FanArt_ink.Grungy

MTGinktober shoegazes at Day 16, "Grungy," starring Domri Rade; Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief; and Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts!

I knew I had to throw it back to our fashion crew with this one since it's so applicable to an aesthetic I'm forever a fan of--sorry Gisa, this was also a great prompt for you, but I know you'll get a chance to shine this year eventually.  These guys have all had several newer cards, but their original appearances look the coolest to me, so we're keeping the OGs.

Fun Facts:  This is this trio's third MTGinktober appearance together, but individually, it's Domri's sixth spot, it is Drana's fourth, and it's Teysa's third--the only one who hasn't solo'd or anchored a piece, yet.  And while I'm not actually a fan of grunge music per se, a lot of bands I love like them, and I love rock music in general, so I was eager to draw its heyday fashion.

Easter Eggs:  As is tradition with these pieces, we carve our name into Domri's gently tossed pumpkin. His hat has the Gruul logo, of course, but his shirt is a reference to the grungiest music I enjoy, which is merely grunge-adjacent, Jimmy Eat World's Static Prevails album, which you can see was the original reference, but I deemed it not grunge enough.  And then I always reference the old background--literally, I had the two prior pieces up while drawing to make sure I kept the composition on-theme.

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FanArt_ink.Guidebook

MTGinktober kindly directs your attention to Day 15, "Guidebook," starring Chandra, Acolyte of Flame; チャンドラ・ナラー; Shichifukujin Dragon; and Deb Thomas!

We coulda done yet another "People Traveling" piece, as that seems to be Jake's meta-theme this year, but this was just too ridiculous of an idea not to do.  It started with a desire to get Deb Thomas in an MTGinktober illustration in a believable way, and today we finally have that opportunity, not to mention another Magic Expression or two down--this has an actual Magic Manga representation plus two members of the elusive Celebration series. 

Fun Facts:  Ok, Chandra is one of the MTGinktober sluggers, so she's appeared perhaps the most of all characters, and this one will count as a double-header, so I have her total appearances at fourteen including five as Dora-chan, and now we have actual チャンドラ.  This is obviously Deb Thomas's  debut, though you can add it to the heap of fan art she must be inundated with, not to mention Shichifukujin Dragon, for that matter.

Easter Eggs:  The museum where these nerds are learning about an inexplicably Chandra-looking former CFO has placards with actual writing, however I purposefully made them illegible, but there's some little gags there, aside from my signature, which is more like gag-me-with-spoon.  The guidebook is "Obscure Red Cards," though.

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FanArt_ink.Roam

MTGinktober mosies on up Day 14, "Roam," starring Miriam, Herd Whisperer; Andrios, Roaming Explorer; and Ox of Agonas!

Can't believe I totally forgot to photograph the pencils on this one!  If ever there were a piece I'd really benefit from having the pencils to help me out, it's this shade-intensive one.  I kept looking up while inking to consult my pencils, which I usually have up in CSP, for guidance on the ox's fur or Miriam's costume, to no avail.  Repeatedly!  Anyway, this was a nice little illustration that yet contends with the trend this year of every other prompt being about people traveling, this time cowboy-themed.

Fun Facts:  I've drawn a Heroes of the Realm card before, but this is our first real guest-starring role, versus a sorta incidental role as last time. I was so close to scratching off a newfound Magic expression via one of the new Bounty cards, but Miriam was just too perfect for this prompt.  Everyone debuts here, though I feel like I've drawn the Ox before, but apparently not. 

Easter Eggs:  The background is from Transmogrifying Wand.  And then today's signature is split with the date in Andrios's display, and then my name on Miriam's bag.

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FanArt_ink.Horizon

MTGinktober looks towards Day 13, "Horizon," starring Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis; Grief (Campbell White Special Guest version); Fury (Campbell White Special Guest version); Arcum's Astrolabe; and Nadu, Winged Wisdom!

