That's the wonderful thing about art. It's something that everyone can see in a different way. Imagine if we all just hated or all just liked the entirity of the art in magic. There wouldn't be discussions or opinions or anything. I like some of Ms. Guay's art and some I don't, but that's what I like the most. I love the fact we can entrench ourselves in debates (friendly I hope) about why we do like and don't like particular works. Someone once said, there are no facts, only opinions. Art seems to bring out such passion in people. Wether it be defending their art or favorite artist(s) or offering their opinion on a particular piece.
Anywho, I just wanted to mention that in the hopes of maybe making it clear that we all will have our opinions and it's fine to share them, but hopefully we can also be respectful of our opinions and Ms. Guay as an artist.
the only reason she stays on is beacuse her fans ***** and moan when wizards lets her go.
Actually, I don't think Wizards hires artists, per se, but rather artists submit drawings whenever they want to and Wizards buys they work if they feel like it.
For the record: I heart Rebecca Guay's art. But really, she could have done a better job on Silkwing Scout.
EDIT: ugh, she did Cloud of Faeries? It's nice, but it's not her style...
I know that wizards works on commision - What I meant by that statement, is that they keep commisioning her.
As for my stance on Guay - Ive said it before, and I'll say it agian. I have NO problem with her art. Outside of Magic. She is a great traditional fantasy artist with a feminist touch.
What Cranford did, IMO, is monumnetal. Homogenizing the art, to a deree, is intergral in THE premier TCG in the world. It needs a "brand image." As it was stated before - when you look at a card, you should say, "oh, thats a magic card," not "oh, thats a avon/guay/parente piece." Cranford gave magic a true "brand image," for which he has been getting a bad rap, but I think it was a tremendous improvement over older blocks, where the same race looked different on every card.
Cards like stitch in time and other abstract pieces, while abstract, still are not out of place with the overall style of magic. They "work" per se. In fact, if jarvis keeps bringing abstract pieces that still work with the "brand" image, Ill be overjoyed.
The problem I have with Guay, is that her art is COMPLETELY different from every other artist. Pieces by guay stick out like a cow pie in a tulip field. Not only is the art "off brand," but it also doesnt fit the frames (see my old, old post about how pride of the clouds looks terrible in the frame). Removing her art from magic cards would bring the art of a set even closer together, and help the set feel like a set. Honestly - Take any other azorius card, and compare it to pride of the clouds. Just by art. I wouldn't even come close to thinking that they are from the same guild, let alone the same block.
As a side note, I hate Guay's art by itself with a passion, but I understand that some people can like it. I just cant understand how you can justify it on a magic card.
[/rationalization]
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
-THIS IS JUST A LIST- Stax, Sapphire Tri, Set Abominae, {mikeyG}, nan, glurman, JollyTheOctopuss, Sakura, Mad Mat, Johnation, Cell, Goatchunx, VerzenChaos, DarkPhoenix, EvilDuck, echelon_house
Easy: because they see it as a tulip in a field of cow pie.
Also, if you say Cranford is getting bad rap, then he must be doing something people don't agree with. Just because you agree with him but others don't, this doesn't make your interpretation of should be in a magic card correct. Magic was the #1 card game before the homogenzied/boring art; it became #1 with truly differing art from several artists. In saying that art has been instrumental in making the game a success, and the fact that "Cranform gets a bad rap", then the homogenous art was a bad idea. This is why Wizards still hires her -- people buy the cards because of her. It is because of artists like her that the game is as big as it is today.
Meh. I'm a design student. Simply put, pride of the clouds (as a single example) is a design abomination. The art itself is fine. My point still is, she doesnt fit with the "Magic" image. And she never will. Thankfully, her name only shows up 3 times in the orb for TS. Thank God. Or Satan.
Edit - Oh, and about the Cranford getting a bad rap bit - its beacuse Guay's fans are so damned vocal , and supporters of cranford (such as myself) usually arent, that he gets a bad rap. he was an amazing art director.
