Atha Kanaani: Art in Board Games #8
[..] it was my first “big” board. There was some art already done and I had to respect the style by making mine very similar. When you don’t have a lot of experience, it’s a little bit scary because the board is the part where players are going to live their adventure..
This week we have Atha Kanaani an illustrator who has worked on games such as Traders of Osaka, Pandemic: Iberia and Cthulhu, Archaeology: The New Expedition and with companies such as Filosofia, Z-Man Games, Asmodee Canada and Plaid hat Games.
Hello Atha, thanks for taking the time to speak to us. Firstly, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hi Ross, thanks for inviting me onto your blog! I’m a French illustrator currently living in Canada and I did a little bit of freelancing before coming to Montréal. That’s how I started working for F2Zentertainment in 2014. Our first Game together was Traders of Osaka. We did well and they appreciated my work, so, as little as a month later they offered me a full-time job with the condition of coming to their studio in Québec. At first I thought it was crazy but my girlfriend convinced me that it was a very good opportunity for us. That’s how we ended up here! Now the studio has changed owners and I’m a full-time illustrator for Asmodee Canada, as a part of the Z-man Games creative team.
Now we know a little more about you, I have to ask, as a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
I remember wanting to be an animal tamer, a race driver, and a lot of other things. I became conscious very late that drawing could be my thing. I drew a lot as a child and I just never stopped, finally I found out that there were people for whom drawing was their job.
So how did you first get involved in making board games?
After graduating from art school, I didn’t know where to begin to become an illustrator. So, after some time, I remembered that my teacher (Vincent Dutrait) told us that the board game industry was growing bigger and bigger and we should take the chance to get involved. I contacted every company in France. By mistake I wrote a mail to filosofia without knowing that they were in Canada. They asked me to work on “Traders of Osaka” and that’s it, I had a foot in this industry.
When you are working on the art of a board game can you give us a quick overview of your creative or thought process and has this changed at all since you first started?
The first thing I get is a pitch from the art director. He gives me all he can at this stage (story, rules, old version of the game if it’s a reprint, etc) and if I can, I like to play one or two games just to know what it’s all about. If it’s a new game, I have more flexibility to play with the look (like for Smile as an example). In the case of a Pandemic game, the style must be close to the old ones.
We discuss about all the components that need to be illustrated and I do some visual research to feed my imagination. Then I can start sketching. I like to begin with the cover, I think it gives the tone for the rest of the game. But every company has its own way of working so you must adapt. For every part of the game I provide different sketches and the art director chooses the ones they want me to develop. Then I refine it and try some color sketches on it, and they choose the one they think best fits with their vision. After we agree on all of it, I can work on a final illustration. There are not so many changes in the process but art directors are humans, so I must deal with their different temperaments, but we always find a way to work together.
You were involved in the creation of Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu so could you tell us a little bit about what that involved and what were the biggest challenges you faced?
On this one, I worked with Chris Quilliams. My job was to work on the game board, refine the cards already done by another artist and create the ones missing. The challenge was that the board is a very large piece with a lot of details, and it was my first “big” board. There was some art already done and I had to respect the style by making mine very similar. When you don’t have a lot of experience, it’s a little bit scary because the board is the part where players are going to live their adventure. People are expecting something high quality. There are a lot of things you must think about, like how people are going to move their pawns. Where to put the towns with enough space for all the graphic design around it and how to separate the cities whilst keeping unity throughout the board. On top of all of that, you need to think how to create the right mood for this game. Fortunately, my art director was here to help me and I hope people are enjoying playing on it!
What was the inspiration or core idea that drove your work on Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu?
The idea was to give the players a feeling of anxiety and concern about what happened here. It was a lot of fun playing with the weird light and fog here and there. Are there people around? What could possibly do make a hole like this in a building? It’s a little bit like an old horror film, when you are waiting for the big hairy monster, jumping out from the woods!
What are you currently reading, listening to or looking at to fuel your work?
I started to read a book from Ed Catmull (president of Pixar and Disney animation) called “Creativity, Inc.”, and I’m also reading the Notebook of Leonardo Da Vinci which is really fascinating. I have another pile of books “in reading” because I can’t finish one before diving into another attractive book…it’s an addiction. I’m listening to Smooth Mcgroove! He makes Youtube videos where he sings video games music. Some people find that weird… but I don’t care, I love it!
What advice would you give to anyone wanting to work in the board game industry?
Make mistakes. That’s how I ended up 5500 km from my home illustrating board games. Contact people, do good work, try everything you want, the only risk is to get a "no". I don’t really have any exact advice, there are so many different way to meet your goals. Keep sending your work, ask for feedback from people actually in the field. But first of all, you have to believe that your dream job is somewhere waiting for you, so keep moving because it’s not coming after you!
Do you have any current projects underway, or coming up that you’d like (or are able) to tell us about?
I think “Smile”, a little card game, is coming out soon. I had a lot of fun painting the little monsters. And a lot of games are coming up in the future but I can’t talk about it and that’s a hard part of the job.
Finally, if we’d like to see more of you and your work, where can we find you?
You can see some of my illustrations here: http://www.atha-kanaani.com
Or also here: https://www.artstation.com/artist/atha
(All images provided by Atha Kanaani)
Pierô: Art in Board Games #7
This project should have been the best moment in my career. I was working with only friends (game designers and publishers) on a very fun and original game. Everything was supposed to be cool. Unfortunately, I’ve realised since then that it’s always when I think it will be cool and quick that it’s a painful and slow process..
This week we have Pierre Lechevalier an illustrator who has worked with on games such as Mr Jack, Ghost Stories, Rampage and Yggdrasil and with companies such as Repos Production, Matagot and many more.
Hello Pierre thanks for taking the time to speak to us. Firstly, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hello, so my name is Pierre Lechevalier but nobody has called me that in a very long time. Now everyone calls me Pierô and I never write my last name when I’m signing a game. If I have to, I’ll put la lune (the moon). Pierô la lune is a character from the italian Commedia dell’arte and in French there is an expression “avoir la tête dans la lune” which roughly translates to “have your head or mind in/on the moon” meaning you’re always dreaming and not very focused on the surrounding world. As a child (and still), it describes me pretty well and everyone calls me Piero because of that. Wow! Just my name alone made a long intro. I will try to keep the rest shorter!
