Spoiler! The sidekick in question is a lovely feline named Sana, who as anyone with a cat knows, deserves all the credit. She must be doing something right, because with 12 illustrations completed to date, Anthony Avon is one of Riftweaver’s busiest artists. Tales of Fablecraft players will encounter Anthony’s landscapes and creatures as they explore the Mythan Highlands and Long Meadows. [b]Name:[/b] Anthony Avon [b]Location:[/b] Serbia [b]Artistic superpower:[/b] A nonstop schedule and a love for the work [b]Interests beyond painting:[/b] Playing drums and legos [b]Couldn't live without:[/b] Everything - family, pets, toys, job - all of it! [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//43115458/ea5e2363b3364526225b4a1d9db7352784e0af74.jpg[/img] [i]A hidden doorway in the Highland Peaks[/i] [b]CLAIRE:[/b] Can you tell us how you came to be a professional artist? [b]ANTHONY:[/b] I was lucky to get my first painting equipment as a gift because I couldn’t afford it on my own. Later I was recommended for a small studio job in my city. I took those opportunities and haven’t stopped. I started as a 2D concept artist for casual games. After four years I transferred to freelance illustration because I wanted to push my skills. Ten years later, here I am. It’s been a fun journey. [b]CLAIRE:[/b] Can you walk us through your process when working on a Fablecraft artwork, from brief through to final execution? [b]ANTHONY:[/b] A few of the most recent pieces I did very quickly. Darci (studio Creative Director) and I talked about the idea, figured out the details, checked in to see if I got the idea right, and then I got busy painting. Typically it starts with a brief. I work on some sketches, we pick one that works and maybe combine some elements, then move on to rendering. My process is usually chaotic and is rarely point A to point B. [b]CLAIRE:[/b] When you get a brief do you paint in your head before you start sketching? [b]ANTHONY:[/b] I never know exactly what the final image will be. I know what kind of elements the painting is supposed to have but the specifics are the product of what I’m currently inspired by and where the idea leads. That’s what I love about working in teams. Everything I do with Fablecraft is going to be different from my personal paintings because other people’s ideas and feedback will influence the piece. [b]CLAIRE:[/b] Early on I remember making a joke about forcing you into our bright and happy world when a lot of the work in your portfolio was darker. Though we did eventually send you back to the caves… [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//43115458/80f72095d40599012ebe179a1c877c77d883847d.jpg[/img] [i]A pathway leading into the Highland caves.[/i] [b]ANTHONY:[/b] (Laughs) I’m not only interested in dark and moody paintings. I’m happy to paint other things, too. Though I have done a couple of moody paintings for this project… [b]CLAIRE:[/b] Sometimes a player just needs a mysterious cave to explore. [b]ANTHONY:[/b] Exactly. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//43115458/cdcad537c8c0bfc22dcaaccae0ee41d6461fd7d3.jpg[/img] [i]A crossroads under in the Highland Caves. Quite mysterious. And also damp. Don’t forget a sweater.[/i] [b]CLAIRE:[/b] What are your main sources of inspiration? [b]ANTHONY:[/b] I love traditional art from the 19th century. Every time I see that work I know I have to get back to practicing. [b]CLAIRE:[/b] Do you have a favorite artist? [b]ANTHONY:[/b] It’s hard to pick one. Auberge Bernstein and Frederic Church maybe. There’s dozens. That’s the kind of work I keep as a reference even if I’m not painting anything related to it. [b]CLAIRE:[/b] What is it about those artists you like? [b]ANTHONY:[/b] It’s literally everything - the way they use color, the way they compose the paintings. Today there’s an understandable cutting of corners because of time constraints. Masters went into detail with every brush stroke. I love exploring these paintings. There’s the first reaction to the overall picture. Then you start zooming in on blades of grass and tiny flowers in the corner of the painting and it’s all done with a lot of care. I want to be able to do that with my art too. