How an architect-turned-artist realised his dream of working for Magic: The Gathering

I have a bachelor’s degree in interior architecture, but after trying it for a couple of years I found out that it wasn’t my fit. I took some courses that introduced art and design, art history and drawing, and I was already drawing fantasy art as a hobbyist when I was a student.

Digital art was getting popular when I graduated, so I gave it a try and realised that being a fantasy artist, using a tablet, was the route to take for the rest of my life. I started to get commissions and contributed to projects of various sizes, including indie games, mobile games and book illustrations.

One of them was to design the protagonist for a short animation film called The Begun of Tigtone. Then in 2018 that short film got the green light for a two season run to be aired on Adult Swim. I painted nearly 200 characters, creatures and props for the series.

During the same year I started creating card art for Magic: The Gathering, which had been my childhood dream. In 2022 I began working for Atomhawk Design and relocated to the UK from Turkey. I’ve worked there for three years.

I’ve been a freelance illustrator and concept artist for a decade. I would describe my style as realistic with a touch of stylisation.

Early on, I aimed for purely realistic results, but over time I discovered that adding some stylisation made my work more distinctive. I love hand-painting every element in a piece because I believe that the texture of brushstrokes helps to make the artwork recognisable; you can think of brushstrokes as your personal watermark.

After joining Atomhawk, I had the chance to work alongside incredibly talented artists with exceptional skills and great personalities. It made me realise that no matter how long you’ve been in the industry, there’s always so much more to learn.

I studied a lot of anatomy, picked up new techniques to speed up and smooth out my workflow and, most importantly, learned how to collaborate effectively within a team to achieve better results.

When I was very young, I came across a booster pack from one of the earliest Magic sets and instantly fell in love with the artwork. Without even knowing what the game was about, I bought the pack purely for the art.

I kept buying more sets just because I admired the artwork, even though there was no one around to play the game with me. Collecting those sets filled with amazing art probably influenced my decision to pursue this profession.

Later, while illustrating for Paizo’s Pathfinder Adventure Paths, my art director Andrew Vallas moved to Wizards of the Coast to become an AD for Magic: The Gathering. He invited me to illustrate a Phyrexian Altar for the Ultimate Masters set. I completed the piece, they were happy with it, and I’ve been working as a freelance illustrator for WotC ever since.

This is definitely the best part of working on Magic: The Gathering! We receive highly confidential concept guides that provide detailed answers and an in-depth presentation of the world we’re illustrating for.

While respecting confidentiality, I can say that the art directors really value each artist’s unique style and encourage different creative approaches within the brief.

The challenge lies in the small size of the printed card: silhouettes need to be instantly recognisable, and compositions must support the narrative while remaining dynamic. Even though we don’t always know the exact power of the card or its name in the game, our job is to create the best illustration possible.

When I was a child, the video games I played – mostly RPGs – had very primitive graphics, leaving much of the story to my imagination. This encouraged me to visualise the game’s world in my mind by studying the cover art and handbook illustrations, filling in the missing details myself. You could think of it as an organic version of Generative Fill! I believe this greatly boosted my creativity.

The ‘untold’ elements in science fiction and fantasy fuelled my imagination, and as I grew, I developed the skills to bring what I envisioned in my mind to life through illustration. While many see science fiction and fantasy as escapism, I believe they’re deeply rooted in human nature: our ongoing quest to understand the unknowns of the past, and a blueprint for how we might progress to uncover the mysteries of the future.

Working on AAA games can definitely be stressful, but at its core it’s all about teamwork. Everyone on the team needs to be fully dedicated and constantly pushing their limits.

Each person brings different strengths and weaknesses: one might be an incredible designer but a bit introverted when sharing ideas; while another might work more slowly but offer valuable feedback. The key is to highlight your teammates’ strengths and support them in areas where they struggle.

The team leader plays a crucial role by understanding each member’s abilities and assigning tasks accordingly. When these elements come together, and the team produces great work, all that’s left is to hope that the players are kind in their reception.

Before starting sketches, every concept artist should prepare a thorough moodboard. Gathering references helps your brain make connections and clarifies the character’s direction. Think of it as a set of visual hashtags. Spending as much time on the moodboard as on sketching helps ideas flow naturally. When sketching, begin with silhouettes to capture the character’s personality.

Choose dynamic poses and expressive facial features to convey mood. For example, a hand on the hip and a downward gaze can suggest assertiveness, while crossed arms may indicate resistance to new ideas. Warhammer 40,000’s Space Marines are a great example: although they wear almost identical armour and have similar roles, their body language and expressions give each soldier a distinct personality that feels real and relatable.

From a technical standpoint, use foreshortening, cast shadows and reflected light to give your characters volume and depth. Details such as clothing, armour and props should feel connected to the character’s world and their environment. Applying the Large-Medium-Small principle helps to establish a clear visual hierarchy.

I think the illustration I created for Magic: The Gathering’s Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty set, Myojin of Blooming Dawn, is the piece I’m most proud of because it allowed me to convey a cherished memory from my childhood through a fantasy illustration. When I was around seven or eight, there was a meadow between our house and school that, in springtime, was filled with waist-high flowers.

I would walk through them, surrounded by butterflies, sunshine and a gentle breeze carrying the scent of grass. That moment felt almost magical and left a lasting impression on me. While creating this illustration, I used that memory as a reference (the flowers were actually yellow), and I’m very pleased with how it turned out.

It’s a challenging field these days and it can feel intimidating at times, but as long as you truly enjoy what you’re doing, success (however you define it) will eventually follow. For aspiring concept artists, no matter what tools you use, the key is to generate original, functional ideas quickly rather than spending too much time perfecting polished but generic concepts.

I always recommend carrying a sketchbook to jot down even your wildest or seemingly silliest ideas whenever inspiration strikes. You’d be surprised how creative you can get in the most unexpected of moments and places. Illustrators should focus on storytelling and mood – these are essential.

You only have a few seconds to grab the viewer’s attention, so your piece needs to convey emotion and narrative immediately. Fundamentals like anatomy, composition and colour are crucial. Even untrained eyes can sense when something’s off, so make sure everything works in harmony to support your visual story.