwork by yours truly - in fact, ALL of the artwork you will see in SoulSpark is from me! I think the website is still getting a makeover but check it out and sign up for the newsletter HERE. The game is set to be released in March so stay tuned!

I have of course been keeping up with work on Magic: the Gathering. The latest block to come out takes place on a plane called Khanar - a plane of warring tribes and hordes loosely inspired by the Mongols of ancient China. There are still a few cards to be released but here is some of my pieces that are currently out there (including the piece at the top!):

Arrow Storm

Death Frenzy

Lightform

Timely Hordemate

Trumpet Blast

Abzan Guide

Sibsig Host

Battlefront Krushok

Hallowed Spiritkeeper on eBay!

Hallowed Spiritkeeper

16x12 acrylic on paper

This here is "Hallowed Spiritkeeper" for Magic: The Gathering. I don't necessarily know if this is a considered a "high key" painting since it certainly has a few darks in it. Nevertheless, it is the highest key painting that I have done which was pretty fun to try out.  I think it forced me to use subtleties of tone and color that I do not often tinker with - and that's a good thing.

Obviously, it's a white card and portrays a mystical figure that guards a realm of spirits so I wanted to play up the almost "heavenly" mood with lots of white and light colors. His costuming is regal and robe-like and the wall behind him is unblemished white marble. Beyond the wall is an ethereal glow.

The appearance of the spiritkeeper is purposely straddling the line between benevolent and malevolent. He guards the gates without alignment, without prejudice and that's the kind of mood I wanted to capture.

If you want to own this painting, now's your chance! It is currently on eBay. Please check out the auction!

Throwing back to Theros

For this post I'm selectively throwing back all the way to like 9 months ago with some Theros illustrations.  Sure, Prognostic Sphinx and Kiora's Follower are my favorites from the Greek-themed set but I've decided to share some other Theros pieces on the merits of specific portions or aspects of the paintings that I find particularly successful.

This painting, while maybe a bit innocuous and forgettable at first glance, has some really savvy painting that I wish I could consistently conjure much more often.  The lower left hand corner shows a hydra head confronting a spear-wielding warrior in the background.  In order to push that back in space, I muted the shadows while keeping the highlights warm and sunlit. And the sky warming and then fading into the jagged mountain line helps set the atmosphere even more. The rest of the image works well for what it had to show but that corner right there I'm particularly proud of.

Another overlooked favorite from the Theros block is this hydra token. And it is yet another good example of subtle and muted color choices to play up atmosphere and depth.  I think when I first painted this piece, I thought I used a bit too much Payne's Gray which is kind of my replacement for black on my palette. It's close to that dark but has a cooler tone and seems to mix better with other paints. Anyway, I used Payne's Gray a lot in this piece to keep the colors muted and misty feeling. The result seemed to make the overall image a little too gray for my liking. But since then, I have had time to look at it with fresher eyes and now I rather like this painting a lot.  I think the grayed tones help and not hinder the image - and the painterly textures of the foliage turned out nicely, too.

Ah yes, the Gluttonous Cyclops.  Working with a kind of fish-eye perspective, I never could establish how exactly I wanted the background to look. Never-the-less, it is the cyclops that sells this piece so I had to really get that purplish-brownish-blackish African skin tone just right as well as how and where to highlight the skin.  In this instance, there was some trial and error but overall, I'm pretty proud of how the skin colors and textures came out. I also like the smashed little shepherd's house in the background!

Finally, Fleetfeather Sandals. Part of the sweeping art direction for this setting was that, as opposed to Innistrad which was swathed in murky darkness and creepy, obscuring fogs, Theros was to be brightly bathed in Mediterranean sunshine. Colors were to be bright, skies nearly devoid of clouds, shadows to be sharp-edged as they are when cast by the sun. That said, no other Theros painting of mine shows that better than this piece and I'm pretty pleased by that. Again, at first glance this is a pair of legs from the knees down and some shoes with owl wings. Seems simple enough. But I really focused my energy on establishing that sunny lighting and playing up the natural colors that come from brilliant sunshine. Yellow grasses, the red in the rocks, the blue of the sky, the reddish-brown of the tanned legs in shadow, the purple of the shaded areas.  Also, I used a palette knife to get a good texture on the foreground rock.

GP STOCKHOLM!!!!

My Swedish stereotypes GP promo poster!

In less than 3 weeks I will set foot on Scandinavian soil!  I'll be flying in to Copenhagen, Denmark to meet up with fellow fantasy artist Jesper Ejsing. We will both then make the short hop north to Stockholm Sweden for the Magic: the Gathering Grand Prix October 24-26.

Jesper's original thumbnail. Such liveliness even in a simple doodle like this!

Jesper and I are the guest artists at the event so make sure you bring your cards and card protectors and play mats to get signed or drawn on - and bring your Swedish money to buy prints, sketches, and artist proofs!

My polished line drawing featuring the Vasa ship in the background.

