Portent - MtG - Commander 2018

It is spoiler season for Commander 2018, the newest expansion to Magic the Gathering. With it came a huge surprise for me. Not only do I have a card in Commander 2018, something I was unaware of until 24 hours ago, but the art used was created in 2013, which until now, had never been used. To add to the excitement, the art has ended up on a reprint of a card from the 1995 set, Ice Age (the last set I ever actively collected and played). It is a good card, and I am really excited to see my art on it. If I have to wait five years to see my art released, I could not think of a better situation! I present you with Portent...

Portent

Magic the Gathering - Commander 2018

12 x 8.7- Digital 

Art Director - Dawn Murin
 © 2018 Wizards of the Coast
PRINTS available at OMA!

  ARTIST PROOFS available over on my web store! 

Not sure how to talk about this piece. The art was created for another card altogether, which I don't feel comfortable discussing since that information has not been released. What I can say is that I REALLY got into working on this piece. I shot TONS of reference... like, seriously, a LOT. I will be sharing some when I do the process post for this piece. I wanted this piece to be just right, and I was really excited about it and pleased with how it turned out. Which means I was obviously somewhat crestfallen when the art did not appear in the initially planned set. I was patient. I hoped it was only a matter of time. It looks like my patients have paid off, and I can now share this piece!

While the piece was finished digitally, I do have an original drawing, which will be available starting next week at Gen Con 2018 - August 2-5 (I am at table 7 in the Art Show!). I have the line art/sketch and the tonal study for this piece, and since they have been stored away in a dark closet for five years, they are looking for a good home. I actually had trouble finding them. Since I created them five years ago and stored them away, they ended up buried underneath several years of other drawings. Here is a look at the drawing and tonal study that I did for Portent...

Portent - Drawing
Magic the Gathering - Commander 2018
12 x 9 -Pencil on paper 
Original - SOLD

© 2018 Wizards of the Coast

Portent - Tonal Study 
Magic the Gathering - Commander 2018
12 x 9 -Pencil on paper 
Original - SOLD

© 2018 Wizards of the Coast

A HUGE thanks go out to Dawn Murin for the original assignment that eventually became Portent! I will have prints available as soon as I can, and once I receive the artist proofs, I will make them available as well. Here is a look at the Spanish version of the Portent card which was spoiled yesterday...

Portent in handy dandy (Spanish) card form

That is all for another exciting week on the blog, see you back here on Monday! Until then...

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com