So I’m a french board game illustrator working in the industry since 2006. The first game I illustrated was Mr. Jack which was quite successful and is still available now. I’ve done 40 games since then and the most popular ones are Dice Town, Ghost stories, River Dragon or Rampage aka Terror in Meeple City (depending from which country you’re coming from). Illustrating games is how I’ve made my living for 11 years now and I’m lucky to have had a lot of work meaning I can live from it. Which is great because it’s a damned good job.
Beside my work, I live in the south east of France in a very very small village where I can enjoy the birds singing and the wind in the trees. But don’t imagine me with long hair running naked through the woods with flowers in my beard... I don’t have long hair. More seriously, I lived for more than 30 years (I’m 42) in the city and I grew tired of it, plus as I’m working from home I need the calm and fresh air.
I’m a gamer and a pretty serious one. Videos games, when I have the time and a lot of boardgames. I have more than 500 board games at home and when I go beyond that amount my wife strongly suggests that I give some away to friends and family who can use them. My wife is also a gamer, as is my 8 year old son. When I don’t work or play I’m jumping from planes with my parachute and have been since 2012.
Hmmm, I think you know pretty much everything about me. Oh no! One last thing! I talk a lot. I mean A LOT! As you can see, quick answers are not an option here. Sorry.
Now we know a little more about you, I have to ask, as a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be an illustrator and I’ve been drawing since I could hold a pencil. Drawing has always been a way of expressing myself and if there was something I couldn’t say, I drew it.
Not just that though, if there was a toy I couldn’t have, I would just draw it to play with. Or if I had to give someone a gift? Wow, it’s so much cheaper to draw for them, plus then they’d also have to say it was great too! My mother put me in an art school when I was 8 but perhaps she was just tired of the ugly drawings as gifts.
In France, comics are very different than in the U.S or other countries. They cover a much larger audience spanning children, teens and adults. They are hard backed and normally between 44 and 56 pages. Generally it’s the work of 2 or 3 artists (a writer, illustrator and colors artist) and they take around one year to finish. I wanted to be a comics illustrator until I was about 25 or 26 but I failed because it’s very hard to become one and requires a lot of work and talent. I didn’t have enough or didn’t work hard enough, who knows. Anyway, I always wanted to be an illustrator, a drawing artist and I did it! Which is pretty cool right?
So how did you first get involved in making board games?
I have a cousin who lived with me for a number of years or we always lived very close. I consider him my little brother and we played a lot of board games together when we were young. When I was 15 and he was 13, we discovered a store that sold board games and RPGs and we fell into the trap. We found a lot of different RPGs (Vampyr, Star Wars, Cthulhu and Cyberpunk…) and at the same time discovered American board games with Warhammer 40000, Dungeon Quest (yeah, the 1st version) and Cosmic Encounter as well as the French touch with Full Metal Planet, Sherlock Holmes and many more. We played until I had to leave my hometown for my studies.
I stopped playing board games until 2003-2004 when I dived deep back in after discovering modern games such as those from Days of Wonder or Asmodee. In two months alone I had bought 30 games, just because they were so good and so beautiful! Still drawing in my free time and trying to become a pro, I started to draw me and my board game friends dressed as characters from the games we played. I wanted to start a website about it and I contacted Bruno Cathala to ask him if I could use my version of Shadows Over Camelot on there. I showed him my drawing and had fun with it. However, one week later I received a message from him, giving me his cell phone, asking me to call him to discuss a project. That was Mr. Jack.
That’s how I first became involved in the board game industry, Bruno Cathala! Yep, you’re free to blame him! When Mr. Jack was released, I went to Essen (2006) to see my first box as soon as possible and I got invited by Bruno and Ludo (Ludovic Maublanc, co designer of Mr. Jack and Dice Town) to do little drawings on the lid of the box for gamers. This was the first time in Essen that an illustrator came to do a signing session. Once I sat on my chair to start doodling I never was able to leave it. During those 4 incredible days of drawing gamers really appreciated it and it ended up making a big buzz. That’s how I became a board game illustrator I think. My signing session made me famous and Mr. Jack was a huge success.
When you are working on the art of a board game can you give us a quick overview of your creative or thought process and has this changed at all since you first started?
First step, try the game. I’ve been going to Essen every year since 2006, to the Bruno Faidutti gathering since 2007 and to some smaller conventions in France too. Bruno Faidutti, Bruno Cathala, Ludovic Maublanc, Antoine Bauza, Roberto Fraga, Nicolas Normandon and many others became friends of mine. Real friends. I’m playing a lot of games at the prototype stage and sometimes, if I have a big crush for one of them (Dice Town and Ghost Stories are good examples) I really want to be a part of it. I think you never do a better job than when you’ve tried the game. It helps a lot to understand what’s important in the mechanics of the game and what you have to highlight. A beautiful game is not enough, it has to be a good game too in order to face the many games which will be released in the same year. Of course it helps to have a nice, beautiful game but illustrations are at the service of the game and sometimes, an illustration has to be simplified to help the comprehension of how the game works. That’s why it’s a very important first step for an illustrator to play the game.
When the publisher has finished their work with the game designer (creating the game and developing it) they will have a theme, a list of needs and this is when I start to work for real. I start some rough drafts to find the style I want and make some suggestions to the publisher (sometimes designers are involved too).
I like to change my style so I don’t get bored of my work. Sometimes, I want to make some cartoonish and colorful illustrations (Dice Town, Rampage, River Dragon, Medieval Academy) and others perhaps I want to be more serious in style (Yggdrasil, Ghost Stories). That’s why I’m always trying different styles for each project. Once we have an idea of what we want, I start to work with black and white roughs of the cards, boards and covers. There is no rule about what I do first so it depends. Sometimes the cover will give me the style and direction for the rest. Sometimes it’s the board, as I say there are no rules.
I send a big mailing with lots of roughs and then wait for the green light. Once I have it, I do the final drawings in black and white and send them to the publisher. When I have approval to go ahead further I put in the colors. I generally try to not do all the roughs, black and white final drawings and (at the end) colors at the same time. It’s very complicated to create an illustration from scratch on a white page so I generally try to alternate between differents step throughout the process, although adding the colors is a pretty cool and easy task.
Oh, I didn’t mention, I work 100% on a computer. That’s the only thing which has changed since 2006. The first illustrations of Mr. Jack were drawn on paper with computer colors. Now, from the first rough, everything is digital. I’m working on Corel Painter.