Edit 2 - Oh, and put conclave equenaut next to Benevolent Ancestor and Freewind Equenaut, and tell me which two look most similar. Terise may have a somewhat similar style, but her work fits in to the MTG frame far better. Once again, my argument with guay has nothing ot do with the quality of the art (which i personally hate) but that the art doesnt fit with the brand, or the frame, for that matter. And now im off to bed.
Yay! a well-constructed, intelligent reply to my argument
I can see where you're coming from. And i do agree - to an extent. variety is essential (I am, in fact, a hardcore vorthos) and contributes to both player appeal and the flavor of the game. BUT, where we don't agree, is exactly HOW diverse the art should be. Avon - RK Post - Briclot - Nielsen - Boros/Sziszkai - Parente is about as diverse as i want magic to be. While they all have distinct styles, they all have several things in "common" - similar color palettes (to some extent), shading, highlighting, even the defenition of the subject of the piece in contrast to the background. While sure, the argument can be made that nielsen's art is similar to guay's, it is actuaqlly far more "magic-esque" see cards like FoW, Aku djinn, the 7th edition Glorious Anthem.
IMO, guay's art is too out-there, in contrast to every other magic artist. Her art uses a washed-out palette, unlike the rich, saturated pallette used by the other artists. Her subjects tend to fade into the art. But worst of all, her color pallette directly clashes with the 8th ed. frames (particularly the gold frames, where the colored pinstripe draws your attention, you can see how "off" her art is.)
I will give, that her art was - acceptable - in the old frames. Those used a softer pallette, and allowed for a larger variety of art. Heck, back then I didnt even complain about guay. But, with the new frames, I think her art has "lost its fit."
Points in brief
-Varitey is good, but too much variety skews the "product image."
-Guay's art no longer fits from a design perspective.
-Therefore, Guay must go. And do things for DnD, beacuse she can do one hell of a wood nymph.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
-THIS IS JUST A LIST- Stax, Sapphire Tri, Set Abominae, {mikeyG}, nan, glurman, JollyTheOctopuss, Sakura, Mad Mat, Johnation, Cell, Goatchunx, VerzenChaos, DarkPhoenix, EvilDuck, echelon_house
Yay! a well-constructed, intelligent reply to my argument
I can see where you're coming from. And i do agree - to an extent. variety is essential (I am, in fact, a hardcore vorthos) and contributes to both player appeal and the flavor of the game. BUT, where we don't agree, is exactly HOW diverse the art should be. Avon - RK Post - Briclot - Nielsen - Boros/Sziszkai - Parente is about as diverse as i want magic to be. While they all have distinct styles, they all have several things in "common" - similar color palettes (to some extent), shading, highlighting, even the defenition of the subject of the piece in contrast to the background. While sure, the argument can be made that nielsen's art is similar to guay's, it is actuaqlly far more "magic-esque" see cards like FoW, Aku djinn, the 7th edition Glorious Anthem.
IMO, guay's art is too out-there, in contrast to every other magic artist. Her art uses a washed-out palette, unlike the rich, saturated pallette used by the other artists. Her subjects tend to fade into the art. But worst of all, her color pallette directly clashes with the 8th ed. frames (particularly the gold frames, where the colored pinstripe draws your attention, you can see how "off" her art is.)
I will give, that her art was - acceptable - in the old frames. Those used a softer pallette, and allowed for a larger variety of art. Heck, back then I didnt even complain about guay. But, with the new frames, I think her art has "lost its fit."
Points in brief
-Varitey is good, but too much variety skews the "product image."
-Guay's art no longer fits from a design perspective.
-Therefore, Guay must go. And do things for DnD, beacuse she can do one hell of a wood nymph.
I completely disagree. Guay's art is probably the most eye-catching and unique out of all the long-time MTG artists. When you look at a card you've never seen before that has Guay's art, you will most likely knew she illustrated it without even looking at the bottom. Also, Guay's art doesnt "Skew the product image" since she is usually assigned to white/green/blue cards wich are, more "peaceful", having only done 13 black/red/gold colors involving b/r card illustrations.
I completely disagree. Guay's art is probably the most eye-catching and unique out of all the long-time MTG artists. When you look at a card you've never seen before that has Guay's art, you will most likely knew she illustrated it without even looking at the bottom. Also, Guay's art doesnt "Skew the product image" since she is usually assigned to white/green/blue cards wich are, more "peaceful", having only done 13 black/red/gold colors involving b/r card illustrations.
