An Interview with Artist Kaitlyn McCulley
One of Magic's most exciting new artists, McCulley's first two cards prove she is a painterly powerhouse to be recognized
Last week’s article about standout artworks found within Magic: The Gathering Arena’s Alchemy format (which was a result of the previous week’s mailbag) really came together because of this painting:
I was so taken aback by Hex, Kellan’s Companion by Kaitlyn McCulley that I had to see more, my interest sufficiently piqued. A newcomer and relative unknown in Magic, McCulley’s first and second cards have largely gone under the radar, aside from a Twitter-explosion at the hands of artist R.J. Palmer that racked up nearly 2 million page views.
Graduating from the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design with a BFA in illustration in 2021, she set out to make fantasy freelance her full-time gig in the year following. She was gracious enough to indulge my curiosity, and answer some questions about how she got here, and where she’s going.
Interview Time!
Donny Caltrider: First things first: who are you, where are you from, and what do you do?
Kaitlyn McCulley: Hello! I’m Kaitlyn from York, Pennsylvania and I am a freelance illustrator specializing in all things fantasy!
DC: Magic is a fairly new thing for you- what other projects have you worked on we might recognize?
KM: Believe it or not I think my Magic work is the first to be published. At the end of 2022 I decided to take a chance and leave my retail job to pursue illustration full-time. I emailed many art directors and Wizards of the Coast were one of the first and only to respond.
DC: Well that is certainly exciting; they do have some of the best eyes in the business. Before we jump into your work for Magic, perhaps a little background. Do you have any art heroes or artistic influences?
KM: James Gurney is always a name I throw out first. He is someone I frequently reference if a piece has got me feeling stuck; his teaching materials are extensive and thoroughly detailed. I clung onto golden age illustrators like N.C. Wyeth, Howard Pyle, and Dean Cornwell in college. To throw out a few other names, I quite enjoy the works of Bob Kuhn, Denys Gorodnychyi, Mathurin Méheut (specifically his animal studies), Alphonse Mucha, and Jeffrey Jones. Kind of all over the place, but I think it’s vital to expose yourself to a wide variety of work.
DC: I first found your Twitter from a Pokémon process thread about Rowlet; tell me about your Pokémon fan art, because it is exceptional!
KM: Pokémon has been one of the most constant things in my life (Fire Red was my first game as a kid, but I never finished because I got stuck in Rock Tunnel), so it’s only natural that it flows over into my art. I love making fan art as a way to experiment and destress.
DC: And now I have to ask, who is your favorite Pokémon??
KM: I used to hate it, but Zubat has my heart now. I love bats!
Outlaws of Thunder Junction: Thunderclap Drake
DC: We met Hex in last week’s article, but you made your paper Magic debut in Outlaws of Thunder Junction. Did your Art Director give any specific direction for this type of drake, or did they want you to design something yourself? Did you draw inspiration from anywhere in particular?
KM: My art director, Zack Stella, had a pretty good idea of what the drake should have looked like. There were drake designs in the world guide done by April Prime and I was asked to do up a version that had the essential characteristics of a blue-tailed skink with feathered wings.
DC: Talk to me about your process- anything from how you began to how you finished-
KM: A lot of my pieces will go through generally the same process. Structure is something that helps me get through an illustration. First, I’ll start with some thumbnails. They won’t be pretty and probably shouldn’t be for it’s easy to get attached to something that’s pretty.
KM: After I have a composition figured, I start the drawing. The drawing could go through anywhere between two to five passes before I feel like it is refined enough. If I have a good idea of what I want my lighting situation to be, I’ll start a value sketch. If not, I start my blender model earlier. Blender is something I have been learning here and there.
KM: I make very rough maquettes, channeling some inner James Gurney energy, to use for lighting reference. After the lighting is in a good place, I add saturation! If I have time I’ll do a couple color sketches, it’s probably my favorite part of the process.
KM: Now that I have all of the prep work done and references made/collected, it’s time to bring it home! Everything done up to this point makes finishing an illustration very straightforward.
DC: What’s something we wouldn’t know just by looking at the card?
KM: Part of this illustration was done in Kentucky! I toured around some horse farms during the day and worked on the card at night for about a week during my vacation. Probably not the best balance of work and life, but I was fired up about the drawing and couldn’t put it away.
DC: And were there any particular challenges or triumphs you’d like to share?
KM: Nailing a solid value structure at the start proved difficult on this one. I remember how worried I was about how the end result would turn out. I’m glad to say things eventually shaped up into what you see now!
Wrapping Up
DC: How does it feel to be an official Magic artist? A little surreal, or a dream come true?
KM: Absolutely surreal for sure. I never expected to get in when I sent those cold emails on a whim, Magic the Gathering was THE job in my mind. I never truly felt ready, but I decided to give it a shot and now here we are!
DC: Do you have anything else exciting in the works, with Magic or otherwise?
KM: I have a couple more cards that should be released within the coming months. At the moment, I am back to working a part-time retail job. It’s not something I really like to admit only because it feels like art is what I am supposed to be doing. However, I think it’s good to be open and honest about these things. I’m still drawing and painting of course and I think with some experimentation and good time management, I can start picking up illustration work again!
DC: And before we go, where can we find you online to follow your work?
KM: I’m on Instagram and Twitter (X) under the handle @k_a_m_9_9, I also have a website at mcculleyillustration.com.
DC: Kaitlyn thanks so much for being the first interview here on Snack Time on The Stack, and these wonderful insights into your art life. You’re really knocking it out of the park, and I can’t wait to see what else you’ve got coming!
End Step
There is an artistic force rising in South Central Pennsylvania and her name is Kaitlyn McCulley. I echoed this to Kaitlyn, but I’ve been doing this long enough to know when I see a standout among the crowd. And folks, she’s it.
We here are witness to the first spark of what I think will be a meteoric rise in Magic.