In regards to the art process, some game designers like to be involved and others don’t. For example, Antoine Bauza and Bruno Cathala love to discuss and give their opinions during the creation process. Sometimes designers don’t really care or leave it down to me. Or it might be the publishers who stop me sharing my work with the designers so as to not bring in more opinions thus slowing down the process.
You were involved in the creation of Rampage/Terror in Meeple City, so could you tell us a little bit about what that involved and what were the biggest challenges you faced?
I’m going to talk about Rampage (Terror in Meeple City on the second release) from game designers Antoine Bauza and Ludovic Maublanc (published by Repros Prod) as although it’s clearly not my best work (or even the one I enjoyed most) it explains all the processes I covered in the previous question and was a real challenge.
It started when I played a really early prototype during Essen in 2008. We were here with Antoine for the release of Ghost stories and Ludo (Ludovic Maublanc) was here for Cyclades (or perhaps also Cash and Guns). It was very late, something like 3am and we were drinking, just maybe not the water they had put on the proto table. One hour later, some guys from Repos signed the game and I was there to say “I’m the illustrator of it and you don’t have choice!”. I always have a video camera with me and I filmed a lot of things that night, proving we didn’t just drink water. We started to really work on the game 4 years later, sometimes it takes time to develop a game to its final version.
When I started to work on it, I spent a lot of time to find the style we wanted. It was very complicated because of the style of the game, which was fun and stupid with big monsters. We hesitated between a lot of different styles. After a few weeks of research and a dozen tries we, of course, chose the very first one. It’s always like this.
The cover was the first thing I started and I had done more roughs of proposals than I usually do. It had been a real fight between me and the publishers (friendly, of course) because I had a preference for a cover and they had another. As we are all very stubborn it took us some time to chose and finally we went with their choice. The publisher has the last word of course. The game then also had a second release with another name and another cover. This time the artwork I had prefered. So we both had our cover and we all won. But now, of course, I prefer the first version.
The cards were done very quickly as the cartoon style was fast to do and fun. The cards descriptions given by Antoine and Ludo were very clear so I just had to translate their wishes and follow their direction.
The real challenge was in the game board. I was, at this time, an illustrator for 6 years with at least 15 games to my name. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean you won’t make a poor estimation of how much work you need to do. We chose a very cartoon-y style, simple and colorful. I’m pretty fast on this kind of work so I imagined it would take me one or two weeks to do the board. It took me 3 months.
The game was released at Essen 2013 and not 2012 partly because of my mistake in time evaluation. The illustration of the board was supposed to be a part of a big town with buildings and sidewalks. A simple top view. I wasn’t supposed to draw 3D buildings with perspective and so I was very optimistic about it. 5 years later, I still ask myself how I could have been THAT stupid. A top view of a cartoon building is basically a square. It’s very empty and so ugly! I had to add details, objects, and more details, more objects... I still wake up screaming “Nooooo! Please…! No more of this board!!”.
This project should have been the best moment in my career. I was working with only friends (game designers and publishers) on a very fun and original game. Everything was supposed to be cool. Unfortunately, I’ve realised since then that it’s always when I think it will be cool and quick that it’s a painful and slow process.
But, to be honest, I learned a lot (even more than I wanted) with this project and it’s still one of my best works according to my son. He’s young… He doesn’t know.
What was the inspiration or core idea that drove your work on Rampage/Terror in Meeple City?
The game was designed to be an homage to a very (very very) old video game called Rampage. We (Antoine and myself) were big fans of the game (I wasted so many coins on this game) which is why we did it. I took inspiration directly from the video games visual design. That’s what the publishers wanted too and we were good at it, unfortunately, perhaps a little too good. They had to change the name of the game and the publishers chose to change the cover as well to be cautious.
What are you currently reading, listening to or looking at to fuel your work?
I’m not reading as much as I would like to. Comics or books. Firstly because I don’t have much free time and secondly, like everyone else, I’m watching a lot of television series. I’m a big fan of old shows like The Wire, Six Feet Under or Firefly. I’m watching a lot of things, Netflix is a good dealer. Actually, I love Sherlock, Viking and Grey’s Anatomy…. Yeah, I know… I’m sorry! What can I say, it’s clearly a guilty pleasure. My wife was watching that show from the beginning and I started to get into it. Bam, I started again from the 1st season. Really? Am I talking about Grey’s anatomy in a professional interview? I clearly have to drop it!
I don’t really fuel my work with movies, tv shows or books. Or not consciously. When I’m drawing, I have podcasts playing in the background (Dice Tower and French ones) or music. If I put on music it’s generally a movie score in the mood of the game I’m working on. For example, when I drew Ghost stories I listened to Miyazaki movie soundtracks (Ghibli films like Mononoke or Totoro) and Memoirs of a Geisha. 3 months, I can’t listen to them anymore!
Of course, I have a lot of friends who are illustrators. Naiade (Tokaido, Seasons) Dijb (Clash of Rage, Titan Race), Miguel Coimbra (7 Wonders, Smallworld), Biboun (Dice forge, Time Bombs), Ani (Jamaica), Jeremy Fleury (Oceanos, Yamataï), Arnaud Demaegd (Ystari games) and many many others. We see each other a lot, we speak a lot and we help each other. We are real friends and not competitors. If I can’t do or don’t want to do a job, I ask them if they’re interested.
What advice would you give to anyone wanting to work in the board game industry?
Don’t! Stay where you are! There’s enough of us already!... please? I don’t really have too much advice because it’s a cool job in a very cool industry, for sure. Two things perhaps. First, play, play and play again. It’s a wonderful sensation to see our illustrations being played by perfect strangers but it has to be played first. Don’t hesitate to forget a little about your ego and highlight the game mechanics. Secondly, and much more importantly... wait let’s make this a new paragraph as it’s so important.
Here we are. So, secondly: It’s a job!! IT’S A JOB!! You’re a gamer? You’re an illustrator? Cool, welcome, but make sure you’re paid! It’s very easy to meet passionate people in this industry but it doesn’t mean that passion will fill your fridge or pay your rent. Don’t underestimate your work and its importance. Don’t listen to people who say “Hey! It’s cool for your artbook” or “I don’t have the budget but you will be famous after that!”. If you don’t have the budget for the illustrations of your game, don’t publish it! Actually, there are more than 1000 board games released every year. You just have to put some budget into the components and the illustrations.