And I completely disagree. birclot's flames of the blood hand is eye catching. guay's art, in a magic frame, is like wearing day-glo. :/ Like I said,oetake any other two artists side by side, and there will be some similarity in their pieces. Even other green/white cards have a style that matches cards in other colors. Guay's just doesnt fit.
Way to completely circumvent my argument though - you seem to be unable to understand that her art may be eye catching to you, but is it BAD DESIGN IN A MAGIC FRAME.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
-THIS IS JUST A LIST- Stax, Sapphire Tri, Set Abominae, {mikeyG}, nan, glurman, JollyTheOctopuss, Sakura, Mad Mat, Johnation, Cell, Goatchunx, VerzenChaos, DarkPhoenix, EvilDuck, echelon_house
I think, after all - it's a matter of taste (though your design arguments are pretty convincing)... I can understand your reasoning very well - especially, when I see something like Silkwing Scout. Hopefully she'll adjust her art-style a bit to fit the new frames better... If her art has saturated colours, fitting the frame - like Hana Kami or with a decently chosen contrast colour, like in Blessing of Leeches, her art fits like a charm.
PS: You're sooo right on the D&D thing
Heck yes She can illustrate all the DnD Wizard's pays her to. There, its damn fine. Nothing conveys a nymph like Guay.
Hana Kami is borderline for me - By far her best piece in the new frame. If only more of her art looked like that, and it was less "grainy" - for lack of a better term - I would complain much less. But, in contrast, all of her dissention work made me cry. in the bad way :/
yeh know - had she used a deeper blue, and a more golden-yellow on pride, it would be acceptable. maybe later ill shop it up
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
-THIS IS JUST A LIST- Stax, Sapphire Tri, Set Abominae, {mikeyG}, nan, glurman, JollyTheOctopuss, Sakura, Mad Mat, Johnation, Cell, Goatchunx, VerzenChaos, DarkPhoenix, EvilDuck, echelon_house
I enjoy Rebecca Guay's art. I like how it stands out from the other artisits.
=X *Resists the urge to comment*
So, has any of her art been revealed yet? I DO think she will have trouble fitting into the techno-mage of the apocalypse theme TS seems to have. (see the mage on grapeshot)
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
-THIS IS JUST A LIST- Stax, Sapphire Tri, Set Abominae, {mikeyG}, nan, glurman, JollyTheOctopuss, Sakura, Mad Mat, Johnation, Cell, Goatchunx, VerzenChaos, DarkPhoenix, EvilDuck, echelon_house
So, I've heard there's a fair amount of animosity towards Rebecca Guay in the Magic community. I'm just wondering, what's the deal there? Is it something she did, or do people dislike her artwork?
Personally, she's my favorite artist (based purely on artwork). I love all of her cards, and have been pseudo collecting her cards since I first saw the DCI Path to Exile.
URGImperial AnimarGRU BRGProssh, Tokenmaker of KherGRB WURNarset NostalgicRUW UBR"I like your deck better" JelevaRBU UBlue BraidsU GAzusa, Lost but RampingG
WUHanna, Pillowfort's NavigatorUW WBRAleshacratsBRW UBRGrixis Pew PewRBU URGYasova the ThreateningGRU BGGlissa the ArticiferGB WUSygg MerfolkUW RSquee, Value NabobR
lots of people have an inherent dislike for pure watercolor art, which is her specialty. Yes, her art is amazing, but it's not my first choice for art when it comes to heavily reprinted cards, i own exactly one Path with her art, the rest are from Conflux.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Ravarshi Kashaku, Ancient Dragon of the Darkened Realms;
The Merciless Lord of Torture, Permanently Bound To: ">[THE PACK] 11/5/63 - 11/25/09 Goodbye mom, i'll always love you...
I think her art is very much love/hate, based on whether you prefer actual paintings or the sharp digital art of Briclot, Swanland & co. Her style is also probably more attractive to people who've been playing since the 90s, when digital art wasn't really a thing.
