When I got this magic card assignment I knew right away that I would like to try something else when doing an elf. The description was simple:” An elf ranger on the rooftops, having a great overview of the city.” I started out with some different sketches of him walking on the tops, going on to hanging from towers and sitting on the watch. I ended up submitting 5 different compositions and was sure that they would pick number 1. They didn´t, but instead let me chosse between number 2 and number 4…I kind of think the number 2 was a bit boring, but it was the one of the two that would let me focus most on the character.
So I started redrawing the pose to make the anatomy clear and just hit a wall of shitty drawings. I trashed it and went out to the closest at the studio, and picked up a leather padded armour, put it on, and asked one of the others to take a photo of me crouching on a waste bin.
The photo helped me adjust the pose and I started concentrating on the face.
I didn´t want to do just another elf-guy looking like a beautiful hollywood actor with pointy ears attached. Instead I tried a more lion-like brow and a wider animalistic facial feature. I went for a look that said “non-human” and not necessarily pretty.
The black and white version here, is how the drawing turned out before I started painting on it. When turning the painting in, I was really nervous that Wizards would turn it down and ask for a pretty elf. Luckily they didin´t…and the card has just been released.
The painting has made it into the next Spectrum.
Fantastic insight into the workflow. Thank You!
Brilliant, but I think the world needs to see the photo of you kneeling on a waste bin too.. 🙂
Great placement of the terracotta colours. Love this warm palette.
Well done Jesper!
As usual fantastic work but I really enjoy that you went in a different direction with the elfs face than a “human with pointy ears and a slender face” really captured the feel of him being a different race
Seconded…
Beautiful work Jesper!!!!!
The black and white version is watercolors on top of the pencil work???? Then you apply on top the layers of painting???
Thank you for your work… is a great inspiration for people around the world…..Regards from Chile