Do you have any current projects underway, or coming up that you’d like (or are able) to tell us about?
Yep, I do. Would I like to talk about it? Oh Yeahh! Can I...? Nope! I can tell you a new expansion for Dice Town will be released soon with a new design of the base game. I’m also working with Matagot on some projects and I’m illustrating a game for two players with a very cool theme.
Finally, if we’d like to see more of you and your work, where can we find you?
You can find me on Facebook under the name of ‘Pierô la lune’ @Pieroillustrateur. It’s a page, not a personal FB. My personal is Pierô Lalune but I don’t accept friend requests anymore on my personal account. It’s just too complicated to manage private and professional lives at the same time.
I don’t post everything both in English and French. Mainly because I don’t have a lot of followers in English but I could do if I have to. You’ll see my last illustrations, some live videos so don’t hesitate to come and comment!
(All images supplied by Pierre Lechevalier)
Lorinda Tomko: Art in Board Games #6
Nature is a big source of inspiration for me; nothing is creepier than some of the things that already exist here on Earth. I’ve based monsters on parasites, diseases, carnivorous plants and deep sea creatures - I like that the Kingdom Death universe isn’t filled with the same old thing!
This week we have Lorinda Tomko, an artist who worked on Kingdom Death with Adam Poots Games.
Hello Lorinda, thanks for taking the time to speak to us. Firstly, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hi Ross. I grew up loving art and illustration, and have been doing freelance work for just over 10 years. I went to JMU for a degree in Studio Art, and I’m now living in the Pacific Northwest with my husband Dan and our pet rat Brie. I’ve dabbled in a lot of different art projects, but my first love will always be game art and illustration.
Now we know a little more about you, I have to ask, as a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
I first realized I loved art in middle school. As a kid I was always doodling on everything; my desk, restaurant place mats. I even got into trouble for it at times. I also loved reading horror stories. My parents were extremely supportive, I was very fortunate!
So how did you first get involved in making board games?
I think Kingdom Death was actually the first board game I was involved in making. Adam had posted a call for artists on a forum I used. I responded and have been contributing on and off, to the growing game world that is Kingdom Death, ever since. I love the dark concept behind KD:M, Adam has very creative ideas and the other artists are fabulous. Games can be a great project to work on. It’s a substantial amount of work so I don’t need to be constantly hunting down other projects, but it’s still a lot of fun, especially when the game has an interesting theme.
When you are working on the art of a board game can you give us a quick overview of your creative or thought process and has this changed at all since you first started?
Since I’ve taken up more graphic design work than I did at first, I’ve come to consider these aspects much more, like what will fit well in the space, and what needs to be immediately visible and legible. I don’t usually do a lot of sketching before settling on 1-2 ideas. I prefer to brainstorm while doing other things, then when I’m ready to get down to work I already have an idea I’m happy with.
You were involved in the creation of Kingdom Death, so could you tell us a little bit about what that involved and what were the biggest challenges you faced?
I’ve contributed a few different sorts of things to KD. First are small images for the item cards, which is fast and fun. I get a short description to work off of for most items, which is pretty flexible so I get to play with what I think will look creepy or interesting. I’ve done some illustrations also. With these I aim for an interesting composition, something that will be eye-catching in the rule book. Lastly are miniature designs. These are the most challenging but also what I’m most proud of. Adam is open to a lot of design ideas from the artists, but it’s a challenge to hit the right aesthetic and feel for the existing game universe, especially since I don’t always have access to all the lore or what the other artists are working on. It’s very satisfying when a design is approved and you get to see your drawn concept become a real sculpt.
With miniature concepts there are some special challenges I try to keep in mind. KD has done some amazing things with delicate sculpts, but there are limits on what can bear weight. If the sculpting is done traditionally, small piercings in the designs will be hard to capture and the end effect may look blocky. I’ve learned a lot since beginning, both on KD and other miniature games like Purgatory, what makes for a clear turnaround design that sculptors can use, as well as what looks dynamic at a small scale.
What was the inspiration or core idea that drove your work on Kingdom Death?
I love horror and surrealism. I think my art reflects that a lot - it’s much easier for me to draw grim and creepy than cute and shiny. The monster designs of KD run the gamut from grotesque to elegant, but I’m drawn toward the ones that are subtler and almost graceful. Nature is another big source of inspiration for me; nothing is creepier than some of the things that already exist here on Earth. I’ve based monsters on parasites, diseases, carnivorous plants and deep sea creatures - I like that the KD universe isn’t filled with the same old thing!
What are you currently reading, listening to or looking at to fuel your work?
Right now I’m rereading the Dark Tower series, partly out of excitement that they’re making a movie.. I follow a few comics as well like Monstress and Kill Six Billion Demons, both of which I highly recommend. Junji Ito is my comic idol and I’m constantly rereading his works. As for music, right now I’m listening to a lot of RTJ and Shamir.
What advice would you give to anyone wanting to work in the board game industry?
Two words.. Be professional! Very few games are made start to finish by one person. This means there are people trusting you to know your stuff, respond quickly and courteously, set or negotiate your own rates (at a price point that is worth your time!), and of course meet deadlines. I can’t even begin to list the projects I was brought in on simply by being dependable and keeping a fast turnaround. It’s a very competitive market and if you prove reliable, the word of mouth will be invaluable.
Do you have any current projects underway, or coming up that you’d like (or are able) to tell us about?
I’m finishing up some graphic design and a bit of illustration for two other minis games who successfully funded on Kickstarter: Mythos by Paranoid Miniatures, and Purgatory by Underestimated Games. Both are small indie companies and I’m very excited to see where they go! Mythos is a Lovecraft-inspired game set around the 1920s, and I got to incorporate a combination of deco and nouveau styles into the design. Purgatory is a comedy/epic apocalypse game set in the end times of Earth, battling angels, demons and humans against each other. There’s a great sense of humour in the character designs which I had fun with - I can’t wait to get my hands on the Soul Train faction.
Finally, if we’d like to see more of you and your work, where can we find you?
My own website is at www.lorindatomko.com. You can also follow me at www.ensoulart.tumblr.com, or find me on FB at www.facebook.com/ensoulart. Thanks for having me!
