The Amazing Art of Izzy Medrano

(Via)

Izzy Medrano is one of my all-time favorite artists and I think he's long overdue for some Awesome Robo love. Izzy is a freelance art-director/concept artist/cintiq ronin who roams the countryside of greater Los Angeles on a quest to bring profoundly profane and bizarrely beautiful ideas to life. He's most popularly known for his exceptional work on God of War 3 and Ascension as a lead character artist for Sony Santa Monica studios, but he's also previously worked for Neversoft on the Tony Hawk series and as a painting instructor at the Otis College of Art and Design.

You'd likely know him now for his collaborations with Wizards of the Coast, crafting impressively rendered Magic illustrations while kicking ass and taking names in no small amount. His unabashedly lewd sense of humor and the unmistakable mark of his artistry make for a hilariously offbeat and explosively provocative combination. He's also a Neal Stephenson fan, so it's only natural he's f***ing awesome.

Gatecrash

Despite not having played Magic The Gathering in a few years now, I've truly enjoyed the latest promos that Wizards Of The Coast has been creating for their expansions. Using the amazing art created by their stable of freelance card illustrators and plenty of high end AfterEffects work, the result is pretty impressive. I kind of wonder if Guild Wars 2 rekindled the entire 'motion art' movement that companies have been using with increased frequency as of late.