I had a concept ready to go after pulling all my refs in my research phase, and then just as I closed CSP, I suddenly thought of this--a full Animal Crossing spoof--specifically New Horizons, of course.  My initial idea was to have us peering through Grief into a scene Fury raging as Nadu flees with Astrolabe, all set atop Hogaak, but this parody idea felt more entertaining, so I went with neat over cool.  I contemplated using banned artists' lands for the setting, but that was a bit too far, and detracted from the spirit of MTGinktober.   

Fun Facts:  This is a full cast MTGinktober debut.  I ultimately had two fleshed out concepts for today, all I knew was I wanted to focus solely on Modern Horizons cards, and what better way than to send-up the invariably banned cards from each--each--MH set yet (I loathe these sets for what they've diminished Magic into, pushing out our history and natural development in eternal formats, though drafting MH3 was pretty enjoyable).

Easter Eggs:  Well, the setting is based on a plot of land you might claim in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.  I haven't played an AC since...Gamecube?...So I had to rely on rusted-out knowledge, YouTube Let's Plays, some image googling, and hope that this scene makes sense.  I remember you could dig up artifacts, but I don't think you'd be able to see what the item was, so I just placed the Astrolabe above ground.  I'd thought about having Mr. Resetti or Tom shooing them away, but since it was getting crowded, I just had them do their own things.

 And bonus pencil version before I realized I forgot some details on Nadu's costume:
 
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FanArt_ink.Remote

MTGinktober keeps at arm's length Day 12, "Remote," starring Suspicious Stowaway!

I had an image of a really noiry feel for this illustration and an anti-social character sorta being reclusive, so I went with one of my favorite pet cards, Suspicious Stowaway (who I'd frequently jam into Standard decks) as the star, though I coulda easily gone with a few alternatives.  I even was close to defaulting to Marit Lage or Progenitus if all else failed--like the initial drawing wasn't coming together.  Fortunately it flowed pretty well, so all that was left was to take it to final as well as we could.  Thankfully, I was thus able to pace myself a little easier since I'm definitely starting to feel the marathon's fatigue.

Fun Facts:  This is a rare image in that it's mainly anchored almost exclusively on one card, just exploring the scene.  I went with Suspicious Stowaway, who makes her MTGinktober debut here, of course, because she has such a moody setting, and the idea is that she's mentally and physically remote--she's hiding from the crew, and doesn't really get emotionally involved with people anyway, as she's hiding out on this boat in the middle of who knows where.  They're all running from something, after all.

Easter Eggs:  As long as we're hiding out, I felt it would be neat to hide a little Fblthp, the Lost (自然にクロサワテツ版。) in there, too.

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FanArt_ink.Snacks

MTGinktober munches into Day 11, "Snacks," starring Melira, Sylvok Outcast; Melira's Snacks; the Three Little Pigs; and Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar!

In the research phase, I stumbled across a card called Melira's Snacks, and instantly knew I wanted to draw that, as it helps cross off another expression from our "Expressions of Magic" checklist and I haven't drawn Melira in a while.  I've already drawn a Test Card for Bad Dog, and even a blank Test Card for Trek, but Melira's Snacks is a blank, frameless card, so I don't know what that means, but it's a card expression I haven't drawn yet, and this should lock up all the kinds of test cards there are so far. 

Fun Facts:  For the scenario, I wanted Melira's third run to be her joyfully treating her pals, and the Three Little Pigs would be thrilled to chow down, but her bud Asmo--who makes her fourth MTGinktober appearance--couldn't help but be snooty about anyone else's culinary endeavors.  This is only the Second Little Pig's namesake MTGinktober appearance.

Easter Eggs:  Some favorite foods here, including those OG Food Token jelly cookies and croissant (which debuted in the fully original prompt, "Snack,"...c'mon, Jake...).  Plus a personal favorite in that concha, though we always called it, "Mexican bread," and only relatively recently learned it has a real name, aside from "melon pan," I guess.  And then the WOE Gingerbrute--who makes his second-and-a-half appearance--is piecing together he's about to get got.

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FanArt_ink.Nomadic

MTGinktober is on the move to Day 10, "Nomadic," starring Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim and Go-Shintai of Hidden Cruelty!

