New Magic: A Large Rock (or Meteorite)

Here's another of my contributions to Magic's M15 core set. This was a bit of an odd one since rather than your typical fire wreathed meteorite hurtling towards doomed person/place/thing (I guess those have been a bit overdone), the art description called for something a little more comedic: 

ART DESCRIPTION:
Setting: SHANDALAR
Color: Colorless artifact
Location: On a city street.
Action: Show an iridescent meteorite about 10' across that has landed on someone who had previously been walking down the street. Maybe we can see the poor victim's legs under the still sizzling, smoking meteorite. Kind of looking for that Wizard of Oz moment where the Wicked Witch of the East was crushed by the house.
If it adds to the scene, show some shocked and horrified onlookers.
Focus: The smoking, irridescent meteorite.
Mood: Humorous - two pathetic looking legs/feet under a massive meteorite.

Ok...not really what I envisioned Magic art to be (outside of Unhinged), but I thought it was funny and tried my best with it anyway. After playing with many different angles, we finally decided that a street-level angle with the unfortunate guy's legs sticking out towards the viewer was the best way to go. Here's the sketch:

12" x 16" Charcoal and digital.

...and the final painting:

12" x16" Oil on masonite.

And it's another Uncommon! ...Which I know isn't really a big deal, but I'll take what I can get.

As usual I'll have the artist proofs available in my Etsy shop once I get them in the mail. 

Also, the painting and sketch are available for sale, please contact me at murphyillustration@gmail.com.

Thanks for checking in! I hope to have some more stuff coming along pretty soon.

New Magic - Brood Keeper

Here's a new painting that was just released for Magic's new core set, M15. I really enjoyed working on this piece as it was my first "human" I painted for Magic, and it was the first setting I worked on that was outside of the Theros realm. 

Here's what I got for an art description:

SET ON ALARA
Color: Red Creature
Location: On a mountain peak on the plane of Jund - we can see the savage landscape, volcanoes, fissures, craggy mountains. Reddish, Turner-esque sky.
Action: A female human shaman stands among a clutch of dragon eggs. She holds one of the eggs, which is maybe a bit larger than her head. Her hands glow a bright red, looking like hot metal. Radiating from her hands are cracks in the egg. Perhaps the light from her hands illuminates the young dragon in the egg. The shaman is dressed in savage, Jund attire.
Focus: the shaman
Mood: my power can awaken dragons!
Notes: Jund humans have very slight reptilian touches. maybe she has 'alligator eyes'.

A female shaman with dragons eggs?! Sweet!

Here's a few thumbnails that I turned in to the AD from the description:

But needing to see the dragon in the egg a bit clearer, the AD requested a couple other options with the egg a little more pronounced. So I went back to the drawing board and did these:

Satisfied that the first one hit the vision that they wanted for card, I went ahead with my charcoal sketch. I had a lot of fun working dragon claws and teeth into her jewelry: 

12" x 16" Charcoal and Digital

I enjoyed painting her and the eggs a lot, but I really had a blast making up the volcanic landscape behind her. Here's the final:

12" x 16" Oil on Masonite

And it's my first Uncommon card! So maybe she'll see a little more play than my previous cards?...I have no idea.

Both the charcoal drawing and the original painting are available for purchase. Please contact me at murphyillustration@gmail.com if interested.