MtG artists: Igor Kieryluk

Igor Kierluk’s most memorable Magic art for me is his pieces depicting the white Phyrexians. The flesh and porcelain look was both arresting and horrifying.

However this is not his only contribution to the look and feel of Magic, as we’ll see:

Linvala, Keeper of Silence

Next to Greg Staples’ work, this is my favourite angel in Magic, and that is up against some great competition.

Suture Priest

This is the image I chose to exemplify my earlier comments about the white Phyrexians. I could have chosen Elesh Norn or Priests of Norn, and if you look up either of those cards you will see how well they fit together.

Sliver token

The reimagining of slivers in Magic 2014 left a lot of players cold. I liked the new look, I could see how these humanoids could mingle and swap their whipcords of flesh to grant each other their abilities. The token from Magic 2014 is a great example of the new look.

Sliver Hive

Wizards added some additional Sliver cards in Magic 2015 and after the reaction the previous year, they hedged their bets. Some cards continued the new look, while others like this Sliver Hive card, went back to the old look.

Putrefy

This is a thing that I do: when a card is reprinted, if I like the new art significantly more than the old card, then I will buy a playset of the new art to ‘upgrade’ my existing cards. Putrefy is one example of this.