In my effort to have my cube represent all aspects of magic, I have decided to try and learn how to alter! I read through the two tutorials (thanks Juju!) and watched iplaythisgame's video, and then set out to try and making something that is not completely terrible.
Here is my first shot, picked for both its seemingly easy color scheme and the low value of the card.
Couple problems I had:
1.) Color matching is really hard to balance between wet and dry. They top of my card is darker green then I wanted or thought, but it looked closer at the time...
2.) The card is now too thick for a perfect fit. Bit problem for my all double sleeved cube. Any ideas?
3.) Turns out I am a terrible painter! =)
Let me know if you have any tips on how to improve!
In my effort to have my cube represent all aspects of magic, I have decided to try and learn how to alter! I read through the two tutorials (thanks Juju!) and watched iplaythisgame's video, and then set out to try and making something that is not completely terrible.
Here is my first shot, picked for both its seemingly easy color scheme and the low value of the card.
Couple problems I had:
1.) Color matching is really hard to balance between wet and dry. They top of my card is darker green then I wanted or thought, but it looked closer at the time...
2.) The card is now too thick for a perfect fit. Bit problem for my all double sleeved cube. Any ideas?
3.) Turns out I am a terrible painter! =)
Let me know if you have any tips on how to improve!
Thanks.
Good to see more cubers getting into altering. I've been going through the same journey myself over the past year. Started in..March I think?
If you keep at it, you WILL get better. I recommend getting good paints straight away though. You will never get the results you want with crappy paints. I use Golden Fluid Acrylics.
I also never alter useless cards. There are enough cheap cards that are also useful and good to alter that people might actually want when you're done. Here are some good cubeable suggestions for easy(ish) cards to alter:
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Riftwing Cloudskate
Ponder
Dark Ritual (4th ed)
Wall of Roots
I also never alter useless cards. There are enough cheap cards that are also useful and good to alter that people might actually want when you're done. Here are some good cubeable suggestions for easy(ish) cards to alter:
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Riftwing Cloudskate
Ponder
Dark Ritual (4th ed)
Wall of Roots
Here is my attempt at a Dark Ritual! Had some problems with the book, and the fire, but over all it turned out alright. Passable for the 2nd time I have done this anyway.
Thanks for the help and let me know if you have any tips on how to improve!
In my effort to have my cube represent all aspects of magic, I have decided to try and learn how to alter! I read through the two tutorials (thanks Juju!) and watched iplaythisgame's video, and then set out to try and making something that is not completely terrible.
Here is my first shot, picked for both its seemingly easy color scheme and the low value of the card.
Couple problems I had:
1.) Color matching is really hard to balance between wet and dry. They top of my card is darker green then I wanted or thought, but it looked closer at the time...
2.) The card is now too thick for a perfect fit. Bit problem for my all double sleeved cube. Any ideas?
3.) Turns out I am a terrible painter! =)
Let me know if you have any tips on how to improve!
Thanks.
That Dark Ritual looks pretty good. Like Juju said, get some good paints, and keep at it. Even experienced painters find themselves learning new things when painting cards. Also, as you get better at keeping your paint layers thin, your cards will fit in perfect fit sleeves. It just takes practice and patience.
So, with the new border changes, addition of holograms on rares, mythics, etc... How will this affect the altering community? I'm kind of panicking right now...
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So, with the new border changes, addition of holograms on rares, mythics, etc... How will this affect the altering community? I'm kind of panicking right now...
Doesn't seem like that big a deal. Probably have to work around the foily bit, but other than that it seems like there is nothing a clever artist can't deal with. In the words of the His Holiness Timothy Gun- "Make it work!"
How do you guys decide which cards to alter and which type of alter to do (border extension, full art, alter art)?
I'm having trouble generating ideas and am wondering how you guys work through creative block.
How do you guys decide which cards to alter and which type of alter to do (border extension, full art, alter art)?
I'm having trouble generating ideas and am wondering how you guys work through creative block.
Well, this is a question that can be answered from a personal perspective only.
Personally, while it is not subject to a comission request (usually comissioners have a general idea of what they want you to do, so your input there seems to be stretched) I take in consideration in wich format the card I'm going to work with will be used. So, since custom art alters and textless alters tend to be problematic while trying to be used at sanctioned gameplay, I try to leave these for casual cards (cards that are casual play staples, not constructed). Also, I preffer to extend old fashion cards (such as Urza's block, Tempest, etc) as their pallete is more forgiving. New set cards tend to have pretty digitall palettes, wich are a sort of nightmare to mimic. It happened once to me when I needed to extend a Phyrexian Obliterator to make it textless. it was a comission, so I had to acomplish that in case I wanted to take the work, and I did. Emulating those digital greens was really hard. hat's why I always suggest to start with old cards and extend them, to make the practice of color matching far more easy until you get more confident and learn how to get a color easily.
