Below is a list of commonly asked questions I recieve via email or at various conventions and events. Please read through the list below before contacting me as you may find the answer to your question.
Yes, I do sign cards through the mail. I now charge $1 for my signature on each card you mail to me to be signed. If you send me 4 cards to sign, it costs $4. If you send me 20 cards to sign, it costs $20. If you send me 400 cards to sign, it costs $400 and so on. You will have to contact me for my address.
Make sure you send a self addressed stamped envelope so I can return your cards to you. I do not return cards that are not accompanied by either a SASE or enough money for return postage.
The most common mistake people make when sending me cards is not having enough postage on their return envelope.
I do not do alterations to cards. If you would like an original sketch, please purchase a white-backed artist proof card from me and then also pay for a sketch on the back of that card. More information about white-backed artist proof cards can be found here.
I do sell artist proofs. You can find a list of available proofs here.
I also sell prints which can be found here.
Yes, I do. Please check my listing on the left side of my blog for appearances.
I use both oil paints and acrylic paints. Currently I have been doing a lot of work in acrylics because of the time constraints of my assignments. Windsor & Newton paints have always worked out well for me. I also use Windsor & Newton brushes, as well as Loew-Cornell. Most of my art is painted on Illustration board (Crescent 110 cold press) or masonite that I buy in large sheets and cut down to size. I prepare the surface with multiple coats of white gesso.
Get to a convention. A gaming or comic convention is the best place to meet face-to-face with art directors or editors. Most companies have submission guidelines posted on their Web sites. Make sure you follow their instructions to the letter. Companies are looking for great artists, but they are also looking for someone that is professional. They need to know that you will make your deadlines and deliver quality work. But get to the conventions - Gencon, DragonCon, Wondercon, Origins, etc. Make sure you only show your best work in your portfolio. Five very good pieces of art are better than ten mediocre ones. I got my first work in the gaming industry by attending Gencon and meeting with art directors.
I have a handful of paintings that I have been very happy with over the years for various reasons. Thankfully, I always see some improvement in my work and therefore my most recent work seems to be my favorite. Right now I am very pleased with Ignorant Bliss from Magic: The Gathering's Dissension expansion.
I do have work in Lorwyn, Morningtide, Shadowmoor and Eventtide, but I haven't done any M:TG card art since those sets.
White-backed artist proofs are very limited run Magic: The Gathering cards that are printed just for the artists without a standard card backing. Each artist receives only 50 of each card they have done. The side of the card with the title, artwork, flavor text, etc. is the same as any other card, but the other side of the card is white. These are not tournament legal. They are purely a collectible item. More information about white-backed artist proof cards can be found here.