My First Magic the Gathering Card
Introduction.
Around this time last year, I worked on my very first Magic: The Gathering card. Since it usually takes about a year (or more) for cards to be released, I’ve been eagerly anticipating this one. Then, just a few days ago, I woke up to a flood of emails letting me know that my card was finally out!
I had so much fun working on this image and I was so happy that for my first card they asked me to paint faeries!
This piece was painted with oils on a 14x18 inch panel. I wanted to share a little bit of the process for this card as well!
The Process
I thought I’d share a bit of the process with you! For this piece, I decided to start directly in color rather than beginning with an underpainting. It was a different approach, and I’m excited to show you how it developed!
Rough Thumbnail
The description for this piece was two faeries emerging from a magical flower, scattering blue pollen and catching a kithkin by surprise. I created this thumbnail to give the art director a sense of the composition.
Block-In Figures
With a tight deadline for this piece, I jumped straight into the elements I felt most confident about—primarily the faeries and the flowers. I decided to hold off on the kithkin until I had a clearer sense of the painting as a whole.
Refine Figures
I ended up repainting the male fae’s face to adjust the angle, revealing more of his features.
Add Background Elements
Once I had a solid grasp of the scene, I felt ready to paint the kithkin.
First Lighting Pass
Since this is a blue spell card, I wanted to be sure to incorporate those cool pigments in the first lighting pass. I pushed the background elements further back and brightened the foreground to enhance focus.
Second Lighting Pass
I deepened the shadows and brightened the highlights, adding finer details like small magical effects during this pass.
I had such a great time working on this image, and I hope you enjoyed seeing a little bit of the process! Now that I’ve received my artist proofs, I’m excited to start working on some small drawings and paintings to add to the backs of the pieces. It’s always fun to add that personal touch!
Thanks for joining me for this tutorial! I hope you’ve enjoyed it. If you have any questions or have any suggestions for future tutorials, please message me on Patreon at www.Patreon.com/AnnieSteggGerard or email me at studio@gallerygerard.com.
