Here is the original prelim sketch (for approval before final painting) for Hermit Druid, by long time Magic artist Heather Hudson.
This piece out of 1998’s Stronghold expansion has been featured in a few decks throughout the game’s history, most notably in the Extended combo deck Angry Hermit 2, from Pro Tour: Houston and Grand Prix: Reims.
A closer of this prelim sketch you will notice the artist’s notes for the idea and feel of the piece, so the art director would have a better understanding of the artist’s thought process behind the piece, and where the final direction of the painting would go. This is why many prelim sketches are so interesting, because they show the ideas behind the finished piece.
We will be featuring a number of pieces of original Magic artwork over the next few months here on Eternal Central. As we feature more pieces they will also be added to our gallery on the fantastic new site Original Magic Art, which is a site where different art collectors have begun sharing their Magic original artwork collections. We’d encourage you to check out our gallery there, as well as everyone else’s. Enjoy!