2024. November 08.
Hello, I'm Qistina Khalidah. I'm the card and cover illustrator for Ironwood, and I will be sharing my design journey on this unique board game!
The basic concept for Ironwood is laden with both fantasy and innovative elements. The team brought me on to this project because they felt like I could do an interesting spin on the genre. I was stoked about working on it because I loved the idea of designing mysterious characters that cannot be wholly defined, but are defined enough for players to find them recognizable.
The Concept Stage
The initial challenge was to create these two factions without resorting to the standard fantasy look. I decided to ease into the art direction by taking on things little by little and slowly working on the bigger picture.
The first thing I did was design the "faces" of the two factions. I was confident to start the concept stage this way instead of their general silhouette because I had a clear visual in mind of how these two factions would look. Another reason why I decided to do it this way was because the "faces" of these two factions would eventually dictate their overall style.
Since Ironwood is designed to be a two-player tabletop game, it was important that we emphasize the balance between these two factions. Neither side is objectively better than the other, so the best solution I came up with was to make all the characters appear at similar heights. The characters can appear in many ways, and none of them would feel like they are towering over the other.
In Ironwood, both factions try to seize control of these magic crystals which become the main source of their power, though each faction would utilize them differently. Woodwalkers would use these crystals to enhance their magic and spiritual summoning, while the Ironclad used them to fuel their city and their myriad inventions.
I spent a lot of time poring over real-life geodes and their properties, trying to determine which of them could potentially hold that "magical" feel and look that fits Ironwood. I wanted to combine both the faction colors, warm and cold, into the crystal itself, further symbolizing the idea that these factions could extract the crystals' potential into greater use.
I also had to keep in mind that the artwork design would inspire the actual component of the board game. We ultimately chose something that fits the in-world criteria and is easy to manufacture.
The Woodwalkers
We initially wanted the colors of the Woodwalkers to blend in with their surroundings as part of their defensive strategy against the Ironclad. It was a cool concept that we, unfortunately, had to scrap because we didn't want the players to have a hard time deciphering the artwork on the cards. Instead, we opted for the Woodwalkers to don warm-colored outfits while traversing through the magical cerulean forests for better readability.
The Woodwalkers' final look was heavily inspired by the forests in which they live. I paid attention to the way tree branches would curve and grow out. This influenced the way I designed their masks, the furs, and the way they move. I didn't want them to appear like elves or "beast-like" either. Their masks aren't a way to cover up their real faces, but rather it is a part of who they are.
The Ironclads
The process of designing the Ironclad was a lot smoother because we dealt with most difficulties while figuring out the Woodwalkers. If they are warm colored against a cool background, then the Ironclad needed to be the opposite.
I imagined the Ironclad to have sort of a "knightly" look to them, though they are more than just medieval soldiers. They specialize in innovation and invention as well, and their whole look needed to reflect that, so I started combining some aspects of engineering into the mix and a dash of steampunk to their style.
There is a degree of mystery that I like to maintain throughout all of these characters, and I always prefer it to be kept that way. I personally enjoy characters who hide their identity in a certain way, and I would spend time imagining what they really look like behind the mask. I had a ton of fun working on them along with Frigyes Schőberl and Villő Farkas from Mindclash Games, who did an incredible job of creating other elements of the board game. We would often go back and forth and bounce around on each other's ideas and suggestions, and I'm happy with what we came up with!
Thanks to everyone at Mindclash Games, as well as Julien Chaput and Maël Brunet for giving me a fun opportunity to work on this board game! Ironwood will be available at SPIEL Essen 24, and I hope that players will have a fun time playing it!