Double Exposed: A Chat with Sam Wolfe Connelly

With Duskmourn reveals well underway, Magic players' attention is rapt with haunting images of the setting's plane-spanning house and the horrors contained within. 

One artist responsible for conjuring up those horrors is Sam Wolfe Connelly. As of this writing, Connelly's work has been seen on 16 (and counting) cards dating back to 2012's Avacyn Restored, and he's also the artist behind several Duskmourn cards, including selections from the "double exposure" showcase series:

Currently in auction, the physical versions of the art created by Connelly bear a striking difference to what's seen on the cards themselves:

For each piece, the final image seen on the card itself was completed and colored digitally. These works are the only traditional (physical) work done by Connelly for the cards:

The process Connelly used in the creation of these two pieces is unusual, at least in terms of Magic: The Gathering art. Connelly employed a medium called "Conté," an almost crayon-like stick composed of compressed graphite or charcoal and pressed into a clay base. Connelly worked "in reverse" to create the physical images seen as the basis for the card's art. "The technique I use is typically coating the entire paper in Conté and then working in reverse by erasing away the values," he said. "When I initially started this technique[,] it was with graphite powder, but over time I realized that graphite was a bit too fragile and would lose its definition too easily, compiled with the fact that I [couldn't] get the darkest darks I wanted out of the medium."

Also created with Conté was Say Its Name, a Duskmourn card revealed only days ago. It, like the double exposure showcase cards, saw significant digital additions to the Conté base drawing:

Here's how the art appears on the card, along with its companion piece:

The art for Altanak, the Thrice-Called was created solely digitally. Similarly, the art for a third Double Exposure treatment by Connelly, for new legendary creature The Swarmweaver, was also digital:

Connelly said Conté is a rich, oily substance which can be incredibly malleable, allowing the artist to, "...get those really dark blacks I needed for moody atmospheres. [It's] a shame that the Conté has a much more limited range of materials out there compared to graphite or paints, but it just sort of works for me!"

Connelly's Conté work was also utilized for the Duskmourn uncommon, Fear of the Dark:

For his work in Duskmourn, Connelly worked with two Art Directors, Jameela Wahlgren and Ovidio Cartagena, both of whom he referred to as "amazing", and there was a constant line of communication to ensure the final product was true to the vision of both the artist and the feel for Duskmourn overall. "With Magic cards, there's always a lot of communication," said Connelly. "Not only do you need to concentrate on the style and dynamics of the artwork, but you also need to keep the lore of the world intact."

There was a dual goal for Duskmourn, championed by both Wahlgren and Cartagena. "The beauty of this recent set, though, is that both Jameela and Ovidio wanted the art to feel like it came from the artist, and have the artist make work they were proud of first and foremost," Connelly said. "Always you're going to have changes in the final stage of things, but it was a great experience."

For artists out there interested in working with Conté, Connelly had some advice, and is certainly an advocate for the medium. "Conté is really resilient[, and] it's a great tool to use in a lot of applications," he said. "It has a clay base[,] so it feels a bit oily, so you can mix it with a lot of multi-media work."

Because it's so oily, he said, he's also been introducing oil pastels to his drawings in addition to the Conté. "My biggest suggestion, if people are new to Conté, is just fool around with it, see what it can do," he added. "If you put Conté on some vellum and use rubbing alcohol on it, it turns into watercolour -- it's nuts! It's extremely versatile."

Connelly won't know exactly how the images he created will translate to the card itself until he has a chance to see them in person, much like Magic players around the globe. "But to be honest, out of all the cards I've done for Magic, Duskmourn has really felt like the most genuine art I've done that feels like while I was making art for the game, I was also making it for myself," he said. "I'm extremely happy with how things turned out[,] and I honestly have to give the credit to Ovidio and Jameela. They both had a vision and made it happen."

Long-time Magic players might remember Connelly's name from his debut as an artist for the game more than a decade ago. Commander players might know him best as the artist behind the 2013 Judge Gift Card version of Swords to Plowshares:

That's his most-played card, according to EDHREC, with others including Otherworld Atlas and Dismiss into Dream. Then there was something of a hiatus from Magic. His work with Conté didn't start with Duskmourn, however, but immediately upon his return to creating art for the game, starting with cards from Phyrexia: All Will Be One, as well as The Lost Caverns of Ixalan's double-sided Grasping Shadows/Shadows' Lair:

He also provided a new look for Ravnica Remastered reprints Thrill-Kill Assassin (also in Conté) and Macabre Waltz:

Connelly said his history with Magic both as an artist and as a fan is a "long story" that starts with him as a kid growing up. "I collected MtG, but only for the art, I'd never played," he said. "Right after I graduated college I ran into one of the lead Art Directors at Wizards of the Coast, and basically begged him for a gig." Connelly described that particular AD as a "nice, but stern" guy. "After about a year of asking, that poor sucker gave this kid a chance," he said with a laugh.

Connelly worked with the AD on a few sets, "and then he left WotC to do his own thing[;] shoutout to him for giving me the chance, we need more people like that in the world," said Connelly. "After that, I mainly went into gallery work, book work, posters and whatnot."

Much later, art created by Connelly was commissioned for cards, but never saw print. "I was then contacted out of the blue again for some cards, which I did, but that Art Director hated them and they were trashed," he said. "Then a few more years roll by, and Ovidio contacts me."

Ovidio Cartagena is a Senior Art Director for Wizards of the Coast and served as Lead Art Director on several recent Magic sets, beginning with Phyrexia: All Will Be One. "I essentially said 'hey, last time I did cards they hated it, are you sure you wanna stick with me?' and I showed him the cards, and he was like 'YES,'" said Connelly. "So that's how I got back into the mess."

For full reviews of each and every card of Duskmourn, be sure to check back at Commander's Herald and EDHREC regularly. 

For more information on Sam Wolfe Connelly, check out his website and follow him on social media.