Welcome... to a dose of art mojo

It was a blast to work with Alvin Lee on our rocket-riding Jinx cover. She’s one of our favourite characters (Jinx, not Alvin) from the mighty game League of Legends, and the Riot Games team – the guys and gals behind the online behemoth – were super cool to work with. Head over to page 68 and let Alvin take you through the image’s creation.

We’ve delved into the world of anime this issue, looking at the current toon trends from Japan (page 40). Also, not many people know this, but if you pause an anime, it magically turns into ‘a manga’… only joking! But after looking at the art of man-eating yet emotionally complex titans and girl warriors with sentient, blood-drinking school uniforms (what now?!), it’s a world of imaginative art styles to get juiced up by.

If you want some eye-candy backed up by hefty art thinks, Laura Sava’s card art workshop should tickle your chin (page 78). I love reading up on art theory, exploring patterns in beauty, breaking down why a flat image can invoke a response. It can be through the use of lines or the perspective you offer the viewer. KD Stanton knows all about that, with his super-cinematic images on page 48.

If you’re not inspired by all that, or if you’re currently going through a tough spot with your art, fear not! On page 20 we speak to some of our favourite artists about how they regained their art mojo after losing it. It’s a piece that will hopefully help you start 2016 fired up to make your best art yet. Merry New Year! Beren Neale, Acting Editor beren.neale@futurenet.com