Editors Note: If you’ve played Magic: The Gathering or The Lord of the Rings TCG you’ll likely have seen her work. Sara Winters came to my attention as I looked closer into the world of collectible card games and the artists who work within it. Her incredible ability to capture the energy and presence of the figures she illustrated drew me in and I’m so happy she took some time to talk through her work with me.

If you’ve got any favorite Magic: The Gathering artwork let me know in the comments below! Enjoy the interview.

Hi Sara, thanks for joining me! For our readers who aren't aware of your work could you tell us a bit about yourself and what you do?

I am a freelance artist working in the gaming industry and specialize in character design and illustration. Although I was born and raised in New Jersey, I currently live in the Seattle, WA area. I am 30 years old. My husband Mark Winters is also an artist and former art director for Wizards of the Coast. We have five chihuahuas and our first child turned one recently!

I love being part of the artist community and used to run figure drawing nights and industry lectures in Seattle. I’m planning to do more of that in the future.

The freelance illustration industry is tough to break into, so how did you get started?

I attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City from 2006 to 2010 and received a bachelor’s degree in illustration. In college, I wasn’t really sure what type of illustration would be a good fit for me professionally, but I knew that I loved designing clothing and painting expressive characters. As a child I used to play a lot of video games with my father and brother. Some of my favorites were Tomb Raider, Diablo, Starcraft and Warcraft. I loved copying drawings from the World of Warcraft handbook and Tomb Raider comics. At some point, I started designing my own characters. I’m actually a bit bummed that I missed out on playing Dungeons and Dragons and Magic The Gathering as a kid. I know I would have loved it!

After college, I started to get more serious about becoming a professional artist. Throughout high school and college, I worked in various retail, bartending, and waitressing jobs. In 2012 I made my first fantasy illustration portfolio and brought it to an artist convention in Kansas City called Spectrum. I showed it to as many artists and art directors as possible. Even though I knew that I wasn’t ready, I made this portfolio as a starting point. After the convention, I made a whole new portfolio with all of the precious feedback in mind. A few months later, I brought it to a convention in Pennsylvania called Illuxcon. I had reviews with art directors from Wizards of The Coast, Paizo Publishing and Fantasy Flight Games. That next year I would start working with all of these companies on various projects.

The first art director that reached out was Zoe Robison from Fantasy Flight Games. She gave me my first shot and I can’t thank her enough! My first assignment was for a Lord of The Rings Card game. As a child, I probably read The Lord of The Rings Trilogy over ten times and used to copy all of the maps in the books. I was so excited to work for a brand that I understood and cared about.

The first year of working for games companies was off and on. I was also housecleaning and nannying on the side. Whatever it took to make enough money to be able to pursue becoming a professional artist! By 2014 I was completely full time with my art.

Getting that first shot is a huge step but a challenging one too. What do you think you learned from it? 

I feel that I did well with that first assignment by executing the art description and making the deadline. I definitely had an unnecessary amount of stress involved though. I am an over-thinker by nature. Looking back now, I would have approached the work with a healthier mindset. This assignment was very useful in helping me analyze the deficiencies in my process. I learned a ton from the experience.

From both a personal and professional perspective, how important is it for artists to seek out each other in the community?

Being part of a community is a crucial part of being an artist. For one, you can get meaningful critique of your work from your colleagues. They can help you see something in your work that you cannot. It’s also incredibly inspirational to see what people are working on. I was lucky that I grew up near New York City. There is an incredible community out there.

There are also a ton of online resources for aspiring artists that don’t live near a big city. I really enjoy Artstation, which is an artist community website. It’s an easy way to show off your portfolio. Artstation also has a ton of helpful resources such as job postings, articles, etc. There are also magazines such as Firestarter and ImagineFX that have a lot of info for artists both aspiring and professional. I also recommend going to conventions if possible. Ones that helped out my career are Spectrum, Illuxcon, and Gencon. There are also a ton internationally such as Trojan Horse Was a Unicorn, Industry workshops, etc.

Bringing the focus back to your art, what’s your process when working?