Also, it is easier to add new elements when you have an artwork full of details, on the contrary being a bit harder to figure out what to do with those cards that have flat backgrounds and obscure palettes. Bitterblossom and Show and Tell are good examples of forgiving cards regarding the addition of new elements, while Phyrexian Obliterator and Illnes in the Ranks aren't.
So here's a question, I'm finding control of a paint brush is a bit taxing when working in such a small space, and was wondering if I layed down a base coat of acrylic for primer, if I could then just use Copic markers to do the actual design? Is that a thing, or would it look terrible?
So here's a question, I'm finding control of a paint brush is a bit taxing when working in such a small space, and was wondering if I layed down a base coat of acrylic for primer, if I could then just use Copic markers to do the actual design? Is that a thing, or would it look terrible?
From what I have heard, that is a viable method though I haven't tried it myself.
I was wondering the best way to advertise myself to get commissions and requests as well as sell my own works. Any ideas?
From what I have heard, that is a viable method though I haven't tried it myself.
I was wondering the best way to advertise myself to get commissions and requests as well as sell my own works. Any ideas?
In my experience, local facebook groups have been very beneficial. I have advertised and sold alters in the mtg facebook group for my city and the NZ wide mtg facebook group.
The biggest market for alters is Cube owners and Commander players. Try promoting your alters among those groups, both online and IRL.
I have given away many of my alters for free, either as prizes or just for whatever. That also helps get your alters out there.
So here's a question, I'm finding control of a paint brush is a bit taxing when working in such a small space, and was wondering if I layed down a base coat of acrylic for primer, if I could then just use Copic markers to do the actual design? Is that a thing, or would it look terrible?
I havent tried it myself either, but from looking on scrapbooking blogs and videos it doesnt quite work right. The marker color gets muted and the marker nib gets clogged up, from what I've noticed anyways.
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Hey guys, looking for extra money for cards?
I do it with CashCrate and Swagbucks. Get paid to complete surveys, offers, and other online tasks. Refer friends and family to get even more money. It may not be a lot, but it adds up while messing around on the computer. If you have any questions, feel free to message me and I'll help the best I can.
best recommendation for turning white bordered cards into black bordered cards? i cant seem to find a black paint that matches the sheen on a normal black bordered card. its always too glossy or too dull.
I just do sharpie. Will post up some of mine asap. I mask off the frames, then color with sharpie until I am statisfied with the coverage and I don't have any run marks. Let them dry overnight. Then sleave. Been doing this with my white bordered stuff for modern.
So, I have a few questions about alters. I just started around a week ago, and people at my LGS like my stuff quite a bit thus far. The few questions I have is:
- What do you use to gloss over your alters? I am currently using a spray can bottle of acryllic gloss. The problems I am currently having with this is that spray paint smell, and also when looking at the card in the light you can still see that difference in thickness between painted and non-painted areas.
- How thin is thin enough? Since I just began, I have been seeking help from others. Someone else who had started altering shortly before me at my LGS quickly noted while looking at one of my first alters, Lightning Bolt, that the thickness of the paint on part of the card was "too thick" and "probably not be accepted at an SCG from a judge", also that he knows because he was at a SCG event and was told by someone who had been altering for awhile. Now, the area that was considered "thick" did have quite a bit of paint on it, but the thickness is mainly just superficial. You can only tell by looking at the card that there is a "thickness" due to the altering, and cannot tell by feeling the card itself, in a sleeve or not. So, as I asked, how thin does alters need to be to be accepted? and how do you ensure this thinness?
- What does everyone use for detailed lines or shaded looks? What I mean by that is, for example, if you were painting onto a card a wooden plank, what would you use to show the stratification in the wood? I have been suggested colored pencils, but I was curious if the pencils would scratch the acryllic off.
Thank you very much! Like I said, I am new at this and would love any random tips for beginners.
I'm snowed in down here and have been thinking of messing with some cards to proxy some modern staples for playtesting, is there a household way to "erase" the ink from the card? I saw the thing about erasers, but that seems to require both a bit of searching, money, and mobility.
I'm trying to selectively erase as well, like leave the green card frame from a centaur's herald and just pencil in the name "Noble Hierarch" and doodle a picture and write down textual approximations.
Any ideas?
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Thanks to SushiOtter at Hakai Studios for the great banner.
I've seen people black out checklists cards except for the card they are using, mostly Delver of Secrets. Do they just use a marker or something to black out the rest of the checklist card? What's the best way to do this?
