Stray, from the Nordguard Card Game

"Stray"

This was a piece painted a couple of weeks ago, for the Nordguard Card Game. Specifically, it’s one of the “Stray Territory” location cards, featuring a stray Maguruq who thinks you would be tasty to eat.

While the majority of the original artwork for the game is about 3×4″, we liked the thumbnail sketch of this one enough to page it a bit larger. The original is about 8×10, watercolors and acrylic.

Here is the original sketch, and some work-in-progress photographs:

  

 The first step, aside from stretching the paper, is to add masking fluid to the foreground rocks/skull. (I use Winsor&Newton brand masking fluid.)

 

 

 I also recorded a video of the painting on LiveStream. I’ve sped it up and edited it a bit:

blotch on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

Pi, and Ask the Nordguard!

Here is the artwork for the “Pi” character card we did for the Nordguard Card Game. (More information on the game can be found here!)

The original is small, about 3×4, in watercolor and acrylic.

Over the years, a couple people have asked where Pi got her name. Pi is actually a nick name (her real name comes up in the next book, actually…) There’s two stories behind how she got the nickname–one, being that she’s black and white and it’s short for piebald. The other is a slightly longer story from her days of basic training. In searching for an object buried in the snow, she stumbled and tripped, landing directly on the target. She set a new record time of 3.14, hence, the nickname “Pi.”

We’ve been getting a lot of character specific questions, usually in the chat during LiveStreams. We thought it would be fun to set up an “Ask the Nordguard” page! You can ask a character from the comic a question. When we have a bit of free time, or feel like sketching something a little less serious, we’ll respond to one or two of the questions in a quick and sketchy fashion.

So, check it out, and if you have a question for one of the characters–ask away!

Keep an eye on either @nordguard on Twitter, the Nordguard Development Blog, or the News feed for answers!

Nordguard: The Card Game

Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve been working on original artwork for the upcoming Nordguard Card Game.

The game itself has been developed by Tempe O’Kun and Nic Wald, and Jeremia Heupel of ThinkTank Games directed play-testing. They’ve been tweaking and play-testing for over a year now. It’s slated to be released this summer, and will be available from Sofawolf Press.

The card game will feature 50+ pieces of new original artwork we’ve done, plus some artwork from Across Thin Ice, and Nordguard concept art. In total, each deck has 130 cards, plus comes with custom Nordguard dice. The game will come in two editions, standard ($12) and collectors ($25).

There will also be additional artwork from the talented Chromamancer!

You can find more information about the game itself on cardgame.nordguard.com! The site will continue to be updated as we get closer to the summer and the game’s release.

Here’s a few of the new images I painted for the game:

 

 

A lot of the painting for the cards was done on LiveStream. I edited/sped-up a couple saved sessions for anyone interested in the process! You can find more on my LiveStream Channel, but here’s one:

I’ll be LiveStreaming pretty regularly over the next couple of weeks as I work on the preview for the second Nordguard book (the title of which will be announced soon!)

You can follow @screwbald or @nordguard on Twitter to be updated whenever I start LiveStreaming!

On LiveStream!

I've been painting on LiveStream a lot over the past few weeks, all be it a little sporadically. I've compiled a short LiveStream page, with fun things like the LiveStream F.A.Q, and links to saved sessions, etc! Check it out at:

LIVESTREAM.NORDGUARD.COM

If you want to catch a live session, there are a couple of places you can keep an eye out:
Follow @screwbald on Twitter to be notified every time I'm painting on LiveStream, for all projects, or...
Follow @nordguard on Twitter for less frequent notifications, pertaining only to comic stuff.

You can also follow on FaceBook for updates!

Nominate Nordguard for a Hugo!

It's Awards Nomination Season, including the Hugo Awards!

Nordguard: Across Thin Ice is eligible to be nominated this year for the Hugo's "Best Graphic Story" category!

This is really pretty awesome. The category is a relatively new addition to the Hugo Awards, and as such, the "underdogs" have more of a chance of getting noticed and included.

So what does that mean? It means I need you fine Worldcon members to nominate Across Thin Ice!

To nominate, you must either currently be, or have been, a member of either a 2011, 2012 or 2013 Worldcon. (If you are not a Worldcon member and want to become one, you may join Chicon 7 or LonStarCon 3, the 2013 Worldcon, before January 31st 2012 to be eligible.)
The deadline for nominations is March 11th, 2012!

The Hugo nominations are being handled though the Chicon Hugo Nomination Website. You can submit a ballot either online (click here!), or mail-in a paper ballot (more info!).

If you happen to be a Worldcon member and you haven't yet cast your nominations, we would greatly appreciate the moment of your time to include Nordguard: Across Thin Ice on your ballot!


The pertinent information you'd need would be:
Catagory: Best Graphic Story
Title: Nordguard: Across Thin Ice
By: Teagan Gavet/Tess Garman
(For "Magazine," I'd say: Publisher, Sofawolf Press, ISNB 978-1-936689-10-1, www.nordguard.com)

You can put up to five names down for each category on the Nominations Ballot, so you can give all your favorites from 2011 a shot at being nominated this year!


Thank you very much!

It's been a whirlwind kind of year so far. Really, thank you everyone who's gotten a copy of Across Thin Ice, left kind comments, shared the book with friends, penned great reviews, sent nice emails, or simply just said at conventions "I can't wait until the next book!"
Being able to write and make comics is truly a dream realized for both of us. It's exciting, and encouraging at how well the book has been received, both within and outside of the fandom. Thank all of you guys for that! :]

Now, back to sketching the next Nordguard book I go...