Ok, it really feels like we've been drawing the same prompt like three days in a row...can we maybe get a little innovative in traveling-people prompts, Jake?  Anyway, a great excuse to draw Ayli and Hidden Cruelty both at last, but I gotta be real, I'm a bit disappointed at the lack of variety in prompts this year.  A couple years ago we even straight-up had duplicates (though some were from the terrible official MTG list that one year they ran one), forget about variations in a word.

Fun Facts:  This is both their debuts, but in the Shrine department, I've drawn Sanctum of Calm Waters for Sparkle, and Sanctum of Fruitful Harvest for Fuzzy Woods, so were slowly collecting 'em all.  This is the first piece this year that really feels a bit undercooked, as I'd like to give it about another hour, but time was short.  This occurring 10 days in is pretty good, though--I've been keeping pace, staving off strain and exhaustion, so I'm generally feeling okay so far, and hope to continue pressing on.

Easter Eggs:  Gotta get the swooshy B (ß) in any Algen piece, this time in the Go-Shintai's torn fabric.  And then we also have Sanctum of Stone Fangs and of course Nomad Outpost for background support, plus the spirit objects of Go-Shintai of Shared Purpose to tie the cards together mechanically, since Ayli and Hidden Cruelty could really pop off with and active Shared Purpose--how thematic.

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FanArt_ink.Sun

MTGinktober sets upon Day 9, "Sun," starring Huatli, the Sun's Heart and Elspeth, Sun's Champion!

I had a totally different concept in mind starring the Dawnbringers, but then I thought of Huatli as a poet, and what if nobody wants to hear her flappin', double slappin', no-nappin', scrappin', unflappable slam poetry--tough crowd.  Well, the best place to get booed off stage is no less than the Apollo Theater, who is even in charge of the sun, which happens to be the mytholgical underpinnings of Theros and Elspeth's whole deal that block--how about that for perfect.

Fun Facts:  This is Huatli's third MTGinktober appearance--she rarely appears cuz her costume is so complicated, I'm still feeling it from her debut.  This is also Elspeth's third appearance, as she also has a bit of a complicated get-up, though she usually appears with Ajani--and indeed I was going to star them in Hike as Calvin and Hobbes, but I ruled that that famous illustration of them balancing wasn't quite a hike.

Easter Eggs:  The theatre backdrop comes from a combination of the backgrounds of Heliod, Sun-Crowned and Heliod, God of the Sun.  You can see the Apollo's tree stump on the left of course, and Elspeth's staff has been modified into a Sandman-style hook.

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FanArt_ink.Hike

MTGinktober treks into Day 8, "Hike," starring Nahiri, the Harbinger and Sorin, Lord of Innistrad!

This one was almost sorta what we were thinking for the extremely similar prompt a couple days ago, Trek, though I had a few other ideas to keep it distinct from the vexingly similar prompt, including a sequel to our Run piece, but again, it simply felt too similar to what we almost literally just drew.  So I just went with some of my two favorite bitter characters yelling at each other--I figure they try to work things out by going on hikes together, but then they always spiral into a feud and screaming at each other to go take a hike, and then they're back at square one.

Fun Facts:  This is Nahiri's seventh MTGinktober appearance, including her third with Sorin, who has only ever appeared when with Nahiri, actually.  We didn't sequel Run, but as you can see, this is a close composition to Massive, which was a joy to draw.   

Easter Eggs:  Since they're hiking, I wanted to give them staves, so given their white overlap, I gave them the Magus staff for their distinct color, so she gets a Staff of the Flame Magus and he gets a Staff of the Death Magus.  But since they're collectively Mardu, I set the background as a combination of Savai Triome plus that of Massacre Totem, which I've been trying for years to get into an illustration to continue the journey to get every Magic Expression--Battle the Horde down. 

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FanArt_ink.Passport

MTGinktober forges on Day 7, "Passport," starring Professor Onyx!

The limiting factor here was time--fortunately felt relatively rested, just took a while to get the gag all together.  The idea is, What if characters were having a hard time with their passports at the airport because their present depictions look totally different from their debut depictions?  So I jammed three guest stars in there who didn't get to anchor the piece because I stumbled on the idea of Liliana as Onyx trying to cheaply forge her documents and getting called out by Dour Port-Mage. 