Besides meeting the handsome faces behind some of your favorite card art, is there any other reason to go to GP Stockholm? Well, if you're into collecting playmats, yes there is!  The exclusive GP Stockholm playmat is a team-up illustration by Jesper and I.  Jesper gave me a rough thumbnail idea, I drew up a more refined and detailed line drawing, then Jesper applied his potent digital painting skills to finish off the artwork.  You'll only be able to get these unique playmats at the GP and it's a damn good time to get both Jesper and I to sign them, too.

Jesper's masterful color application pulls it all together!

Another good reason to go to GP Stockholm is that from everything I have heard, Stockholm is an awesome city. I have heard nothing but great things about Sweden and Stockholm specifically so I am truly excited to go.  See you there!

For more information about the GP GO HERE.

To see more work by Jesper Ejsing GO HERE.

Updated Original Magic Art Price List

I've had a flurry of sales over the past 4 months as well as some new Magic art being released and returned to me. Thusly, an updated list of prices and availability was in need.

Below is a comprehensive list of all of my Magic: the Gathering artwork. Contact me via private message if you have interest in any of these. You can contact me through Facebook or using: steve2@rottface.com.

The MtG Price List has been removed in order to be fully updated. Sorry for the inconvenience, yo!

Khans of Tarkir!

Abzan Guide

Card art images for the next Magic: the Gathering setting called 'Khans of Tarkir' have been spoiled.  And so I shall spoil them at a bigger size - for your viewing pleasure, of course!

Trumpet Blast

Take a gander at my first five for this block - based loosely on the Mongol tribe dynasties and that general era of history on the Asian continent. Pretty damn fun stuff, I must say. The developers and concept artists made a great world to play around in. Of these five, Trumpet Blast might be my fave - though I like the bright colors of Abzan Guide, too.

Timely Hordemate

Arrow Storm

For all the stuff I'm pretty good at drawing, horses have never been a strong point. This set kinda threw me into the meat-grinder though. Which is good though - I needed the practice.  Most of the images feature a figure on horseback. Or if not on horseback, then on wolfback. Or some other creature's back.

Death Frenzy

Frenzy is a rare dip into somewhat graphic violence for a Magic card. At least for me. Sure, there was a time not so long ago when graphic violence and gore-filled imagery was a staple of my artwork for such horror-based product lines as Werewolf: the Apocalypse and Vampire: the Masquerade. The gore in M:tG cards is usually quite PG-13 though which is fine by me as it forces me to establish mood and horror and danger without relying on blood n guts. However, a massacre at the jaws of undead crocodiles seemed to call for something a little more ham-handed. When I see videos of crocs coin' what they do best along the banks of the Nile, it is never anything short of grisly.

Plenty more Tarkir images will be arriving as subsequent sets come out so keep in touch!

Lady Jaina Proudmoore - by Jesper Ejsing n' Me

A few years back, fellow fantasy illustrator Jesper Ejsing and I collaborated on a World of Warcraft portrait of Jaina Proudmoore for the World of Warcraft TCG. Jesper did the drawing and I applied the acrylics.

The piece has recently been repurposed for the popular Hearthstone online game and has hopefully rekindled interest in the excellent artwork many of us illustrators have done for Blizzard. That said, Jesper and I have decided to slap this illustration of the wasp-waisted platinum-haired heart-throb Jaina on eBay for a rare opportunity to own a Jesper Ejsing AND a Steve Prescott original in one piece! Happy bidding!

EBAY auction for Lady Jaina Proudmoore

Inside the Deck Artist Interview

My only customer at GenCon in 2006 

was my 15 month old daughter.

I've done lots of interviews - written, audio, video - you name it. Because I'm not very good at giving short, succinct answers to interview questions, I feel like I'm either a good interview (because I like to jabber about my job) or a terrible one (because, jeez, shut up already).

Thank goodness for the times when a good interviewer comes along who expertly pares down my long-windedness and employs some really well done video editing.

In this Inside the Deck Artist Interview, Rich Castle does a fantastic, high quality, and (unlike my answers to his questions) nicely succinct documentary-style video interview with yours truly. My thanks to Rich for making me look like I'm not a completely self-absorbed prima-donna doof!

STEVE PRESCOTT INTERVIEW

New Prints Available at Cincinnati GP March 21-22!

I've had numerous requests for prints of the hyper-rare San Diego Comic Con exclusive Variant Planeswalkers. However, all I had were the black and white versions of the artwork - no color. Well, I happen to have a bit of time in my schedule the next few weeks leading up to the Cincinnati Magic Grand Prix so I'll get to dress these Planeswalker pieces up in appropriate print form. Be the first to purchase one or all of these prints in Cincinnati March 21 and 22!!!

Until then, enjoy some teasers of the prints to be.

I'll be signing cards doing playmat sketches, selling prints, Artist Proofs, originals, books, and playmats Friday late afternoon and evening of March 21 and all day from about 10:00 to 8:00 Saturday March 22. Hope to see you there!

Roon on Ebay!

The popular "Roon of the Hidden Realm" card art for Magic: the Gathering is now up for auction on Ebay! 

It is acrylic on bristol paper - 11x15 with a one inch white border (the bristol paper it is on is 13x17).

Auction ends next Monday afternoon.

Check it out!