I think most ppl here dont erase anymore, just put few layers of gray basecoat and you should be fine.
You can use acetone too but its very hard to be precise with it.
I have one another queston: Is there any difference in fluid golden acrylics and heavy body ones? Excluding the fact that fluids are liquid-ish and heavy body are more solid.
thanks
Fluid Acrylics are much better for altering cards, in my opinion. They have a very high pigmentation, which means that even if you thin them down, they still hold their colour very well. Not to mention, the thinner you paint on the cards, the better the overall finish and effect.
So, I just started doing alters, and like the ignorant artist I am, I got a set of Reeves paints. Unfortunately, I also won't be able to afford a set of Golden Acrylics for about a week and a half or so. How bad is it to use the Reeves? They've worked fine for the first two I've done so far, despite being a tad thick, but they certainly aren't amazing. Should I not do any painting until I can get better paints?
So, I just started doing alters, and like the ignorant artist I am, I got a set of Reeves paints. Unfortunately, I also won't be able to afford a set of Golden Acrylics for about a week and a half or so. How bad is it to use the Reeves? They've worked fine for the first two I've done so far, despite being a tad thick, but they certainly aren't amazing. Should I not do any painting until I can get better paints?
It's up to you, but Reeves is notoriously bad amongst people who want to control their process. Reeves are great for someone looking to play with paint a little but not spend money. I'd personally just wait.
Those are really low quality "Heavy Body" acrylic paints - they aren't going to lay flat without some serious work and the pigment load is so low that you'll need lots of layers (or thick layers) to get any coverage. I work with Heavy Body acrylics for most of my stuff, but there is enough actual color in the paints that I can get by using hardly any paint at all. That leads to smoother finished and better blends. The Liquid Acrylics are great, but they aren't necessarily the silver bullet that makes yours cards smooth. I think you will have a much better time with good paints regardless of the viscosity of the paints - you need more pigment per ounce!
In my effort to have my cube represent all aspects of magic, I have decided to try and learn how to alter! I read through the two tutorials (thanks Juju!) and watched iplaythisgame's video, and then set out to try and making something that is not completely terrible.
Here is my first shot, picked for both its seemingly easy color scheme and the low value of the card.
Couple problems I had:
1.) Color matching is really hard to balance between wet and dry. They top of my card is darker green then I wanted or thought, but it looked closer at the time...
2.) The card is now too thick for a perfect fit. Bit problem for my all double sleeved cube. Any ideas?
3.) Turns out I am a terrible painter! =)
Let me know if you have any tips on how to improve!
Thanks.
Good to see more cubers getting into altering. I've been going through the same journey myself over the past year. Started in..March I think?
If you keep at it, you WILL get better. I recommend getting good paints straight away though. You will never get the results you want with crappy paints. I use Golden Fluid Acrylics.
I also never alter useless cards. There are enough cheap cards that are also useful and good to alter that people might actually want when you're done. Here are some good cubeable suggestions for easy(ish) cards to alter:
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Riftwing Cloudskate
Ponder
Dark Ritual (4th ed)
Wall of Roots
Juju Alters - Altered MTG Cards
Here is my attempt at a Dark Ritual! Had some problems with the book, and the fire, but over all it turned out alright. Passable for the 2nd time I have done this anyway.
Thanks for the help and let me know if you have any tips on how to improve!
How would you go about "bleaching" a card? I'm interested in doing non-paint, alters and have seen some old bleached cards that look pretty neat.
Standard: Mono Red #GetSwol
Elsewhere: Random Brews All Day, Erreday
~
That Dark Ritual looks pretty good. Like Juju said, get some good paints, and keep at it. Even experienced painters find themselves learning new things when painting cards. Also, as you get better at keeping your paint layers thin, your cards will fit in perfect fit sleeves. It just takes practice and patience.
Check out my Blog: CommanderAlters
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I'm having trouble generating ideas and am wondering how you guys work through creative block.
Personally, while it is not subject to a comission request (usually comissioners have a general idea of what they want you to do, so your input there seems to be stretched) I take in consideration in wich format the card I'm going to work with will be used. So, since custom art alters and textless alters tend to be problematic while trying to be used at sanctioned gameplay, I try to leave these for casual cards (cards that are casual play staples, not constructed). Also, I preffer to extend old fashion cards (such as Urza's block, Tempest, etc) as their pallete is more forgiving. New set cards tend to have pretty digitall palettes, wich are a sort of nightmare to mimic. It happened once to me when I needed to extend a Phyrexian Obliterator to make it textless. it was a comission, so I had to acomplish that in case I wanted to take the work, and I did. Emulating those digital greens was really hard. hat's why I always suggest to start with old cards and extend them, to make the practice of color matching far more easy until you get more confident and learn how to get a color easily.
