Interview with Magic: The Gathering artist Jesper Ejsing

Here's an interview with Jesper Ejsin, one of the many talented artists who are responsible for the beautiful illustrations on Magic: The Gathering cards:

I sometimes use models for reference on poses or hands or light. Sitting in a studio with a lot of fellow artist makes the whole thing a lot easier. When doing the picture for Changeling Titan I asked my friend Emil Landgreen for help and he posed for me with a lamp almost in his face. (See picture.) I really didn't need him to look stupid, but it was revenge for last time I had to pose for him. He made me dress up in a skirt as a model for a female elf. He ended up mailing the photo of me dressed up all girly, posing with the hips sexy and all, to one of my editors. She now has it hanging at her office. Now I pose for most of the girls on Emil's covers. I wonder why?



My least-known trick is to use an airbrush, but only with water in it. No paint. I use it to vaporize the wet parts while painting to keep it from drying to fast. That way I can work with several and large areas of paint at the same time and mixing them together.