Card Art of the Week (CAotW)

[Digital Jedi]

This is another one of those ideas I've been meaning to follow through on. Periodically, I'll be posting enlarged scans of Yu-Gi-Oh! Card art (and possibly other card games) to give everyone a closer more detailed view of some of the beautiful artwork that we have in this game(s).

The selections will not be any paticular order or theme, simply artwork that I think is striking and deserving of a closer look. It will also be based largely on what I have in my collection. (So, mostly commons. :morphjar)

Images will be 300 DPI, so be Dial-Up users beware. Feel free to comment.
EDIT: Images have been reduced to a smaller, yet still clear, 150 DPI.

 

[Digital Jedi]

Element Magician

Near as I can tell, the Element Monsters appear to all have the same artist. There is something in the color scheming and line art that is just too similar to be more then one artist. Element Magician is the one Element Monster that captures my eye every time I look through my commons. Anatomically, she's perfectly rendered. But aside from form, she also has poise. Her hands, finger tips and feet are expertly foreshortened and look as if she is skillfully and painstakingly engaging in a complex magical ritual. The Manga style is clearly represented, but the Western influences are dominant in the choice of pose and color scheme. The digitally added elemental symbols fully compliment the picture rather the overshadow it. This magician seems genuinely steeped in a powerful conjure. Put simply, she is beautiful.

 

[Digital Jedi]

Shadowknight Archfiend

Dark alley, lighted alley, sister's bedroom, coffee shop, it doesnt really matter where one might possibly run into this creature, it's not something you would ever want to see in real life. As notorious as Konami is for editing its Western card art, it's uncertain if Shadowknight Archfiend has suffered the same fate of censorship as many of its Fiend counterparts. In spite of that, I have to say he is still one formidable piece of artwork. One that evokes the impression of power, evil and a rich back story. His bladed hands look not only razor sharp, but searing hot, as if what ever he slices melts like a heated knife through butter. His dead face is contrasted with glowing red eyes giving one the impression of deep-seated, but very alive evil. Flowing black hair further contrasts the exaggerated ridges of his finely chiseled bone face, adding additional "life", or perhaps more accurately, "presence" to an otherwise lifeless countenance. The bone colored armor additionally suggests that this knight of shadow is more living-bone then flesh concealed by armor. This is not a uniform, this is the entity in its entirety. Adding wings to this creature only heightens the sense of terror he inspires. Would one really want to see this creature flying down from the darkened night sky? Perhaps only his eyes and blades casting minimal light across his undead features. One has to wonder what this creature would sound like. Is he a silent killer, or does he shriek an ungodly sound from ebon shadows? One thing is certain. His presence does not signify benevolence. When you see him, you know someone is going to die.

 

[Digital Jedi]

The Big March of Animals w/ Text

What the hay, it's technically a new day. And who says Card Art of the Day has to be "1" card of the day? :biggrin_j

We did this a few months back in Cameron's thread on card families. I thought it would make a nice addition here as a lot of our new members haven't seen it yet. I don't have a lot to say about this card other then the fact that it must have been painstaking and my hats off to the artist for capturing the monsters accurately and researching their scale relationships to each other. It's very enlightening to know that Behemoth the King of all animals is truly The King of all Animals. No wonder his Roar is Threatening. :wink_jedi We still are uncertain on some of the sillouetted monsters. Feel free to speculate at your leisure on the big march of animals.

 

[Digital Jedi]

The Big March of Animals - Sans Text

 

[Digital Jedi]

Nanobreaker

Nanobreaker has a very "Ghost in the Shell" feel to her and I suspect she is another one of those characters tied in to a Konami video game somewhere that I don't know about. The impression I get from her is a woman of authority, perhaps a futuristic special forces policewomen or guardian of a cybernetic domain. Her sword is contrasting in two ways. The hilt is reminiscent of the Witchblade gauntlet, a grayish twisted bone texture that is oddly malleable looking with encrusted cobalt jewels along one side. From the bottom up, it starts to take on the form of a club or bat, then abruptly spews forth from the hilt as a curvilinear and ungainly white blade. The shape of the sword itself looks as if it where made for paring or eviscerating its target. All in all, a stark contrast to the high tech armor that protects most of her vital organs. The one big demarcation from being totally mystical in origin are the pulses of red energy swirling about the shaft of the blade. They appear digital in origin and add that finishing touch that gives the picture its neo-gothic manifestation. Her face is beautiful, yet there is a hardness to her brown eyes, a sense of rigidity about her, as if she's done this job for far too long and longer then her age suggests. The small glimpse her armor gives us of her abdominal muscles insinuates great physical strength in addition to whatever augmentation the armor gives her. The swirling mist around her techno-oriented name says to me that her battles are not fought on a physical plane, but in some kind of cyber realm. Whatever a Nanobreaker does, based on the accoutrements, it looks like it is a job for only the deeply committed and the strong of heart. This woman is beautiful because there appears to be purpose in her being. It is not one that she necessarily would have chosen for herself, but it is one that she is resigned to seeing through to the end.

