As we move closer and closer to the Kickstarter launch of The Festival of Explosions, it's the perfect time to shine a spotlight on the creative mind behind the game's beautiful artistry - Mofei Wang.
Mofei's journey to our team
In 2023, we were thrilled to welcome Mofei Wang into our team. Mofei, an artist of extraordinary talent and creativity, has embarked on the journey to reimagine and bring to life the unique visuals of The Festival of Explosions (FoE). Prior to joining us for FoE, Mofei's remarkable skills were showcased in various notable projects, including the acclaimed Gloomhaven.
Q&A
We sat down with Mofei to ask him some questions about his experiences in illustrations, the gaming industry, and his time working with Two19 on FoE. Here’s what we heard from him - enjoy!
How did you begin your journey doing illustrations?
I come from an artistic family, with my father being an artist who is a master of traditional Chinese painting. I studied the arts from a very young age. After I went to university, I started to learn artistic design and landscape architecture. After graduation, I worked as a landscape architect for a while but still found myself more interested in illustration and art. So, that is how it began.
Can you tell us about your first project in the gaming industry?
Back in 2019, at the beginning of my illustrator career, I did a lot of small commissions for individual clients. None of them were industry-level jobs—just a few small illustrations, sometimes even graphic design jobs. But they were good kickstarts for my career. It was in 2020 that I got my first job in the game industry.
I was asked to create illustrations for the card game Viking Raiders, which Neowulf Games published. This was an exciting opportunity for me to show my skills and develop further. My clients were satisfied with the final outcome and it successfully launched I gained a lot of confidence after participating in that project.
What did you learn from that experience?
From that experience I learnt I needed to learn how to draw as many subjects as possible if I want to go far in my career. When I first started to draw as a child, I liked to do landscape and nature illustrations.
At the time when I was working on ‘Viking Raiders’, I wasn’t as good at character illustration and design since I had more experience in landscape and nature illustrations. My clients asked me if I could do character illustrations. If I could, they would ask me to do the entire artwork for the game. In the end, I decided that I would do the job, but I could only offer to do the environment and object illustrations. After this experience, I decided that I needed to develop my skills in character illustration and design. I focussed my time on developing my skills in character design and painting. It’s been a lot of work but I’m really proud of the progress I’ve made since then.
What are some of the projects you have worked on before joining the Two19 team?
Before joining Two19, I participated in many different types of projects. I did illustrations and game assets for many board games, such as Viking Raiders, Katmandu: Age of Artifacts for Cryptozoic Entertainment, and the acclaimed Gloomhaven for Cephalofair Games. I also worked as a contractor for many video game companies on concept art and illustration. I also had a few experiences of working on book illustrations and graphic design.
What is your favourite piece of artwork you created for FoE? What do you like about it?
This is really hard to choose as I like all of the artwork I created for FoE. However, if I were to just pick one, I shall say Surge Rumbleboom is my favourite. She was the first piece I created for FoE, and I really like the overall design of this character, and I think the scene is very engaging. What could be more exciting than the opening of the Festival?
What advice would you give to those hoping to work in the gaming industry?
Based on my previous experiences as an artist, I would suggest stepping out of your comfort zone and trying to draw new things. You never know what projects are waiting for you! Keep curious, flow your mind, and don’t forget to always try some new games!
Other than Kingless, what’s your favourite board game?
It’s a bit difficult only to pick one. The board games I love include Magic the Gathering, Hearthstone (if this is counted), 7 Wonders, Everdell, Wingspan, Tapestry and Jaipur.
Mofei's journey and insights are not just a testament to his immense talent but are also an inspiration for aspiring artists who may be interested in pursing a career in the gaming industry.
His contributions to The Festival of Explosions have been invaluable, and we can't wait for everyone to experience the artistic magic he has brought.
Stay tuned for more updates as we gear up for the Kickstarter launch. It's going to be an explosive celebration!