Black and white portrait of a smiling person in front of a leafy patterned background.

Greetings, Wizards of the Coast!

My name is Shea Bartel and I’m an illustrator based in Brooklyn, NY. I studied fine art at Pratt Institute and Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Magic: The Gathering played an enormous role in informing my artistic interests, and it is a great aspiration of mine to illustrate for a game that has done so much for fostering amazing fantasy art.

I’ve already had the pleasure of meeting several WOTC Art Directors through my participation in Scott Fischer’s SmArt School Courses, namely Kate Irwin, Emi Tanji, & Tom Jenkot. Currently, I’m enrolled in Cynthia Sheppard’s “Illustrating the Emotional Narrative” course. Learning from these industry professionals has been a great way to not only hone my craft, but also gain experience in listening to and implementing artistic feedback.

Below, you’ll find a selection of my recent work, along with some examples of thumbnails the development process of my artworks.

Thanks so much for taking a look, and I appreciate your time!

You can reach me directly at shea.bartel@gmail.com

“Stainless Steel Paragon” - Artistic Process

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Rough Sketches

Costume Study

Initial Thumbnails

Thumbnail Paint-Over by Instructor

Final art w/implemented feedback - graphite & digital

“Warrior Fish” - Artistic Process

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Initial Thumbnails/Value Studies

Final drawing

Final art - graphite & digital

“Wooden Sphere” - Artistic Process

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Reinterpreting a classic card in my own style

Magic: The Gathering card depicting a hand holding a wooden sphere. The card is labeled "Wooden Sphere" and states that whenever a player plays a green spell, you may pay 1 mana to gain 1 life.
Magic: The Gathering card "Wooden Sphere" with card details

Original Source Material

(Taken from gatherer.wizards.com)

Initial Thumbnails & Value Studies

Final art - graphite & digital