 

[Digital Jedi]

Robotic Knight

If any of you have ever read an L. Frank Baum book, then you'll know he had a fondness for creating mechanical men. The Wizard of Oz's Tin Man was his first creations like that, and he later expanded on the concept in the book Ozma of Oz with the character of Tic-Toc. Robotic Knight reminds me of Tic-Toc somewhat, as that character was an actual machine man made of copper that needed to be manually wound up at each limb, joint and even head, otherwise those respective parts world stop working. While I don't think Robotic Knight suffers from such a serious design flaw, he certainly carries with him that quality that I saw in Baum's Copper Man. Tic-Toc had a certain old world British charm to his character. I remember reading the story years ago and imagining him with a very proper English accent, very well mannered and groomed (for a robot with a built in handlebar mustache). Robotic Knight would be Tic Toc after some extreme weight training, about thirty years in the Queen's Navy and an Oprah makeover. The design is clearly modeled after a 17th century naval uniform, with tubing and finishes cleverly placed to give the impression of medallions and naval ordinance. His design requires his posture to be at constant attention, ever vigilant for the Machine King he serves. Is that, perhaps, a webbed net of infrared lasers he stands guard in front of? Possibly guarding the entrance to the Machine Kings chambers or castle? His trusty cutlass at his side, he no doubt makes short work of any foes who oppose him in close combat. Provided they can even get that close. That left forearm bears a striking resemblance to a built-in Gatlin repeater. Whatever it is, I'm fairly certain it is not anything innocuous as a left hand. The color scheme is brilliant as far as I'm concerned. I personally cannot make orange work on a robotic type. The artist is yet anther Yu-Gi-Oh! artist with a supreme grasp of color coordination. I just keep wondering if his hat can come off. I would be curious to see if there were some other offensive use for the large "feathered" cap.

 

[Jathro]

Well said, DJ. On all cards. I should've given you kudos earlier in fact

My favorite thing about Robotic Knight is his averted gaze, almost as if something has caught his attention. His body stands firm, yet he looks poised and ready for combat. The head turned to the right gives him a heroic pose that makes him look ready to take care of whatever is happening that got his attention.

 

[Digital Jedi]

He does sort of have that gaze you would see on naval artwork of the 17th century. I half expect him to put one foot up on something and his hands on his hips. lol. Thanks Jathro.

 

[Digital Jedi]

Hibikime

I am not a big fan of Normal Monster artwork from Metal Raiders and on back. Certain backgrounds and color schemes were unnecessarily overused and some pictures seemed forcibly drawn to fit their titles. Yet Hibikime, while still somewhat following that thematic, strikes me like no other Normal Monster. One cannot tell exactly what to make of this fragile looking creature. On the one hand, she looks innocuous with her frail arms and pale complexion. You cannot tell if she is playing the large musical note in her hand or if she is simply cradling it like a beloved memoir. On the other hand, she seems to be half smiling, aware and yet cautious of your presence. Her eyes are shaded, tired, but your certain she sees you. It is said that she "confuses enemy monsters with a noise that is harsh to the ears." I can't help but wonder if the sound she makes is from her own throat or from the large musical note resting across her shoulder. Is it a large musical instrument, or does the scythed end of that note signify it is less innocuous then its bearer? Half music and half sickle, I'm inclined to believe that's the reason she clutches the note so tightly. As if her life, and yours, depended on her next actions with it. The tension wrinkles on her thin, free flowing gown are reminiscent of Burne Hogarth's style of wrinkles and drapery when he denotes a cloth's repeated use and wear. She looks as if she's worn this gown often and cares little for personal appearance. She only cares about the Sickle/Note that protects her from the strange world she must live in. She has a distinct prettiness about her, like a former musician, still dressed in the evening gown she wore the night she was thrust into this bizarre new world. So the closer I examine this picture, the more I begin to actually pity the character. She seems guarded, almost afraid of loosing the one thing that puts her on even footing with the bizarre creatures of this world. Her only line of defense is her ability to confuse the enemy monsters of the world she inhabits, but will never be as powerful as they are. So she must clutch on to her defensive weapon and stay ever alert, perhaps seldom sleeping, forever guarded from the creatures of the day and the night, performing a song of life and death for an audience that will never appreciate her, only try to kill her.

 

[DarkLogicianOfCaos]

Nanobreaker is the spitting image of my 3rd daughter. I've held that picture up to people who ave never seen the game and said, Who's that? "Brye!" they all say.

 

[Digital Jedi]

Ancient Gear Soldier

I wish I had say something profound and colorful to say about why I like Ancient Gear Soldier. All my previous posts have been very well thought out and and I have made every attempt at being insightful about the art work and artist. But unfortunately, all I can say about Ancient Gear Soldier, is I think he's fricken cool! I guess I just like large rusty gears. And I like war golems. He puts me in mind of Calibretto from Battle Chasers. A gear for a jaw, a gear for a cartridge, a gear for joints, a gear for a protective cup. I think the reason I cannot find anything more profound to say about AGS is because he embodies his name so perfectly. His design is simple elegance. Not much more needs to be said. Though I do have to wonder, are the Ancient Gears all separate creatures, or are they all variations on the same one? Is this clockworks background really the gears of a larger mechanical consciousness? A ancient living machine shop that can compile parts of itself into whatever form is needed for a given task? One has to wonder. Hey, I thought of something insightful anyway.

 

[Digital Jedi]

Solar Flare Dragon

It had to happen eventually. Today my card art for review is AST-032! Yes, that perennial staple of the Burn and Fire Deck, the nonsensical 500 Life Points inflicted upon you for no other reason then because he was there, the infuriating wait till you pull your monster removal so you can finally attack. My friend and avatar, the mascot, or perhaps master, of all Pyro-Types and FIRE Elementals. The Solar Flare Dragon!

But the Dragon is far more then a strategically beneficial card. A closer inspection of the artwork shows he's a very detailed and masterfully rendered creature of the flames. The first thing you'll probably notice about the Dragon is his molten complexion, the volcanic scales that appear to seethe with an insane level of heat we could never begin to comprehend. His body snakes from the fiery pits of his lair like a suspended magma flow from the earth's core. His texture, one of molten rock, scales forged from super-heated chunks of the earth's sediment. His cleverly framed main is a trailing crown of flame that foments around him, funneling through him from the blazing depths of inferno. And yet, he is more a part of the blazing torrent, then a conduit for it. He is inferno, monarch of his realm, master of an incendiary sea that few creatures could withstand or survive.