MAGIC DO’S & DON’TS
Cynthia Sheppard shares some crucial advice for artists keen to paint for Magic: The Gathering
“Apart from common-sense stuff like don’t be rude and don’t be demanding, one of the most common things inexperienced artists can forget when reaching out to an art director is that we’re just regular people,” says Cynthia. “It’s okay to be yourself, even if you’re shy or nervous or march to the beat of a different drum. Remember, you’re applying to work as an artist, and in any introduction situation, your work does about 95 per cent of the talking.”
She also advises that it’s not a great idea to shower their personal accounts with portfolio links. On the other hand, don’t be too nervous when you get in touch. “It’s not the end of the world to make imperfect first contact,” says Cynthia. “A lot of us, especially those of us who come from an illustration background, have made plenty of faux pas. We super get it.”
And the final core piece of advice is to understand MTG before getting in touch: familiarise yourself with the game and the artwork and hone your portfolio to suit. “Artists have to be aware that an illustration on a card is more than just a pretty picture. It’s a communication tool that gives players insight into how the card functions in gameplay. And while we do work with artists who explore a variety of styles, our core is still rooted in fantasy realism,” says Cynthia.
To submit your work for consideration at Magic, you can send portfolio samples to artdrop@wizards.com.
questions right here in the magazine in the popular Q&A section, creating mini workshops about how to accurately depict various elements of a fantasy painting.
Indeed, she continues to share her knowledge with fellow artists via Youtube and live workshops. In 2017, she did an exercise where she revisited her 2007 digital painting Wonderland Deconstructed to produce a three-part video series and a brand-new image entitled Deconstructing Wonderland. You can watch the video by visiting https://ifxm.ag/cs-wonderland.
“The biggest difference between my work 10 years ago and now is that I learned to care about it differently. Or rather, I’ve always cared about my work, but I didn’t always know how to show it,” she says.
I’ve always cared about my work, but I didn’t always know how to show it
“Technical execution comes from observation and practice, but I also had to learn to take my time and pay more attention to every part of an image. The 10-years-ago-me might have, say, concentrated extremely hard on a face and hands, then left everything else to chance. Or perhaps I would have started with a figure, then made up the background around it with no real planning. Today, I would do thumbnails and get hold of reference for everything.”
The result is images that are sharper, with pinpoint anatomy and great balance in the composition. This, in turn, has enabled her to focus more on the drama and storytelling in her paintings. Her use of light and flashes of bold colour within an often-muted palette has taken her work to a new level, and it’s little wonder Cynthia has thrived in the field of book cover and gaming card illustration.
FIGURES WITH FANGS
One thing has stayed the same, though. She still loves a good vampire image. “A vampire painting has all the hallmarks of a figure painting, usually with more romantic gestures and swooshy dark capes.”
Indeed, realism and romanticism combine in her works and like many artists, Cynthia admits that she was obsessed with accuracy as a
teenager. Realism and Imitationalism are what powered her early paintings and she was highly critical of herself if the work didn’t come out looking like the natural world. Her tastes have broadened over the past 20 years, but she’s still drawn to Academic Realism and artists such as Edmund Blair Leighton, William-adolphe Bouguereau and John William Waterhouse.
This might be why, consciously or subconsciously, Cynthia tends towards painting human figures over creatures. Of course, she can and does paint a mean dragon, but rarely feels the urge to create extravagant monsters. “Before I knew that fantasy illustration was a career, I thought portraiture was my calling, so I gravitated toward human figures and faces from an early age,” she says. “I may always primarily be a figurative artist, but I wouldn’t mind doing more creatures once in a while!”
LEARNING VIA TRIAL AND ERROR
With her dedication to realism, it’s surprising to learn that Cynthia dropped out of art school and instead of studying has developed her skills through a wide range of experiences. She’s attended workshops, learned from peers and mentors, watched online and live demos, and honed some of her techniques through good old trial and error. Originally from Fairfax, Virginia, she gained a good grounding in art in the family home, which was full of her father’s paintings – one of her earliest inspirations.
“Before I knew how to read, I can remember looking at a big Salvador Dali tome from the 1960s and a National Gallery show catalogue with Rembrandt and other Old Masters,” she says. “By the time I hit grade school, I already solidly owned my ‘art kid’ identity.”
And for Cynthia, an artist’s training is a lifelong journey. Even when she’s juggling hundreds of new pieces for upcoming MTG cards, she’s absorbing ideas and inspiration. Art directing is helping her become a better artist.
“One of the most fascinating things about getting to look at that much art constantly is that you get to watch other artists grow, too. As they discover, I discover. I learn from everywhere, and that means I’m also totally shameless about asking other Magic artists about their work or watching their tutorials for insights into their process. We all learn from each other!”
By the time I hit grade school, I already solidly owned my ‘art kid’ identity