神河当時 - 《常在精神/Evermind》のスケッチ

Welcome to another edition of Sketches! Today we take a look behind the scenes of the creation of that uncastable instant from Saviors of Kamigawa, Evermind. But first, some background on the artist, Matt Thompson

Artist Portfolio
Artist Matt Thompson has contributed over twenty pieces of Magic card art since 2001’s Onslaught set. You can see his work on such cards as Root Sliver, Final Punishment, Consume Spirit, Serum Powder, Curse of the Fire Penguin, Uncontrollable Anger, and Kataki, War’s Wage, among many others.

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 Matt for Evermind:

Color: Blue
Location: Your choice
Action: This spell represents spirit-world magical spell that enables you to learn one thing "automatically" while doing another. How to represent this is up to you. For example, you could show a blue-aligned female jushi (wizard) sleeping while a weird little blue kami of your design floats above her, as though studying her. Come up with something that you think makes the most interesting/cool image.
Focus: The magical learning
Mood: It pays to be observant.
Notes: It could be abstact if that direction works better.

(Keep in mind that "Notes" field!) The next step is for the artist to submit sketches of his or her vision of the art description.

引用元
SKETCHES: EVERMIND Posted in Arcana on June 15, 2005
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/arcana/sketches-evermind-2005-06-15

《常在精神/Evermind》のスケッチを解説した記事です。
カードを引くだけの効果で、しかも普通に唱えることができないカードのアートをどう描いたのでしょうか？
アーティストへの指示書には、「何かを学んでいる時に、自動的に他のことを学ぶことができるスピリット世界の魔法」とあります。

「マナ・コストがなく唱えられず、連繫しかできない」という斬新な効果に対し、的確なフレイバーが与えられていることに感心しました。
そして、スケッチや最終稿のアートについても、腑に落ちたのです。


補足
記事として取り上げることはありませんが、神河のことが触れられているものについて、付記しておきます。

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https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/arcana/urami-token-art-2005-06-14

秘儀デッキ構築
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https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/let-your-freak-flag-fly-2005-06-14

神河ブロックのドラフト
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https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/limited-information/drafting-whole-block-2005-06-14

多人数戦で人気のカード《夜の星、黒瘴/Kokusho, the Evening Star》《師範の占い独楽/Sensei’s Divining Top》
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https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/serious-fun/too-darn-popular-2005-06-15

《海の中心、御心/Mikokoro, Center of the Sea》デッキ
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https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/mikokoro-center-sea-2005-06-15