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//43115458/1f09e01b8d4fe60cdfd2984a9dda1168dc64c7df.png[/img] [i]A temple ruin found in the Long Meadows… zoom in for blades of grass.[/i] [b]CLAIRE:[/b] Talk us through one of your Fablecraft pieces. Which elements are you happiest with? What was the most challenging? [b]ANTHONY:[/b] I really liked the last mountain piece. At the time I was visiting my family in Canada. I told my Aunt that I was struggling with a painting so she suggested we go to a park. I was like, ‘no, I’m painting an underground cave, I need to go to a cave!’ So the next day we went to an actual cave. It changed my ideas of how textures and ideas came together in the painting. Direct experience is really valuable. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//43115458/0037ecc65efd7d44012fb69429bbecf81cf12d92.jpg[/img] [i]Mountain Exit - a big thanks to Anthony’s Auntie for this one![/i] [b]ANTHONY:[/b] I also really like the last painting I did - the bison illustration. It’s personal work that I’m happy you adopted. But it wouldn’t exist if I wasn’t inspired by the other creature and monster illustrations in the game. I tried to make it a love letter to the world of Mythas. [b]CLAIRE:[/b] It definitely is! And it’s crazy because in an early playtest we had this idea of a quartz buffalo migration which I know you had never even heard about. And then suddenly you had painted what was essentially a quartz buffalo! [b]ANTHONY:[/b] Yeah, I didn’t even realize that until you mentioned it later! I like to think it’s because I’m invested and understand the world. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//43115458/55822960947f66d94fd0d3cd5ced73c1aba512ef.jpg[/img] [i]Long Meadows Quartz Buffalo[/i] [b]CLAIRE:[/b] What is your favorite piece of Fablecraft work that you didn't work on? [b]ANTHONY:[/b] Aleks’ Cora picture. It’s this really iconic picture with a central figure and the ship behind her. It’s very memorable. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//43115458/c67bdf8c6e867a98f5b552bc7ef91dba787e9ee3.jpg[/img] [i]Coraline Stormsinger, Wavechaser Guardian, illustrated by Aleksandra Wojtas[/i] [b]ANTHONY:[/b] Aleks does gorgeous rendering when it comes to the characters. I was so happy we could collaborate on a piece together. We got to combine several landscapes as well as characters. That was a really special partnership. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//43115458/3b8bf737edabb426232e1feec2ba7f5aa119e854.jpg[/img] Fablecraft collaboration between Anthony Avon and Aleksandra Wojtas [b]CLAIRE:[/b] Any advice for aspiring artists out there? [b]ANTHONY:[/b] Keep practicing. This year I’ve done 100 studies - directly copying the work that I want to create and through that learning how to use color and rendering. And embrace frustration - illustration is hard, it’s difficult, it takes a long time - you have to just ignore that though. Art was a hobby for me. I only had the basic equipment, I didn’t go to art school, I didn’t have a positive attitude, I didn’t think any of this was possible for me to achieve. But if I can do it, you can do it. I’m now working with other artists at Riftweaver who have inspired me for years. When Andreas (Rocha) joined our Slack and complimented my work that was incredible! Hopefully some day I can be that person for someone else. [b]CLAIRE:[/b] Any last favorite Fablecraft pieces? [b]ANTHONY:[/b] I like the stone creatures! The gold is kind of cute. The crystal one is more serious. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//43115458/918c05f020c09ec6828f2295dd94420f9f8467ea.jpg[/img] [i]Hulking Slab[/i] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//43115458/3459e0233478533a49961e5aac234729dad900b6.jpg[/img] [i]Psychic Slab[/i] Check out more of Anthony’s work on Tales of Fablecraft, a cooperative digital tabletop roleplaying game set in the vibrant, hopeful world of Mythas. Wishlist us on Steam today! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2176900/Tales_of_Fablecraft/?utm_source=steam&utm_content=steam-update-031124