Aphelios Fanart Splash Illustration - Riftbound

As a big fan of both TCGs and League of Legends, I was immediately excited when Riftbound was announced. After talking with Atey Ghailan at WeArePlaygrounds in Eindhoven about the game and its artwork, I felt inspired to explore what my own interpretation of a Riftbound card could look like.
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Early in the process, I considered two different directions: a more esoteric composition focused on Aphelios and his sister, or a narrative splash illustration with a stronger sense of action and environment.

In the end, I chose the splash painting. I loved the idea of having elements interact with the crop of the card, creating a composition that feels designed specifically for the format. From the initial thumbnails, I went with the more dynamic option because it felt like the strongest fit for the card.
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The painting challenged me in many ways: making the character design readable, maintaining consistent perspective, controlling the lighting, and balancing dynamism with a sense of realism.
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My main focus were the VFX and atmospheric lighting as this were the Feedback I was given in Eindhoven by Atey. Creating more Fantasy combined with realism, to get a more appealing product in the end.
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This is by far my most elaborate painting so far—and I feel it’s also my strongest work to date. The process definitely had its ups and downs, but I learned a huge amount along the way. I'm excited to take everything from this project into the next one! 🔥