This week's "Sketches" takes a look at Ron Spears' illustration of Trade Secrets from Onslaught.
1. Art Description
These were the instructions given to the artist:
"Location: Breaker Bay city
Action: A refugee wizard and a cephalid sitting across from each other at a table, haggling over various magic items, scrolls, etc."
2. Sketches
Here is Ron's initial sketch:
There is one major problem with the sketch. We can see the requisite magic items strewn about, and haggling is clearly going on. The problem is that one of these guys was supposed to be a cephalid. The art team had few opportunities to represent cephalids in Onslaught cards (Callous Oppressor and Cephalid Pathmage were the only Cephalid creatures in all of Onslaught block) so they wanted to be sure to include one here.
3. Final Art
Ron got the message. Behold, the shrugging human on the right becomes a big, slimy cephalid.
"I'll trade you that blue glass container for your headdress. No? Then how about two cards for you and four for me?"
4. Card
Finally, here is the card as you can see it in booster packs.