(Images supplied by Lorinda Tomko)
Saskia Rasink: Art in Board Games #5
I used to go to second hand book stores and search for hours to find the beautiful maps in old travel guides. One map I found, from 1970, inspired me to make a personal map of Copenhagen. This actually started my freelance career, with many map-based freelance jobs coming in..
This week we have Saskia Rasink an illustrator who recently worked on the Kickstarter game The Open Road.
Hello Saskia, thanks for taking the time to speak to us. Firstly, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I'm based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and studied illustration graduating in 2013. During my studies I started becoming obsessed with old maps and old graphic designs from buildings from the 1960’s and 1970’s. I used to go to second hand book stores and search for hours to find the beautiful maps in old travel guides. One map I found, from 1970, inspired me to make a personal map of Copenhagen. This actually started my freelance career, with many map-based freelance jobs coming in. Nowadays, I illustrate my love of architecture, cities, and traveling every day for many different companies which I am very grateful for.
Now we know a little more about you, I have to ask, as a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
The funny thing is, I always wanted to do ‘something with drawing’. My grandfather used to paint beautiful landscapes and he really inspired me to do the same. When I was young, he taught me all about paint, techniques and the different kinds of paper that work best. Nowadays I don’t illustrate or paint by hand, it’s mainly computer (Illustrator) based, but my grandfather definitely inspired me to become an illustrator.
So how did you first get involved in making board games?
Blair Berg and Carl Strycharske, the people behind the Open Road board game, saw my work and thought my illustrations were perfect to visualise their board game idea. They approached me and told me about the game, and I got really excited about illustrating it. There was a lot of creative freedom in this game, which is not always the case in commissioned work and I also thought the idea of a bicycle board game was very original. I cycle my treasured old 1970’s ‘grandmothers’ bike everywhere around Amsterdam and as cycling is very common in this country it felt like a subject very close to my Dutch heritage.
When you are working on the art of a board game can you give us a quick overview of your creative or thought process and has this changed at all since you first started?
With the map of the USA, I started the same as I always do for maps. I research everything, from the local landscape, to landmarks, to trees. After that, I first pick a color palette to start working with and then start with the landmarks. Then I place them on the map, and I start working on every other detail like mountains, trees, people on bicycles, tents, animals, or other local things. I keep working until I am satisfied and I feel the map is getting nearer to the finished product. When all the details are illustrated I usually put it down for a few hours and come back to it, and I start to switch around details, or maybe add another detail because it’s too empty somewhere in the map. Sometimes I switch colors too if I feel it’s not ‘there yet’.
You were involved in the creation of The Open Road, so could you tell us a little bit about what that involved and what were the biggest challenges you faced?
Before I started designing the game board, there was already a route of the USA created, with lots of lines, dots and city names, as this is the gameplay. At the beginning all these lines and dots, which were the cities and routes you could take in the game were a huge challenge because they took up a lot of space on the map but weren’t visually attractive yet. It was my work to combine everything and make it look like an actual board game. Sometimes all these lines and dots, and every city name, made it hard to have enough space left for illustrations of local landmarks or details that were important to show the local area, especially as I could not place them somewhere else in the map.
What was the inspiration or core idea that drove your work on The Open Road?
The first thing I looked at to inspire me in making the big map of America for the Open Road board game was all the different kinds of landscapes in the USA. I felt this was really important to research because I had to get a certain atmosphere onto the map that was fitting to every area in the USA. After that I researched local landmarks that people would recognize, to add on the map.
For the cover of the board game the different landscapes in the USA were especially important and pictures of these really inspired me in creating the illustrated cover. We wanted to have three different kinds of landscapes, that represented the nature in the USA you’re bicycling through. You have the snow capped mountains, the pine tree forest and the jagged desert rock formations near Las Vegas. I had a lot of creative freedom to make this one big illustration, where the landscapes were different, but flowed into each other for the cover.
What are you currently reading, listening to or looking at to fuel your work?
I currently have an obsession with vintage matchbox labels from Eastern Europe and Russia from 1950-1960. They are being sold on Ebay, and I love to search for hours to find the most beautiful labels and buy them for my ever growing collection. They are a huge inspiration to my work, as the labels are very beautiful designed but at the same time they are graphic, minimal and have lovely colors. For their very small size they are so very clear and communicate so much.
Also, colors inspire me a great deal. If I need color inspiration, I always turn to “A dictionary of Color Combinations” by Sanzo Wada. It was originally published in 1933. This book is really old, but the color combinations are surprisingly still very up to date!
What advice would you give to anyone wanting to work in the board game industry?
I never thought my illustrations would work in the board game industry, as I had always thought board games looked a bit different to my illustration style. If your work fits the idea of the board game, and you personally love the subject, go for it! It doesn’t matter if the board game looks different, it will only make it more special and people will want to buy that game because the artwork looks different to what’s already out there.
Do you have any current projects underway, or coming up that you’d like (or are able) to tell us about?
I can’t tell much about it yet, but it has got something to do with Summer landscape illustrations!
Finally, if we’d like to see more of you and your work, where can we find you?
You can see my work at:
My website: http://www.saskiarasink.com
Behance: https://www.behance.net/saskiarasink
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saskiarasink/
Dribbble: https://dribbble.com/saskiarasink
And the board game I designed is on Kickstarter until 4th July 2017: kck.st/2rtFuNk
(All images provided by Saskia Rasink)
Phil Walker-Harding: Art in Board Games #4
For me, the funnest part of these titles is when you get a piece to fit perfectly in a space and fulfil a plan you have been working towards. So when I started the design that became Bärenpark, I tried to make these moments happen often and be the real payoff for the players throughout the game..
This week we have Phil Walker-Harding, a game designer who has created games such as Sushi Go Party!, Imhotep, Archaeology: The New Expedition, Cacao, Pack of Heroes and most recently Bärenpark. Along the way he has worked with such publishers as Kosmos, Gamewright, Z-Man Games, Abacusspiele and Wizkids.
Hello Phil, thanks for taking the time to speak to us. Firstly, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I'm from Sydney, Australia and I have been designing games for around 10 years, and doing it a bit more seriously for the last three.
Now we know a little more about you, I have to ask, as a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
The earliest memory I have of this is wanting to be an author. I was very into reading in primary school and I loved to write my own stories, so the thought of getting to do that all the time sounded great! I studied film at university and have also played music, so I guess I have always wanted to go into a creative field.
