MtG artists: Franz Vohwinkel

Franz Vohwinkel’s art will be familiar to anyone who has played Magic for a few years. We don’t see a lot of cards from him per set, but those we see are memorable. Franz Vohwinkel’s art is also frequently seen in board games.

1. Armillary Sphere

This art is for a simple card that fixes your mana in the game. Vohwinkel’s art turns it into an intricate device that makes an impression.

2. Snow-covered Island

This was and is my single favourite card from the Coldsnap set. Vohwinkel’s icy, wind-blasted land makes me shiver every time. 

3. Temporal Mastery

This card appeared in the Avacyn Restored set as one of the ‘miracle’ cards that can be cast for less if they are the first card you draw in a turn. What looks like a stylised hourglass is revealed as an intricate device in this art. See the gantry with the figure standing on it? It gets missed in the smaller version you see on the card.

4. Aggressive Mining

This card from the M15 Core Set was designed by Notch, designer of Minecraft. That game’s graphics are alluded to in Vohwinkel’s art.

5. Etherium-Horn Sorcerer

Just in case you didn’t think Franz Vohwinkel didn’t illustrate creature cards, here’s one for you. While he is more commonly found in the artifact and land section of a set, he still does the occasional creature, such as this minotaur whose horns have been replaced with the magical substance etherium.