Being chosen to illustrate 24 cards, of Nordic folklore, was an absolute dream assignment. I had totally free hands to come up with the design for the creatures/characters.

I had about 2 months to hand in the finished illustrations. Earlier in my career I would have chosen to work digital just to be safe….but this time I was ready to do all 24 in oil paint.

I used a technique where the main creature/character is cover with airbrush film, that way the background can be painted very loose, without affecting what’s underneath the film. In many cases a simple hint of a setting or just a single gradient determined the lightning and mood of the card. When the background is finished I can concentrate on the character/creature. That way I was able produce a finished painting within a few hours. Many times working on different paintings at the same time, while waiting for others to dry.

I learned SO much from this process and am grateful to all the wonderful people who made this happen.