Art from the now defunct World of Warcraft TCG

Thought I'd post a few of the last paintings I did for the now defunct World of Warcraft collectable card game.  Not by coincidence are these some of my better pieces I did for that game. That's because it took a while to warm up to working on Warcraft.  As I'm sure you already know, Warcraft style sensibilities are pretty ham-fisted and obnoxious. Also, there isn't a whole ton of room for creative freedoms because many of the characters or settings had a very specific look that needed to be stuck close to. But after working on multiple sets for the card game, I grew to embrace and have fun with it.

The huge super-stylized armor and design motifs are based on assembling a bunch of simple shapes which plays into my strengths quite comfortably. Warcraft also seemed appropriate for splashy and vibrant colors which I tend to like to employ. These factors and being given some time to warm up to the game gave me the opportunity to do some paintings for which I'm pretty pleased.

This all worked out best for me if the commission was essentially "make this character look cool/awesome/kick ass".  It's when these characters with their massive and cumbersome armor had to be doing a specific action that it became an awkward chore. There is almost no action that can be done in some of this armor other than stand there looking tough.

Here's some Warcraft art from some previous posts:

Here and a tree guy Here.

Reincarnation! And the reincarnation of my MTG Price List!

First off - there's a brand new Magic card out there for which I did the artwork.  It is called "Reincarnation" and was quite fun to do.  Now, when my mom exasperatedly asks me if I ever draw anything "cute" (ya know, instead of slavering horrors), I can say "Yes, Mom - check it out!"

Secondly, as per popular request, I have finally updated my Magic: The Gathering Original Art price list!  Obviously, not ALL of my cards are listed here - any ones you don't see on this list means they were either sold years ago or they are too new to have been added just yet.  But all the artwork I currently have in my possession is here - plus many that have been SOLD just so ya know not to inquire about them.

Any artwork marked with an "F" means it is framed.  Artwork marked with "NFS" means it is currently not for sale.  And any marked with a "?" means I'm not sure if I still have it or not (I'm so organized!).

I sometimes get questions about why there is such a disparity in prices on these paintings.  I mostly base my prices on my personal feelings about the artwork. But I also consider the size (most pieces are between 9x12 and 12x16), how new/old it is, and how popular the card might be.

If you are interested in any of these paintings, contact me at: steve2@rottface.com

Here's the list! (updated 6-21-14):

****The list of my original Magic artwork has been updated and is now in a more recent post. See that you go there for prices and availability!!******

Eberron art wants a home!

Most people are inspired to go make artwork like crazy when they get back from a face-meltingly awesome visual feast like IlluxCon.  I guess I am, too - however, I was much more inspired to straighten up the epic chaos of my messy studio and reorganize a lot of the storage dilemmas I had going on in there.

My biggest problem with storage has become where to put all my artwork. Sure, I sell art now and again, but not nearly as fast as I am creating it.  The stuff is piling up quick.  This inspired me to maybe try and find a good home for some of my older stuff that I unearthed in the process.

Buried amidst a bargeload of artwork that had long since been retired from my GenCon convention array was a box of mostly artwork that I did for the D&D tangent world: Eberron. Back in 2003, I was invited out to Wizards of the Coast to work on conceptualizing this new world along with Dana Knutsen and Mark Tedin. When the Eberron books started getting commissioned out, I began doing a bunch of interior spot illustrations for them.

In a handful of years setting up shop at GenCon I have sold quite a few, but I still have some remaining.  Mind you, these are pretty old - from like 2004 and 2005, maybe as late as 2006. I paint differently now, much more confidently and with more seasoned results.  But these are still fun pieces - and if you're an Eberron fan or have any nostalgia for my mid-aughties interior art, perhaps you can provide a better home for some of these pieces than I can (which is a dusty file box in a dark corner of my studio!) Well, except for the big "Dragons of Eberron" wrap-around cover painting - that one hangs in our hallway but is nonetheless also for sale.

If you want to purchase anything you see here, send me an e-mail at: steve2@rottface.com
Price list key for everything you see here is below the pics.

Any purchases over $300 and I'll throw in an original Eberron sketch much like the one found HERE on my draw-blog!

A - The Forge (Where the warforged are born/created)  $150

B - Lhazaar Prince  $150

C - SOLD

D - SOLD

Warforged Pieces

E - Lord of Blades. Probably my fave of my Eberron interior spots. $350

F - Warforged paladin strikes! $200

G - SOLD

H - Warforged stops a charge. $250

Sarlona Pieces

I - SOLD

J - SOLD

K - Cloaked Sarlonan. $100

Black-n-White Pieces from the book: Dragons: World Afire:

L - SOLD

M - SOLD

N - SOLD

O - Dragons of Eberron book cover: $7000

This painting was reworked a few years after it was published because I needed a big piece in my booth at GenCon. The original version was nice enough but there was just a few little things that started to stick in my craw as it sat around my studio getting scrutinized daily so I touched up the dragon fortress, added the bronze dragon and changed a few other little details. The painting is acrylic 39.5x17 in a plain wood frame (would probably look nice in a better frame for sure). You buy this and I'll pay shipping and throw in a personalized copy of my book AGGREGATE for free.