When you first encounter Sorcery: Contested Realm, it’s hard to resist being drawn in by the promise that every card, regardless of its power or rarity, is a hand-painted work of art that has its own story.
With some of the world’s finest traditional artists helping breathe life into Sorcery, there’s a distinctly human creative process behind each illustration - in this case, the Helpful Hob, masterfully illustrated by Vincent Pompetti.
Freedom of Expression
Vincent has been captivated by illustration since childhood, driven by an artistic approach that’s profoundly intuitive. His process begins with spontaneous imagery sparked by Sorcery Founder and Creative Director, Erik Olofsson’s, initial prompt.
Reflecting on their collaboration, Vincent notes, “My email communication with Erik gives me a lot of motivation because he makes me feel his passion through how he gives precise feedback, but always with a lot of respect. Every time he asks me to change something, I feel even more motivated, and working with other art directors, that’s not always the dynamic! For me, Sorcery is synonymous with freedom.”
Though Vincent is no stranger to painting fantastical subjects, illustrating Helpful Hob offered him a delightful opportunity. “I just adore these creatures,” he shares, “but I don’t often have the occasion to paint them, so I was very happy when I discovered this character.”
The task of bringing the Helpful Hob to life came naturally to Vincent. “I wanted to assume the classic aspect of the Hob; he had to be very sympathetic,” he explains. “For this one, I started almost immediately, without documentation - I was very trustful. I don’t remember if the white beard was a request of Erik’s, but this detail gave him a bit of personality.”
Once the initial sketch was complete, Vincent considered how to achieve the ideal fantasy atmosphere. “I wanted a bit of green, then cold gray, and brown of the woods, to create a kind of faerie atmosphere,’ he describes.
Additionally, Erik’s brief required Helpful Hob to be someone concealed, leading Vincent to incorporate strategic ruins, branches stones into the composition, enhancing the depth and sense of scale within the illustration.
The result is an illustration that captures the charm and wonder that encourages players to hold the card up even closer to explore ever detail, perhaps even imagining their own stories about the Helpful Hob. It’s precisely this depth of storytelling through art that makes each card in Sorcery: Contested Realm a unique and memorable experience - even at the Ordinary rarity.
It’s a privilege to have artists of Vincent’s caliber contributing to Sorcery: Contested Realm and we are deeply honored to work with artists of such tremendous talent. You can connect with Vincent Pompetti directly on his Instagram, and explore our full roster of Sorcery artists on our Portfolio Page.
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