Any statements much stronger than those feel empty, art being a matter of opinion and all.
I like the good ol' days when there was artistic media variation on all the cards even within a set.
There's talk about how Magic is all "that digital colored ****," and how that's soulless or other vague naysaying. Well, maybe, maybe not; I think Rebecca's art should be understood after making this observation:
I think the move away from the variation of the pre-Mirrodin cards has gone alongside the changes in the eras of Magic design, outlined by Rosewater. As the coherent unit of design became larger, the needs for unity in presentation of that unit increased grew in scope. So, an unstated effect exists, of wanting all the cards to have the same art style.
Cards had to look homogeneous if sets were to tell stories in blocks. I can only assume that the shift to interblock design and beyond , if my analysis here is right, cemented the uniformity of Magic cards as a working assumption. That is, the game direction is definitely working with an assumption now, consciously or not, of this "Magic art style" - which would be whatever it would be - that unifies all cards told in the same multiverse.
Rebecca just happens to suffer, if anything, from watercolor being the uncommon medium. I think it's the difference itself, not the work being unliked.
And that, for those who dislike reading for comprehension, is a criticism of how her material is employed - so, the Art Director, I guess - not of players. OTOH, I don't often hear these criticisms played straight nowadays. I only know of 'the joke' that Rebecca Guay's art is hated. Personally I loved her touch on Lorwyn.
But see, maybe this shift in art direction for sets and blocks need not imply the uniformity of all cards for all time. I simply envision the alternate world, where cards go back to the old way, of being presented in some stylistically appropriate, and expressive manner, for the one card; for the 'art' to tell a story of a <spell in itself> (Zauberspruch an sich :p).
The internal art guide for the blocks could not be discarded, but would have to fulfill a different objective. A meta-cohesion, giving direction, rather than cohesion strict. Perhaps the altogether more rewarding task for visionary Art Directors, not to have sets fall apart presented like this.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Epic banner by Erasmus of æтђєг.
Awesome avatar provided by Krashbot @ [Epic Graphics].
I LOVE her artwork. Not because her art is amazing... I mean it is but that's not why she is my favorite, but it's because when I open a pack there is a lot of brilliant art and then there is hers, which is both amazing and then just completely different than anything else in the pack.
Thanks for the comments everyone. I seem to recall hearing tell of her being somewhat uncooperative with Wizards, or demanding some unsavory amount money, or generally being a ***** to people, but I'm glad to hear that was just some silly hearsay that I can ignore. I had expected a lot of people to dislike her style when compared to the more modern digital style (which, don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying). I guess I personally enjoy not only the aesthetics, but, like Koopa said, just the way that it stands out. The badass new digital art makes me feel like I'm playing a new video game or watching some high budget film, but...Guay makes me feel like I'm reading King Arthur, and he's been my hero since I was two.
I love her work as well, and am a bit sad some of the old skool artists like herself just aren't around as much. She's VERY nice in person as well.
I'm really glad to hear that, I'd die for a chance to end up at an event where she was the guest artist. So far I've only met Daarken, RK Post, and Matt Stewart (twice).
Wouldn't mind meeting Briclot either; I've got two full pages of foil walkers I need him to sign.
URGImperial AnimarGRU BRGProssh, Tokenmaker of KherGRB WURNarset NostalgicRUW UBR"I like your deck better" JelevaRBU UBlue BraidsU GAzusa, Lost but RampingG
WUHanna, Pillowfort's NavigatorUW WBRAleshacratsBRW UBRGrixis Pew PewRBU URGYasova the ThreateningGRU BGGlissa the ArticiferGB WUSygg MerfolkUW RSquee, Value NabobR
I always loved her art as well, even collected her cards for a short time and helped a friend collect all of the cards she had drawn art for (Booy am I kicking myself for not buying out SCGs when I purchased a Sea Drake for my friend for about $1 :mad:).
It's kind of sad that she hasn't had any new art since M10 (Can't remember if PtE came before or after that card). Now, I don't think her art belonged in Mirrodin, but I think it could certainly fit well in Innistrad, especially on some of the spirit cards. I could almost mistake Lost in the Mist or Full Moon's Rise for one of her's at first glance. (I've mistaken Terese Nielsen's art for Guay's art several times in the past. If Nielsen still gets to do art, Guay should too).
