iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mike Pape @wingbuffet.bsky.social · 20/06/2024

Three 'Species' paintings that I made for D&D's new Revised Player's Handbook – Dwarves, Elves, and Orcs!

Painting of a dwarven smithing workshop, with dwarves performing various tasks.

Painting of an elven enclave, featuring numerous elves engaging in various activities such as painting, playing music, gardening, or simply relaxing.

Painting of an orcish hunting party outdoors in a badlands environment. Several of the orcs are handling Harris's Hawks, with younger orcs learning from the older members of the party.

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Mike Pape @wingbuffet.bsky.social · 17/12/2023

[Art VS Artist 2023] '23 was a really good year for me art-wise! I landed some awesome projects that'll be coming out next year, and got to push into some new territory for both style and medium — can't wait to show what I've been working on lately ☺️

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Mike Pape @wingbuffet.bsky.social · 25/11/2023

While I'm currently too busy to make BG3 fanart (the game is good!), I'm happy I got to do some promo work for their Early Access patches :D

Painting of a drow druid wielding natural magics in a forest setting. Her clothing and armor are covered in bark and leaves.

Painting of an elven sorcerer with silver scales on his face channels magical ice in a magma-filled cavern.

Painting of a raging barbarian atop a table in a tavern. Other patrons seem to be fighting and tossing objects around, and the barbarian looks ready for a fight.

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Mike Pape @wingbuffet.bsky.social · 10/10/2023

it's #PortfolioDay and I'm an illustrator, so look upon my wares :v I illustrate book covers, TTRPGs, card art, & promo art! You can find my stuff at my site mikepape.com, including a mailing list if you're looking for my private commission availability. For commercial work, email is in my bio!

Painting of the 'Smoldering Corpse' tavern in the city of Sigil. A flaming man dances midair over a fiery vent as a wide variety of patrons revel, drink, play games, and chat with one another.

Painting of a shattered mirror showing a nervous figure and her colorful, otherworldly alter-ego.

Painting of two people embracing in a fantastical forest, surrounded by glowing blue flora. One of the figures towers over the other and gently lifts her chin with his hand, while the other looks up adoringly while holding a mug of ale.

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Mike Pape @wingbuffet.bsky.social · 23/09/2023

A painting I did last year for Wizards, specifically to envision the 'Smoldering Corpse' tavern from Planescape! I got to do a ton of little vignettes for this one, and I had a great time with all the little stories :>

Crop of the first image: A human, gnome, kenku, half-orc, and grell play cards. The gnome seems to have just won a hand, and the kenku cheers while the human slams his fist in frustration and the half-orc reels in shock. The grell is just trying to hold his cards with his little tentacles.

Crop of the first image: A gnoll, drow, oni, and several humans sit at a bar engaged in various conversations. A half-orc and human bartender serve the patrons.

Crop of the first image: A green-skinned archon sips from a chalice as a spined devil makes a move on a chess board.

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Mike Pape @wingbuffet.bsky.social · 29/08/2023

QT Show me how you draw men! ~ Fellas, guys, bros ~

An elven sorcerer with silver scales on his face channels magical ice in a magma-filled cavern.

A paladin wearing ornately-decorated heavy armor stands in a snowy tundra, licking a bit of blood from the inside of his mouth. A hint of fangs can be seen in his mouth, and his irises glow yellow.

An adventuring halfling holds out a tall lantern while hanging from a rope as he rappels down into a cave.

An elven barbarian wielding a glowing, molten hammer.

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Mike Pape @wingbuffet.bsky.social · 22/08/2023

Waukeen, Faerûn's goddess of coin and trade

Painting: Moonlight spills into the destroyed ceiling of a massive chamber, filled with intricate carvings, ritualistic alters, and piles of gold. Streams of gold coalesce into the figure of a huge, imposing woman clad in golden robes, who holds a decaying gold dragon by the chest as it thrashes and attempts in vain to breath gouts of flame at her.

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Mike Pape @wingbuffet.bsky.social · 20/08/2023

Trick, a Tiefling seer from a few years back :>

Painting of a tiefling woman on a white background, wearing a silvery-white gown that's being swept around her by the wind. Cards for fortune-telling encircle her, and she stands with her arms raised in front of constellation-like patterns. She has two large horns that curl from the sides of her head in front of her eyes, covering them. Her long, curly purple hair whips around behind her, and her pinkish-purple skin is patterned with pale patches across her body.

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Mike Pape @wingbuffet.bsky.social · 15/08/2023

Characters with Horns over the years ('20-'21-'22-'23, respectively) ;D I remember when that first one popped off online folks were very "Tiefling Barbarian? Wow, novel!" and look how far we've come

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Mike Pape @wingbuffet.bsky.social · 09/08/2023

One last book cover illustration (for now), this time for Kimberly Lemming's novel 'That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human' — third in the same series as the last two covers!

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Mike Pape @wingbuffet.bsky.social · 06/08/2023

A little ghost collector (and the sketches that lead up to him)

A gnome man is surrounded by three spiralling green ghosts, which seem to be emerging from his clocktower-topped staff. He has glasses and a center-parted undercut, and wears simple finery under a quilted pink cloak tipped with tassels.

Sketch of the character from image #1, in a different pose. Here he looks up at the ghosts emerging from his staff.

Sketch of the character from image #1, in a different pose. Here he stalks towards the viewer, wielding his staff menacingly as a scythe-like blade of ghostly force emerges from its head.

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Mike Pape @wingbuffet.bsky.social · 04/08/2023

I was tasked with creating the 'Ultimate' card art for Darrington Press' new tabletop game Queen By Midnight, featured at GenCon! My first cards :D

A host of warriors crests a ridge on horseback behind a hailstorm of flaming arrows. A massive red moon frames their leader, whose white horse is reared up while she fires a flaming arrow skyward.

A woman dressed in dark leathers, crow feathers, and a wide-brimmed hat is showered in golden coins. She is surrounded by dozens of picture frames on the walls around her, and she looks blissfully satisfied.

A massive beasts emerges in the midst of a battlefield, her hide covered in arrows and swords as soldiers flee from her. Glowing orange crystals emerge from her shoulders and chest, and ethereal green energy drips from her clawed hands.

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Mike Pape @wingbuffet.bsky.social · 01/08/2023

a halfling doing some dungeon delving

An adventuring halfling holds out a tall lantern while hanging from a rope as he rappels down into a circular chamber. The cave-like space below contains staircases, alcoves, and stalactites, with piles of gold pieces surrounding a draconic skeleton that clutches a massive shining ruby.

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Mike Pape @wingbuffet.bsky.social · 29/07/2023

Hi again Bluesky :D I'm Mike, an illustrator for tabletop games, RPGs, fantasy romance novels, and even good ol' private commissions. I [unsurprisingly] love character/narrative-driven art, and I've got an Art-only feed on my profile if you'd like to see more :>