So how did you first get involved in making board games?
From a young age I played board games with family and friends, and even designed some with my brother and my cousin. Of course, they were very simple and mainly pretty silly versions of the roll and move games we played. When I got into modern board gaming as an adult, I instantly became interested in designing again. After a bit of practice I decided to try my hand at self-publishing my first game, Archaeology.
Prototype of Bärenpark board game (known at that time as Wonderland)
When you are working on the art of a board game can you give us a quick overview of your creative or thought process and has this changed at all since you first started?
When I was self-publishing my designs I started out doing the artwork myself. I had some graphic design experience which was very useful, but I am not much of an illustrator! However, I always tried to make the artwork clear, simple and contribute to the atmosphere of the game. I always started with trying to imagine how the game should look on the shelf, and also on the table. If someone sees the game, or walks past it being played, what art style will draw them in? Now that I no longer self-publish, I obviously have less chance to do artwork. However, I always try to make my prototypes at least somewhat evocative for the players. I think late in the design process, applying good artwork to a prototype can help make the theme and the gameplay experience start to come alive.
Photos of Bärenpark by More Games Please
You were involved in the creation of Bärenpark, so could you tell us a little bit about what that involved and what were the biggest challenges you faced?
I started designing Bärenpark with just the simple idea that I wanted to do a game involving polyomino tiles. It took a whole lot of churning through concepts and testing to figure out where I wanted the game to go and what I wanted the focus to be. I would say the biggest single design challenge was figuring out how players gain new tiles to place. I wanted to give the players freedom to choose their pieces, but I also wanted the decisions in the game to be relatively quick and simple. In the end I used a mechanism I had been developing in another game. When a player covers certain icons on their board with a tile, this allows them to claim particular new tiles and add them to their supply.
What was the inspiration or core idea that drove your work on Bärenpark?
I have always enjoyed games that use polyomino pieces, such as Blokus, The Princes of Florence, Fits and Mosaix. Playing Patchwork more recently re-ignited my interest in doing a game where these tiles would be the main focus. For me, the funnest part of these titles is when you get a piece to fit perfectly in a space and fulfil a plan you have been working towards. So when I started the design that became Bärenpark, I tried to make these moments happen often and be the real payoff for the players throughout the game.
Photos of Bärenpark by More Games Please
What are you currently reading, listening to or looking at to fuel your work?
For me, inspiration for game design usually comes from playing games rather than any other medium. I always try to play new and unique games as well as games outside of my comfort zone to see if any new ideas trigger in my brain. One day I'd like to design a more complex design that required research and interaction with other creative areas, but this hasn't come up for me much yet. Although, I did eat a lot of sushi when designing Sushi Go!
What advice would you give to anyone wanting to work in the board game industry?
If you want to be a designer, all I can say is - design! Keep working on improving your games and getting them out there. Don’t wait for a big break, use avenues like print and play to just get your games in front of people. You will learn and grow from each experience. Publishing, even on a small scale, is quite a big job in terms of logistics and administration, so make sure you are ready to take that on if you choose that path.
Do you have any current projects underway, or coming up that you’d like (or are able) to tell us about?
My new tile-laying game Bärenpark is just being released in English now through Mayfair Games. There is nothing else ready to announce just yet, but expect some new additions to games I have already worked on ;) Lately, I have been trying to design something in the social deduction genre, so hopefully that will also turn into something one day!
Finally, if we’d like to see more of you and your work, where can we find you?
I have a little web site at www.philwalkerharding.com and I’m also on twitter: @PWalkerHarding
Garen Ewing: Art in Board Games #3
I think I always wanted to be an illustrator, perhaps more specifically a comic artist - so I’ve been lucky. I was in hospital a lot as a child and my mum gave me comics to read and paper and pencils to draw with to keep me occupied - so perhaps my fate was sealed...
Today we have Garen Ewing, an artist who recently worked on the brand new release 'The Lost Expedition' with Osprey Games.
Hello Garen, thanks for taking the time to speak to us. Firstly, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hello, Ross. I’ve worked as an illustrator since the late 1990s, working for a variety of businesses and publishers in a variety of areas. From posters, book covers, editorial illustrations, packaging, educational, theatrical … the list goes on! I also wrote and illustrated an adventure comic called ‘The Rainbow Orchid’ which was published in the UK in 2012 and has also been translated into several European languages. I live in West Sussex with my wife (a writer and editor) and two young children.
Now we know a little more about you, I have to ask, as a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
I think I always wanted to be an illustrator, perhaps more specifically a comic artist - so I’ve been lucky. I was in hospital a lot as a child and my mum gave me comics to read and paper and pencils to draw with to keep me occupied - so perhaps my fate was sealed.
So how did you first get involved in making board games?
This is my first work for a professional board game company (not counting the handful I home-made as a youngster). Duncan Molloy of Osprey Games contacted me, I think after seeing my Franco-Belgian style artwork in ‘The Rainbow Orchid’, and thinking it would suit the world of ‘The Lost Expedition’. Of course I didn’t have to think for very long to say yes.
When you are working on the art of a board game can you give us a quick overview of your creative or thought process and has this changed at all since you first started?
After absorbing the brief I’ll start on some rough sketches. This phase will usually involve a bit of light research, but not enough to slow down getting some basic ideas down. With ‘The Lost Expedition’ my initial idea for the box cover was for the explorer party to be just entering the thickness of the jungle, with little hints of some of the dangers they’d face in the darkness ahead. Osprey liked the basic idea but wanted them right in the thick of it, so I worked up a new sketch and this was approved. Quite often I find the first image that leaps into my head after reading the brief is pretty close to what I end up doing - though not always!
You were involved in the creation of The Lost Expedition, so could you tell us a little bit about what that involved and what were the biggest challenges you faced?
There were four main jobs within ‘The Lost Expedition’ - the cover, the character cards, the adventure cards and the map cards. The adventure cards were the biggest chunk (65 in all) and trying to choose the best image to convey the meaning of each event was probably the most challenging aspect. I also had to make sure there was a fairly even representation of the six different characters across the cards - so I kept a tally of who was appearing as I went along, and whose appearances I sometimes needed to boost a bit. Research was also a big part of the task - sometimes fascinating (researching the characters, who are all based on real people), and sometimes not so pleasant (hook worms, leeches, etc!)