I don't really think Guay is the kind of artist you either love or hate, nor is she someone whose work can only be enjoyed if you've played Magic since Revised. Like virtually every other artist who has illustrated more than a handful of cards, Guay's done good work and bad. A lot of times it depends on what she's painting. Just like John Avon, Guay gets assigned lots of similar cards, so they all come out looking alike. If you enjoy her work and can overlook the similarity, there's no problem.
I have to admit that I like art where the artist is taken out of their comfort zone. Cards like Keldon Mantle, Oboro Breezecaller, and Hair-Strung Koto are some of my favorites because it's not the stuff she usually does. It shows that she can do more than paint pale chicks looking sad for no reason (which used to be Chippy's job too, but I guess Jason Chan works cheaper so they let him do it now), and that's what Magic art should do once an artist has illustrated so many cards.
Some of her cards do transcend the niche she fills. Angelic Renewal is one of my favorite illustrations, and that's about as Guay as you can get.
Generally Art Directors will assign artwork to particular artists based on their individual strengths. Which is why John Avon & Rob Alexander do a lot of landscapes & Rebecca Guay always got the faeries, merfolk, angels, flowy things, etc. And from what I understand all artists get paid the same flat rate for Magic art regardless of their style.
I love Rebecca Guay's work and am certain we'll see her again in MTG when the theme permits it.
I love Rebecca Guay's work and am certain we'll see her again in MTG when the theme permits it.
Yeah, I can see that. We're sort of in the middle of a low-fantasy block now, not a lot of room for her more colorful stuff. It has to be all dark and broody and Twilighty. I would have loved to see her chosen to do the art for Garruk 2, Chandra 3, and Jace 3.
URGImperial AnimarGRU BRGProssh, Tokenmaker of KherGRB WURNarset NostalgicRUW UBR"I like your deck better" JelevaRBU UBlue BraidsU GAzusa, Lost but RampingG
WUHanna, Pillowfort's NavigatorUW WBRAleshacratsBRW UBRGrixis Pew PewRBU URGYasova the ThreateningGRU BGGlissa the ArticiferGB WUSygg MerfolkUW RSquee, Value NabobR
let me put an end to the debate as a huge rebecca fan and supporter. there was a time with the previous art directoor where her art was going to be phased out of Magic as he didnt see a place for it. since rebecca has legions of rabid fans (like myself), they flooded WOTC AD with disapproval and thankfully they caved. then WOTC had a new man in charge at AD, the very smart and competant Jeremy Jarvis, who appreciates the stle and work that rebecca does-they have trying to fit her art into another set but i think the choice is in her camp now as she is just to busy doing illustration for books and such to have the time to fit in new cards. my guess? the magic world will be honored to see more of her work in future sets when she has the time!
And from what I understand all artists get paid the same flat rate for Magic art regardless of their style.
Payment doesn't have to do with style, and the flat rate might be true of relatively new artists, but definitely wasn't when Guay and numerous others came on board during the First Artist Shift back in mid to late 1996. I've heard stories from artists who worked for free, to the oft-whispered anecdote about $10,000 for a single comissioned painting.
Unless Guay is hard up for work (which I doubt), there's no reason for her to pitch in more than an occasional Magic piece.
Yeah, I can see that. We're sort of in the middle of a low-fantasy block now, not a lot of room for her more colorful stuff. It has to be all dark and broody and Twilighty. I would have loved to see her chosen to do the art for Garruk 2, Chandra 3, and Jace 3.
I'm kinda of the opinion that this is the perfect time for her art. Kind of like in shadowmoore, there's always room for beauty in dark places.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Anywho, I just wanted to mention that in the hopes of maybe making it clear that we all will have our opinions and it's fine to share them, but hopefully we can also be respectful of our opinions and Ms. Guay as an artist.
My Help Desk My MySpace My Playmat Artwork My Blog My Yuwie Page
DCI Ranking Constructed High - 2237 Current - 1967
MTGSalvation 1st Annual Charity Altered Art Event!
