David Esbrí is the editor of the great company dedicated to the creation and diffusion of board games Devir. From his experience as an expert in the field, David explains the importance that artists have in carrying out the creation of table games.
“The illustration for table games is a unique type of narrative within the field of drawing. In this case, art must be placed at the service of the game experience. The players sit at the table around the game and will be constantly interacting with the physical components: the table, the cards, the tiles. The drawing has to contribute in the right measure in order to make the object attractive and contribute to make the game flow.
The creation of a table game is an exercise of collaboration between the different professionals involved, and whoever is willing to draw one will have to take part in this creative dialogue. The first and most important figure of the board game is the author; in the same way that without a drawer there can be no comic, without an author (or inventor) there is no game. The author is the one who creates the mechanics and dynamics of the game. The figure of l’editor He/she will have to make decisions about the amount needed for each project, anticipate production needs and coordinate the work of all team members. L’apartat de graphic design is constantly touching the drawing to ensure the legibility of the icons, facilitate playability and any other information that needs to be conveyed during the game. And obviously who is in charge of the dibuix will have to know how to condense the experience of play and narrative in their work. The artistic work in table games helps to make the theme more immersive, transporting the participants into the game universes and making the abstract aspects more accessible.
The table games industry is an attractive market for illustrators. Only at the Spiel fair in Essen, Germany, more than 5,000 new products are presented in one week-end. There are creative spaces for any style of drawing (children’s, realistic, humoristic…) and a large number of editors interested in finding new talents. A growing number of illustration professionals have specialized in this field, such as Vincent Dutrait, Michael Menzel, Beth Sobel or Ian O’Toole”.
An example of all this, which we were able to enjoy at the exhibition El arte en juego, is the Kemushi saga, where artists such as Roc Espinet, Marina Vidal, Jonatan Cantero, Mado Peña or Ernest Sala put their skills as illustrators at the disposal of the games.
Do you want to take the first step to become a professional illustrator of board games? Don’t miss the July workshop that David Esbrí himself will be doing at Joso.