Fun Facts: This is Professor Onyx's second MTGinktober appearance, and Liliana's tenth(!), including all her four appearances as Lil'iana, too, which I don't totally count as a separate character, but they kind of are three distinct enough characters--and that's not even counting her super fan. 

Easter Eggs:  The passport photo is Yoshitaka Amano's Liliana Dreadhorde General.  Waiting in line are the fellow "never match their original depiction" characters--Ashnod, Flesh Mechanist; Krenko, Mob Boss; and Sakiko, Mother of Summer.  The Chain Veil comes from The Last Hope illustration.

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FanArt_ink.Trek

MTGinktober boldly goes to Day 6, "Trek," starring Pianna, Nomad Captain; The Wandering Emperor; and Isamaru and Yoshimaru!

This was a case where I knew what I wanted to draw, but wasn't sure of the angle, so I just went with a straightforward profile scene.  It mighta been stronger or funnier if it was a head-on shot of the conga line, but I wanted it to feel physically distant as you move left to right in the image, as The Wandering Emperor is all outta gas, meanwhile her steadfast captain is leading the pack just fine.  I didn't want to do a Star Trek reference since that felt too obvious, but having a captain leading her troops carried over to this concept.

Fun Facts: This is The Wandering Emperor's second MTGinktober appearance, as well as Yoshimaru's (where he debuted with her) and Isamaru's (where he debuted with Piana, freakishly coincidentally, in one of our most overtly political MTG illustrations, funnily enough). Wow, totally didn't realize everyone's a single repeat guest until just now.  But more crucially, we notch another Magic Expression--remember our goal is to hit every kind of Magic card there is, from Stickers to Schemes, to now whatever the heck these Unknown Event cards are (partly joking). 

Easter Eggs: The background is based on Pianna's card, but we added the slope they're plugging away on, and my signature's carved into the rock near Pianna.  Also, it's kinda fun they're all monowhite legends, and Kamigawa continues its not-a-fan-of-hiking trend.

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FanArt_ink.Binoculars

MTGinktober scopes out Day 5, "Binoculars," starring Selvala, Explorer Returned!

All right, this was a little tricky to concept, as I didn't just want a goggled character, so we went with a Scout in a tree, which is a familiar scenario.  I kinda wish I had a buddy for her, but wasn't really sure who to co-star with her or how that could work into the composition, so it was just a character one-shot, which we don't do that often.

Fun Facts: This is Selvala's second MTGinktober appearance, and her first appearance this decade!  I've always thought her debut art was so cool, particularly her restful pose in Secrets of Paradise--love seeing characters depicted in their off time, just hanging out--and it was great to be able to draw her in a little closer focus. 

Easter Eggs: Since I wanted something a little more for the piece, I worked in Utopia Tree fruit, which makes its third MTGinktober appearance, oddly enough.

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FanArt_ink.Exotic

MTGinktober barters up to Day 4, "Exotic," starring Byway Barterer and Exotic Pets!

Fortunately this one came out pretty smoothly, so I wasn't rushing, and could draw a little more leisurely to help rest my hand, which is already feeling a little soreness, though that may not be from strain, but from just using my traditional drawing muscles so much--drawing digitally isn't quite the same, physically.  The great news, I haven't had that whiplash pain from suddenly jumping back to traditional, as I always worry will be the case after numerous episodes after being away from one discipline while focusing on the other.

Fun Facts:  It happens every now and then, but it is still rare--a piece featuring no humanoids, and then even rarer, no legends!  Not even the artifact.  This is the first time all these cards have been featured here, but this is the first time, as far as I can recall, having no legends or humanoids in an illustration.  What an achievement.

Fun Facts:  The useless stuff this sham's selling includes a Jeweled Lotus priced at 8,675,309 berries; a Joe Biden 2024 mug priced at 11,201,942 berries, and a Storybook Brawl Strategy DVD ft. FTX's SBF valued at a bargain lo,lol berries--can't conceive of a more useless item.  Tom Nook's logo from Animal crossing on this racoon merchant's belt buckle.

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