*signature courtesy of Unkle-J talents!
Actually, I don't think Wizards hires artists, per se, but rather artists submit drawings whenever they want to and Wizards buys they work if they feel like it.
For the record: I heart Rebecca Guay's art. But really, she could have done a better job on Silkwing Scout.
EDIT: ugh, she did Cloud of Faeries? It's nice, but it's not her style...
As for my stance on Guay - Ive said it before, and I'll say it agian. I have NO problem with her art. Outside of Magic. She is a great traditional fantasy artist with a feminist touch.
What Cranford did, IMO, is monumnetal. Homogenizing the art, to a deree, is intergral in THE premier TCG in the world. It needs a "brand image." As it was stated before - when you look at a card, you should say, "oh, thats a magic card," not "oh, thats a avon/guay/parente piece." Cranford gave magic a true "brand image," for which he has been getting a bad rap, but I think it was a tremendous improvement over older blocks, where the same race looked different on every card.
Cards like stitch in time and other abstract pieces, while abstract, still are not out of place with the overall style of magic. They "work" per se. In fact, if jarvis keeps bringing abstract pieces that still work with the "brand" image, Ill be overjoyed.
The problem I have with Guay, is that her art is COMPLETELY different from every other artist. Pieces by guay stick out like a cow pie in a tulip field. Not only is the art "off brand," but it also doesnt fit the frames (see my old, old post about how pride of the clouds looks terrible in the frame). Removing her art from magic cards would bring the art of a set even closer together, and help the set feel like a set. Honestly - Take any other azorius card, and compare it to pride of the clouds. Just by art. I wouldn't even come close to thinking that they are from the same guild, let alone the same block.
As a side note, I hate Guay's art by itself with a passion, but I understand that some people can like it. I just cant understand how you can justify it on a magic card.
[/rationalization]
Also, if you say Cranford is getting bad rap, then he must be doing something people don't agree with. Just because you agree with him but others don't, this doesn't make your interpretation of should be in a magic card correct. Magic was the #1 card game before the homogenzied/boring art; it became #1 with truly differing art from several artists. In saying that art has been instrumental in making the game a success, and the fact that "Cranform gets a bad rap", then the homogenous art was a bad idea. This is why Wizards still hires her -- people buy the cards because of her. It is because of artists like her that the game is as big as it is today.
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
Edit - Oh, and about the Cranford getting a bad rap bit - its beacuse Guay's fans are so damned vocal , and supporters of cranford (such as myself) usually arent, that he gets a bad rap. he was an amazing art director.
Edit 2 - Oh, and put conclave equenaut next to Benevolent Ancestor and Freewind Equenaut, and tell me which two look most similar. Terise may have a somewhat similar style, but her work fits in to the MTG frame far better. Once again, my argument with guay has nothing ot do with the quality of the art (which i personally hate) but that the art doesnt fit with the brand, or the frame, for that matter. And now im off to bed.
I can see where you're coming from. And i do agree - to an extent. variety is essential (I am, in fact, a hardcore vorthos) and contributes to both player appeal and the flavor of the game. BUT, where we don't agree, is exactly HOW diverse the art should be. Avon - RK Post - Briclot - Nielsen - Boros/Sziszkai - Parente is about as diverse as i want magic to be. While they all have distinct styles, they all have several things in "common" - similar color palettes (to some extent), shading, highlighting, even the defenition of the subject of the piece in contrast to the background. While sure, the argument can be made that nielsen's art is similar to guay's, it is actuaqlly far more "magic-esque" see cards like FoW, Aku djinn, the 7th edition Glorious Anthem.
IMO, guay's art is too out-there, in contrast to every other magic artist. Her art uses a washed-out palette, unlike the rich, saturated pallette used by the other artists. Her subjects tend to fade into the art. But worst of all, her color pallette directly clashes with the 8th ed. frames (particularly the gold frames, where the colored pinstripe draws your attention, you can see how "off" her art is.)
I will give, that her art was - acceptable - in the old frames. Those used a softer pallette, and allowed for a larger variety of art. Heck, back then I didnt even complain about guay. But, with the new frames, I think her art has "lost its fit."