The map cards were also a bit of a technical challenge as there were nine in all and I’ve made them so they can go in pairs in almost any order. Getting the tree lines on the edges to match up, as well as giving each card a bleed required a lot of concentration to avoid a big jungle-y mess.
What was the inspiration or core idea that drove your work on The Lost Expedition?
I knew I’d been chosen by Osprey for the ligne-claire styling of my comic work, so keeping that Tintin/Blake & Mortimer vibe to help create the feeling of classic high adventure was important - but that’s the stuff I love anyway, so it was fairly easy to stick to that vision. I’d also already read, a few years earlier, the main source material which inspired Peer Sylvester to write the game - David Grann’s ‘The Lost City of Z’ - so I kept that in mind too. It was enormous fun to work on.
What are you currently reading, listening to or looking at to fuel your work?
I’m currently reading Dickens’ Oliver Twist - I love history, especially Victorian history, and particularly love the filmed versions of this story by David Lean and the Lionel Bart musical, but I’d never read the book before. I grabbed it on my way to the airport for a recent comic festival in Munich. As for listening - I’m enjoying a playlist of Studio Ghibli songs - I made it for my children after I got them hooked on the films. Watching … not a lot - regular Ghibli with my children, and for myself I’ve been slowly converting my ageing Akira Kurosawa DVD collection to Blu-Ray. I watched Indiana Jones and the last Crusade last week, which seems appropriate for this interview!
What advice would you give to anyone wanting to work in the board game industry?
I’m pretty sure I’m not in any position to give advice on that, given that this is my first board game work! Do good work, get yourself out there, get involved in the community, network with the right people - not just online … all good advice that I should really follow more myself. Don’t wait for your work to be ‘perfect’ before you show it publicly - it never will be. I already wish I could redraw half the cards in ‘The Lost Expedition’ - but it all helps you to improve and then you move on to the next thing.
Do you have any current projects underway, or coming up that you’d like (or are able) to tell us about?
I’m doing a couple of private commissions at the moment as well as some illustrations for a web design company, and I’ve just completed the cover and packaging for ‘The Scarifyers’ (an audio adventure series from Bafflegab). I’m also working on the next Julius Chancer book - it’s all plotted and partially scripted - I just need to get on with the drawing.
Finally, if we’d like to see more of you and your work, where can we find you?
My (somewhat out-of-date) work website is at www.garenewing.co.uk, my comics website is at www.juliuschancer.co.uk, and my blog is at www.webbledegook.co.uk. Thank you!
(Sketches and artwork courtesy of Garen Ewing. Product photos by More Games Please).
Peter Wocken: Art in Board Games #2
I had visited La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona when I was living over in France, and it was an amazing and beautiful structure! When the game was picked to me, I got really excited about the setting. I had also been playing around with stained glass as a graphical element in a couple of games before Sagrada...
Today we have Peter Wocken a Board Game Graphic Designer who has worked with on a variety of games such as Sagrada, Dead of Winter, Xia: Legends of a Drift System, and Vault Wars and with companies and publishers such as Plaid Hat Games, Fantasy Flight Games (FFG), Floodgate Games, CMON, and a bunch of other companies with “Game(s)” in their name.
Hello Peter thanks for taking the time to speak to us. Firstly, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hi Ross, it’s my pleasure talking to you. I’m a full time freelance Board Game Graphic Designer based in Minneapolis, MN.
Now we know a little more about you, I have to ask, as a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an illustrator or comic book artist. I was super inspired by geeky things growing up, and was constantly looking for new fantasy and sci-fi art. I purchased my first Magic the Gathering cards in probably third or fourth grade just for the art, but I didn’t learn how to actually play the game until maybe five years ago. I was also a voracious reader and read everything in the DragonLance and Star Wars universe.
Dead of Winter: The Long Night
So how did you first get involved in making board games?
I was laid off from Best Buy as a Lead Production Artist (creating signage such as “Hot DVDs Just..”) and was looking to switch up what I was working on for a daily basis. I had some friends that worked at FFG and I knew that I loved gaming, so I applied as an intern and was quickly hired on full time as a Marketing Graphic Designer. After a few years in Marketing, I moved departments and became a Game Graphic Designer.
When you are working on the art of a board game can you give us a quick overview of your creative or thought process and has this changed at all since you first started?
I try to start in my sketchbook. It helps me quickly brainstorm components and icons before working on them in the computer. It’s too easy to have work start to feel precious once it’s on the computer, and it’s tempting to keep adding more details. For a while, I was only working on the computer, and when I started sketching again, my hand kept trying to find the keyboard and hit [command]+[z] and undo. At that point, I told myself that when starting a new project, I at least needed to sketch a bit of the brainstorming so I didn’t get too rusty.
You were involved in the creation of Sagrada, so could you tell us a little bit about what that involved and what were the biggest challenges you faced?
For most of the games I work on, I’m doing graphic art, so lots of borders, card layouts, logos, icons, etcetera, but I tend to stay away from doing the illustrations themselves. It’s not that I can’t do them, it’s more that my rates are high enough where generally it makes more sense for a client to hire a separate illustrator. For Sagrada though, it’s the seventh game that I’ve done for Floodgate Games. After talking through the visuals during our kickoff meeting, we knew that there wasn’t much need for illustrations since most of the cards were primarily graphics “heavy”. We agreed that I would do the end-to-end visuals on the game.
What was the inspiration or core idea that drove your work on Sagrada?
I had visited La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona when I was living over in France, and it was an amazing and beautiful structure! When the game was picked to me, I got really excited about the setting. I had also been playing around with stained glass as a graphical element in a couple of games before Sagrada, Council of Blackthorn and Dark Frontier, so I had been honing my technique. Then, it was a matter of creating stained glass visual elements like they have in La Sagrada Familia, so no gothic super intricate windows with lots of figures in them, but something a bit more modern and abstract. The publisher also suggested creating a gradient across all four player windows, which was an awesome idea, so I just went from there and created thousands of panes of glass, but tried to recycle enough elements between windows where I didn’t have to do everything from scratch.
What are you currently reading, listening to or looking at to fuel your work?
