Welcome to another edition of Sketches! Again we take a look at a Betrayers card previewed by Mark Rosewater. Cunning Bandit, as a flip card, is already a special challenge for an artist, in that the art must invert as the card is flipped. But Cunning Bandit has an additional dimension -- it starts out human and ends up as a rampaging, legendary kami. But first, some background on the previous work of the artist, Paolo Parente.
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Art Description
The first step of the creation of a card’s art is its art description. The art description tells the artist what the card will do, what its flavor is, and what the mood of the illustration should be. Here were the instructions given to Paolo for Cunning Bandit:Color: Red
Location: none/doesn’t matter
Action: This is a special "flip card" that shows two different points in time (before and after) on the same card art. On one side we want you to show a rough-looking mountain bandit, and on the other side of the frame, we want to see his ghost after he has died. His ghost should be a large nonflying kami that barely resembles him. The two figures should "flow into" each other, forming a kind of backward N shape in the frame.
Focus: The bandit transforming into a disembodied tyrannizing spirit.
Mood: He’s an ambitious bandit with a great dominating spirit within him.
Next the artist submits one or more sketches with his vision of the art description.
Sketch
Here’s Paolo’s initial sketch submitted for Cunning Bandit:
Cunning Bandit sketch by Paolo Parente
We have the picture rotated to the spirit side, because that’s what changed the most from sketch to final art.
Since kami in Magic art are bizarre, alien creatures, the art team was looking for the bandit to change into something completely unrecognizable from his mortal self. Although the screaming mouth in the spirit’s chest is pretty weird, they wanted more options for that extreme transformation. So Paolo then submitted these:
Cunning Bandit sketches by Paolo Parente
Although you can see that, especially in the upper sketch, that it’s getting weirder and weirder, these still didn’t have quite the departure the art team was looking for. I mean, this is Azamaki, Treachery Incarnate we’re talking about! Paolo came through in the final art -- below you’ll see that Parente went all the way and lopped off the spirit’s head.
Final Art
Cunning Bandit final art by Paolo Parente
Here, the only thing left of Cunning Bandit is that ponytail-like appendage where Azamuki, Treachery Incarnate’s head might be. Now that is a Magic kami.
Finished Card
And here’s how you’ll see the card in its final state, in booster packs of Betrayers of Kamigawa. Get ready to flip out with ki counters (with a little help from Paolo Parente) at the prerelease!
引用元
SKETCHES: CUNNING BANDIT Posted in Arcana on January 18, 2005
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/sketches-cunning-bandit-2005-01-18
先日の記事（※１）でプレビューされた《狡猾な山賊/Cunning Bandit》のイラストに関する記事です。
反転カードは２つ分のカードを１枚に収めるという特殊さゆえに、アーティストにとっても、挑戦的なものだったようです。最初は２つのイラストを反転せずに並べてスケッチを描いたのは、当然といえば当然でしょう。
神河における神（スピリット）は異形であり、元の人間の形を留めていません。そのため、胸に大きな口をつけたり、頭を切り落とされたり、といった大胆な変化が加えられています。
最終的に、人間の時の面影は、ポニーテール（和風に言えば総髪）がスピリットの頭に付属品としてついていることだけになりました。
※１
神河当時 - 反転と他メカニズムとの組み合わせ
https://researchofkamigawa.diarynote.jp/202102122056011145/
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