Points in brief
-Varitey is good, but too much variety skews the "product image."
-Guay's art no longer fits from a design perspective.
-Therefore, Guay must go. And do things for DnD, beacuse she can do one hell of a wood nymph.
I completely disagree. Guay's art is probably the most eye-catching and unique out of all the long-time MTG artists. When you look at a card you've never seen before that has Guay's art, you will most likely knew she illustrated it without even looking at the bottom. Also, Guay's art doesnt "Skew the product image" since she is usually assigned to white/green/blue cards wich are, more "peaceful", having only done 13 black/red/gold colors involving b/r card illustrations.
And I completely disagree. birclot's flames of the blood hand is eye catching. guay's art, in a magic frame, is like wearing day-glo. :/ Like I said,oetake any other two artists side by side, and there will be some similarity in their pieces. Even other green/white cards have a style that matches cards in other colors. Guay's just doesnt fit.
Way to completely circumvent my argument though - you seem to be unable to understand that her art may be eye catching to you, but is it BAD DESIGN IN A MAGIC FRAME.
Heck yes She can illustrate all the DnD Wizard's pays her to. There, its damn fine. Nothing conveys a nymph like Guay.
Hana Kami is borderline for me - By far her best piece in the new frame. If only more of her art looked like that, and it was less "grainy" - for lack of a better term - I would complain much less. But, in contrast, all of her dissention work made me cry. in the bad way :/
yeh know - had she used a deeper blue, and a more golden-yellow on pride, it would be acceptable. maybe later ill shop it up
Superannuated canines are immune to indoctrination and innovative maneuvers.
=X *Resists the urge to comment*
So, has any of her art been revealed yet? I DO think she will have trouble fitting into the techno-mage of the apocalypse theme TS seems to have. (see the mage on grapeshot)
Personally, she's my favorite artist (based purely on artwork). I love all of her cards, and have been pseudo collecting her cards since I first saw the DCI Path to Exile.
So, what's going on with that?
Living End Contributor and Enthusiast
Come Pucatrade with me
Rules Advisor
Modern: BRGLiving EndGRB
Legacy: UBGShardless BUGGBU
BRGProssh, Tokenmaker of KherGRB
WURNarset NostalgicRUW
UBR"I like your deck better" JelevaRBU
UBlue BraidsU
GAzusa, Lost but RampingG
WBRAleshacratsBRW
UBRGrixis Pew PewRBU
URGYasova the ThreateningGRU
BGGlissa the ArticiferGB
WUSygg MerfolkUW
RSquee, Value NabobR
The Merciless Lord of Torture, Permanently Bound To: ">[THE PACK] 11/5/63 - 11/25/09 Goodbye mom, i'll always love you...
Tibalt & His Devils vs. Avacyn's Inquisitors
My EDH decklists
Any statements much stronger than those feel empty, art being a matter of opinion and all.
There's talk about how Magic is all "that digital colored ****," and how that's soulless or other vague naysaying. Well, maybe, maybe not; I think Rebecca's art should be understood after making this observation:
I think the move away from the variation of the pre-Mirrodin cards has gone alongside the changes in the eras of Magic design, outlined by Rosewater. As the coherent unit of design became larger, the needs for unity in presentation of that unit
increasedgrew in scope. So, an unstated effect exists, of wanting all the cards to have the same art style.Cards had to look homogeneous if sets were to tell stories in blocks. I can only assume that the shift to interblock design and beyond , if my analysis here is right, cemented the uniformity of Magic cards as a working assumption. That is, the game direction is definitely working with an assumption now, consciously or not, of this "Magic art style" - which would be whatever it would be - that unifies all cards told in the same multiverse.
Rebecca just happens to suffer, if anything, from watercolor being the uncommon medium. I think it's the difference itself, not the work being unliked.
And that, for those who dislike reading for comprehension, is a criticism of how her material is employed - so, the Art Director, I guess - not of players. OTOH, I don't often hear these criticisms played straight nowadays. I only know of 'the joke' that Rebecca Guay's art is hated. Personally I loved her touch on Lorwyn.
