TYLER WALPOLE
On how he painted a popular card from the Dominaria card set
How did the Dominaria gig come about?
A couple of years ago I took a step back to focus on levelling up my skills. Magic art director Mark Winters was kind enough to offer constructive critiques of the work I was creating during this time, to try and help get me over the finish line. At some point the work I was showing him must have hit the target because I said he would put me on the roster for the next set!
What was the brief like?
One of the things I most enjoy about Magic is the awesome style guide for each set. Mark told me to use some of the guidelines to create a stained glass knight image that fit in the world of Dominaria, and we wanted the frame of the card to essentially act as the window frame.
How did you approach it?
I did a lot of research into stained glass, how it’s created and what the drawing styles for the characters is typically like in stained glass windows found various cathedrals. I also tried to pay close attention to how the windows look when illuminated from the outside by the sun.
Why do you think that it hit the mark?
I think the reason this card resonates with fans so well is because I put a lot of my nostalgia for the game into this image. I first started playing Magic back in 1993 or 94, so going back to Dominaria for my first Magic assignment was pure joy! I really tried to capture that storybook fantasy vibe that I remember from back in the day, and I think that must have come through in the final art.