This coming June will mark twenty years for me in the gaming industry, and this is also my twenty-sixth year as a working artist. I have made a lot of work over these years, and as I focus on larger projects with multi-year timelines, it is hard to keep this blog updated regularly. I have kept this thing going since 2009, and I would like for it to continue. To that end, I thought I would look back at works I particularly liked, enjoyed making, or seemed to have fallen through the cracks and went unnoticed.
Today, I have a big one from thirteen to fourteen years ago. It is not often that you are asked to redesign all the components of a board game, and when it does happen, you jump at it. I was already familiar with the game, Nexus Ops. I hadn't played it, and I still have never played it, but it looked like a fun game with a lot of cool monsters that get to be miniatures. I gave everything in this project 100% of my design sense and tastes and would like to think anyone familiar with my work would instantly see it in this game. In addition to designing all of the miniatures in the game, my hero illustrations of the pieces were used on printed game pieces, packaging, and advertising. For one shining minute, my art was everywhere. The turnaround was TIGHT and the payment was LOW, but I really wanted to work on this project and had a lot of fun working on it. Here is a look at all the pieces together and scaled accordingly, as well as a closeup of each.

The Nexus Ops Lineup of man and monsters
Digital
Nexus Ops
© 2012 Fantasy Flight Games
If you know me, I looked at a lot of real-world animals to base the color schemes for these monsters. One of the main inspirations was using the Eastern Box Turtle as the starting point of the Rockstrider. I wanted to give it a hint of 'angry turtle' in the face, and overall, the color palette and markings.

Crystalline
Digital
Nexus Ops
© 2012 Fantasy Flight Games

Fungoid
Digital
Nexus Ops
© 2012 Fantasy Flight Games

Human
Digital
Nexus Ops
© 2012 Fantasy Flight Games

Lava Leaper
Digital
Nexus Ops
© 2012 Fantasy Flight Games

Rockstrider
Digital
Nexus Ops
© 2012 Fantasy Flight Games
Rubium Dragon
Digital
Nexus Ops
© 2012 Fantasy Flight Games
As a side note, you can see and read a TON more about Nexus Ops here on the blog. I have previously shared drawings, miniatures, packaging, and more related to the game and my work on it.
That's all for another exciting Wednesday on the blog. See you back here on Friday! Until then...