But see, maybe this shift in art direction for sets and blocks need not imply the uniformity of all cards for all time. I simply envision the alternate world, where cards go back to the old way, of being presented in some stylistically appropriate, and expressive manner, for the one card; for the 'art' to tell a story of a <spell in itself> (Zauberspruch an sich :p).
The internal art guide for the blocks could not be discarded, but would have to fulfill a different objective. A meta-cohesion, giving direction, rather than cohesion strict. Perhaps the altogether more rewarding task for visionary Art Directors, not to have sets fall apart presented like this.
Awesome avatar provided by Krashbot @ [Epic Graphics].
BGStandard Green AggroGB
UWRGModern Saheeli CobraGRWU
UBRGLegacy StormGRBU
Wizards Certified Rules Advisor
I'm really glad to hear that, I'd die for a chance to end up at an event where she was the guest artist. So far I've only met Daarken, RK Post, and Matt Stewart (twice).
Wouldn't mind meeting Briclot either; I've got two full pages of foil walkers I need him to sign.
Living End Contributor and Enthusiast
Come Pucatrade with me
Rules Advisor
Modern: BRGLiving EndGRB
Legacy: UBGShardless BUGGBU
BRGProssh, Tokenmaker of KherGRB
WURNarset NostalgicRUW
UBR"I like your deck better" JelevaRBU
UBlue BraidsU
GAzusa, Lost but RampingG
WBRAleshacratsBRW
UBRGrixis Pew PewRBU
URGYasova the ThreateningGRU
BGGlissa the ArticiferGB
WUSygg MerfolkUW
RSquee, Value NabobR
It's kind of sad that she hasn't had any new art since M10 (Can't remember if PtE came before or after that card). Now, I don't think her art belonged in Mirrodin, but I think it could certainly fit well in Innistrad, especially on some of the spirit cards. I could almost mistake Lost in the Mist or Full Moon's Rise for one of her's at first glance. (I've mistaken Terese Nielsen's art for Guay's art several times in the past. If Nielsen still gets to do art, Guay should too).
Trades
Pucatrade with me!
(Signature courtesy of Argetlam of Hakai Studios
I have to admit that I like art where the artist is taken out of their comfort zone. Cards like Keldon Mantle, Oboro Breezecaller, and Hair-Strung Koto are some of my favorites because it's not the stuff she usually does. It shows that she can do more than paint pale chicks looking sad for no reason (which used to be Chippy's job too, but I guess Jason Chan works cheaper so they let him do it now), and that's what Magic art should do once an artist has illustrated so many cards.
Some of her cards do transcend the niche she fills. Angelic Renewal is one of my favorite illustrations, and that's about as Guay as you can get.
I love Rebecca Guay's work and am certain we'll see her again in MTG when the theme permits it.
Yeah, I can see that. We're sort of in the middle of a low-fantasy block now, not a lot of room for her more colorful stuff. It has to be all dark and broody and Twilighty. I would have loved to see her chosen to do the art for Garruk 2, Chandra 3, and Jace 3.
Living End Contributor and Enthusiast
Come Pucatrade with me
Rules Advisor
Modern: BRGLiving EndGRB
Legacy: UBGShardless BUGGBU
BRGProssh, Tokenmaker of KherGRB
WURNarset NostalgicRUW
UBR"I like your deck better" JelevaRBU
UBlue BraidsU
GAzusa, Lost but RampingG
WBRAleshacratsBRW
UBRGrixis Pew PewRBU
URGYasova the ThreateningGRU
BGGlissa the ArticiferGB
WUSygg MerfolkUW
RSquee, Value NabobR
Payment doesn't have to do with style, and the flat rate might be true of relatively new artists, but definitely wasn't when Guay and numerous others came on board during the First Artist Shift back in mid to late 1996. I've heard stories from artists who worked for free, to the oft-whispered anecdote about $10,000 for a single comissioned painting.
Unless Guay is hard up for work (which I doubt), there's no reason for her to pitch in more than an occasional Magic piece.
I'm kinda of the opinion that this is the perfect time for her art. Kind of like in shadowmoore, there's always room for beauty in dark places.