Nowadays, I have a pretty set process. It can change based on the assignment, but I generally compartmentalize. I start with research and thumbnailing. I will occasionally create concept art in this stage too if necessary. During this stage I want to identify the win conditions for the assignment: "What does the client need to make a successful product?" and “how do I make this assignment as enjoyable as possible for me?”. The latter question is much more simple for me. I typically won’t take an assignment that doesn’t fit me as an artist. It’s pretty rare for me to receive an assignment that doesn’t fit at all. I really enjoy the problem-solving aspect of an assignment.

The second part of the process is the sketch phase. I essentially detail the thumbnail that I picked and send that to a client. Once the sketch is approved then I will compile reference. I always do a photo shoot with models. I never find a pose online to go from. One, this is typically copyright infringement. Even if you purchase a stock photo legally, you are letting the photo dictate what you draw. I like to have complete control over lighting, pose and costuming. Reference should help to elevate the work, not be a crutch.

Once I am ready for final, I have little to nothing to figure out in the piece. All of the planning is done and I can focus on painting only.

After 5 years as a freelance illustrator, do you have any advice for those looking to go down the same road?

I think it’s important to always consider yourself a student and always keep improving. You never want to plateau. It’s important to keep the energy going. I also believe that there are other things in life other than art. When I take time for family, friends and hobbies, I am refreshed and I feel like when I do paint, my work is better for it. Burnout isn’t just tough on you physically and mentally, but I believe the work suffers for it.

With creative fields, it can sometimes be forgotten that the paid work you do is still exactly that, work. What brings you enjoyment in the jobs you’ve had and how do you look to keep yourself motivated and inspired?

I really like to diversify the type of projects that I take. This prevents me from getting bored and burnt out.  As an example, a perfect work week; I would maybe work on an illustration one day, concept art another, have a meeting with a client, then do some oil painting for myself. I’m very extroverted and don’t really enjoy being in my studio all day.  I would also have plenty of time to relax and spend time with family and friends. I really feel like taking breaks fuels me to be a better artist and get excited about what I’m working on. I also think having other hobbies helps with idea-generating. For example, I love fashion. This really helps inspire my costume designs for my characters.

Let’s talk a minute about your use of models for artwork. Where do you start and how do you draw inspiration in terms of the poses and positioning?

It’s really important to take great references. Especially as a character artist. It will always improve your anatomy, posing, expressions, etc. I always try and take as exact reference as I can in order to make the most believable image possible. It’s easiest for me to hire models and put them in the exact costume. I always thumbnail/ sketch out the illustration first to figure out the pose, costume, lighting etc. I use this as a map for my painting and photograph the reference exactly how I want it. Hiring my own models gives me complete control over the painting. I hire models through friends, finding cosplayers at conventions, or use websites like Model Mayhem. Sometimes I model myself or have friends pose. It really depends on the needs of the project. Over the years I’ve developed a model list and have a great working relationship with some incredible local models.

Lighting can give characters a sense of presence and help bring them to life. Are there any key concepts you focus on when applying it to your imagery?

Lighting for me is all about mood for a piece. It can be a great tool for storytelling. Also, some illustrations call for a particular setting. I have a ton of lights I can use to create the exact setting I want in my photoshoot.

This is probably a tough one to answer (personally I'm terrible at choosing favorites) but do you have any particular pieces of work that you're especially proud of?

I think my favorite piece that was released so far is my Wizard Token for MTG: War of The Spark. I had something in mind and felt that I achieved it. I also have my first oil painting in the newly announced MTG: Throne of Eldraine set. 

What are some non-game related creations (books, music, movies, etc) that you’re currently enjoying?

It sure is hard reading or watching shows with a new baby, but lately, I finished the Chernobyl series on HBO. While it was at times heartbreaking to watch, the cinematography and performances were breathtaking. 

Do you have any current projects underway, or coming up that you’d like (or are able) to tell us about? 

I’m planning on doing some fine art for myself focusing on oil-painted portraits. I’m really looking forward to doing work without a purpose other than expressing what’s in my head.

Finally, if we’d like to see more of you and your work, where can we find you? 

You can follow me and my work on my website, Twitter and my ArtStation.

All images provided by Sara Winters.

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