As long as I’m not dealing with text or rulebooks, I tend to listen to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks. I recently finished listening to The Wheel of Time series, and now am returning to reading the Dark Tower series, which I revisit every few years. Podcast wise (and alphabetically), I love listening to Board Games Insider, Breaking Into Board Games, Comedy Bang Bang, The Dice Tower, Fear the Boot, Ludology, MBMBaM, Planet Money, Spontaneanation, StartUp, Thrilling Adventure Hour, and 99% Invisible. I’ll also pepper in other podcasts, especially if they’re board game related, so I can stay on the pulse of the hobby game industry.
Bioshock Infinite board game card
What advice would you give to anyone wanting to work in the board game industry?
Do it, but don’t quit your day job until you’ve got a few games under your belt. It’s also important to specialize and get paid what you’re worth. It’s not worth making slightly more than minimum wage unless you’re independently wealthy and are doing it ‘cause you love board games.
Do you have any current projects underway, or coming up that you’d like (or are able) to tell us about?
There are a lot of games happening behind the scenes, but unless they’ve been talked about by a publisher, I can’t talk about what I’m working on since almost everything is under NDA. I will say that you should check out News@11, which I’m working on with Floodgate Games. It’s not out yet, and I’m still working on the visuals, but it’s super-duper fun.
Finally, if we’d like to see more of you and your work, where can we find you?
The best place to find my work is at: www.BoardGame.design. I don’t update it nearly as often as I should, but that’s my personal site.
I also tweet at @PeterWocken, am on BGG, and I occasionally update LinkedIn.
(Images supplied by Peter Wocken)
Joan Guardiet: Art in Board Games #1
I wanted the art to somehow convey a story, to have that Cold War vibe that the game needed. But also wanted to keep it light hearted. Once I had the first character created everything else flowed from it..
Today we have Joan Guardiet an Artist who has worked with Expeditious Retreat Press on several RPG adventures and most worked on Checkpoint Charlie with Devir Games.
Hello Joan, thanks for taking the time to speak to us. Firstly, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Sure! I'm an illustrator from Barcelona and I'm kinda new in the gaming industry, though I've worked for several years as a freelance artist. I started a little illustration studio (called Pistacchio) with Núria Aparicio, working with clients in advertising and publishing. We even made animation projects. But now I'm going solo, and board games have always been an interest of mine.
Now we know a little more about you, I have to ask, as a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a comic book artist. Other kids were playing soccer or watching TV, but I was always drawing or reading. I guess I had an archaeologist period as well, after watching Indiana Jones.
So how did you first get involved in making board games?
Well, I've always been connected somehow to the gaming culture. I'm part of a regular group that get together to play several games, mainly RPG, but also board games. I've also illustrated for RPG companies. One of my best friends, David Esbrí, is an editor at Devir, and also an illustrator himself. When he started developing the concept for Checkpoint Charlie, he approached me and asked me if I would be interested. I jumped at the opportunity.
When you are working on the art of a board game can you give us a quick overview of your creative or thought process and has this changed at all since you first started?
I approach it as I approach every project I work on, though it has specific challenges. First I dive into the idea, talking with everyone involved in it (the creator of the game, the publisher, the people that work in graphic design and so on). Then I play the game. Even if it's in its early stages I want to get the feeling of how it works. Then I move to references, looking for the best style and approach for the project. I sketch several ideas and propose them to the publisher, discussing with them what I think are the strong and weak points of every proposal. After we have agreed on how to proceed, I try to finish an illustration with all the specs I have, so we can all be on the same page regarding the final look. If it all goes well then I work on every illustration needed for the project and keep updating everyone so there are no surprises. Finally I make a final phase of checking out everything, to see if something doesn't work or can be improved.
Checkpoint Charlie card game
You were involved in the creation of Checkpoint Charlie, so could you tell us a little bit about what that involved and what were the biggest challenges you faced?
Checkpoint Charlie is a card deduction game created by Jose Antonio Abascal, where you have to find the main spy that tries to pass through the border you are tasked to watch. The suspects are cats, and the players are dogs so it's a lot of fun. It was a challenging process. I had to illustrate several breeds of dogs, in a kind of vintage style. And I also had to illustrate a cat, with several possible combinations of elements. Those elements had to be easy to spot but also integrated in the overall art. I also wanted the art to somehow convey a story, to have that Cold War vibe that the game needed. But also wanted to keep it light hearted. Seems like a lot, but honestly it was fun to work on and kind of intuitive. Once I had the first character created everything else flowed from it.
What was the inspiration or core idea that drove your work on Checkpoint Charlie?
I looked at several artists I love, like Andrew Kolb, Derek Yaniger or Owen Davey. I used Tom Clohosy Cole and Marcin Wolski's work for the Cold War feeling I needed, especially the color palette. I also took inspiration for the animals from the excellent Tumblr Daily Cat Drawings. I made a lot of research for the clothes as well, mainly via Pinterest.
Checkpoint Charlie Cards
What are you currently reading, listening to or looking at to fuel your work?
I think artists must look for references and inspiration all the time, and this is a part of the job I especially love. I've just discovered Dean Cornwell lately, and his compositions blow my mind. I'm currently reading a lot around the subject of spying (I'm running a Night's Black Agents RPG campaign), but also comic-books. I listen to a lot of podcasts while I work (S*Town at the moment), as well as all kind of music (most recently Future Islands). I love animation as well and fortunately my two daughters keep me watching it. Also, who doesn't like the current TV shows? My wife and I are watching The Expanse and Black Mirror, and just finished all of Mad Men. It's a golden era for the inspiration junkies of the world!
What advice would you give to anyone wanting to work in the board game industry?
I'm not sure I'm qualified to give any advice, since I'm really new in this field. I guess the best thing I can say is that you must work every day, look all the time for inspiration and draw, draw and draw. Also, don't forget that you're your own company, so to speak, so concentrate some time on marketing yourself and learn the basics of legal and financial stuff too.
Do you have any current projects underway, or coming up that you’d like (or are able) to tell us about?
I delivered to Devir some time ago the new art for a fun little game called 1, 2, 3! that's going to be published soon (I hope!) The game itself already existed, but they wanted a new look for it. It's been a really fun project as well, using some old animation characters as inspiration. I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on a finished copy.
Finally, if we’d like to see more of you and your work, where can we find you?
You can visit my website www.joanguardiet.com, or my studio's site as well www.pistacch.io. You can find me at Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or Behance. If it's Joan Guardiet, it's most probably me. Please keep in touch!
(Images supplied by Joan Guardiet)