Also, it is easier to add new elements when you have an artwork full of details, on the contrary being a bit harder to figure out what to do with those cards that have flat backgrounds and obscure palettes. Bitterblossom and Show and Tell are good examples of forgiving cards regarding the addition of new elements, while Phyrexian Obliterator and Illnes in the Ranks aren't.
From what I have heard, that is a viable method though I haven't tried it myself.
I was wondering the best way to advertise myself to get commissions and requests as well as sell my own works. Any ideas?
In my experience, local facebook groups have been very beneficial. I have advertised and sold alters in the mtg facebook group for my city and the NZ wide mtg facebook group.
The biggest market for alters is Cube owners and Commander players. Try promoting your alters among those groups, both online and IRL.
I have given away many of my alters for free, either as prizes or just for whatever. That also helps get your alters out there.
Juju Alters - Altered MTG Cards
I havent tried it myself either, but from looking on scrapbooking blogs and videos it doesnt quite work right. The marker color gets muted and the marker nib gets clogged up, from what I've noticed anyways.
I just do sharpie. Will post up some of mine asap. I mask off the frames, then color with sharpie until I am statisfied with the coverage and I don't have any run marks. Let them dry overnight. Then sleave. Been doing this with my white bordered stuff for modern.
BEEEES!
Rabble Red
Modern
Burn
Infect
- What do you use to gloss over your alters? I am currently using a spray can bottle of acryllic gloss. The problems I am currently having with this is that spray paint smell, and also when looking at the card in the light you can still see that difference in thickness between painted and non-painted areas.
- How thin is thin enough? Since I just began, I have been seeking help from others. Someone else who had started altering shortly before me at my LGS quickly noted while looking at one of my first alters, Lightning Bolt, that the thickness of the paint on part of the card was "too thick" and "probably not be accepted at an SCG from a judge", also that he knows because he was at a SCG event and was told by someone who had been altering for awhile. Now, the area that was considered "thick" did have quite a bit of paint on it, but the thickness is mainly just superficial. You can only tell by looking at the card that there is a "thickness" due to the altering, and cannot tell by feeling the card itself, in a sleeve or not. So, as I asked, how thin does alters need to be to be accepted? and how do you ensure this thinness?
- What does everyone use for detailed lines or shaded looks? What I mean by that is, for example, if you were painting onto a card a wooden plank, what would you use to show the stratification in the wood? I have been suggested colored pencils, but I was curious if the pencils would scratch the acryllic off.
Thank you very much! Like I said, I am new at this and would love any random tips for beginners.
I'm trying to selectively erase as well, like leave the green card frame from a centaur's herald and just pencil in the name "Noble Hierarch" and doodle a picture and write down textual approximations.
Any ideas?
[W]FREE STONEFORGE MYSTIC and JACE THE MINDSCULPTOR[/W]
Please Visit my Alterations Page!
My Alters Sales Thread
Want a FREE Playset of Foil Baneslayer Angels?!?:
[W]FREE STONEFORGE MYSTIC and JACE THE MINDSCULPTOR[/W]
Please Visit my Alterations Page!
My Alters Sales Thread
Want a FREE Playset of Foil Baneslayer Angels?!?:
Fluid Acrylics are much better for altering cards, in my opinion. They have a very high pigmentation, which means that even if you thin them down, they still hold their colour very well. Not to mention, the thinner you paint on the cards, the better the overall finish and effect.
Juju Alters - Altered MTG Cards
BEEEES!
Rabble Red
Modern
Burn
Infect
It's up to you, but Reeves is notoriously bad amongst people who want to control their process. Reeves are great for someone looking to play with paint a little but not spend money. I'd personally just wait.
Those are really low quality "Heavy Body" acrylic paints - they aren't going to lay flat without some serious work and the pigment load is so low that you'll need lots of layers (or thick layers) to get any coverage. I work with Heavy Body acrylics for most of my stuff, but there is enough actual color in the paints that I can get by using hardly any paint at all. That leads to smoother finished and better blends. The Liquid Acrylics are great, but they aren't necessarily the silver bullet that makes yours cards smooth. I think you will have a much better time with good paints regardless of the viscosity of the paints - you need more pigment per ounce!
WUBRGPauper Battle BoxWUBRG ... and why I am not a fan of Wayne Reynolds' Illustrations.
MTG Legacy and Vintage extraordinaire (jokes), if it doesn't play blue I most likely don't play it.
WUBRGPauper Battle BoxWUBRG ... and why I am not a fan of Wayne Reynolds' Illustrations.