TgGwent: Interview with Angelina Lisovskaya

The article was prepared by the TgGwent Team specifically for the telegram channel “Buttery ot Buzhy” (“Sandwiches by Burza”).

We had an interesting conversation with the talented 2D artist from Belarus, Angelina Lisovskaya, who created artworks for GWENT cards, designed card backs, conceptualized character appearances, avatars, borders, coins, and much more.

The conversation turned out to be very interesting and pleasant! Be sure to visit Angelina's page with her works: https://www.artstation.com/angie_lis

TGG: Hi, Angelina. We're excited to have the opportunity to talk to you. We know you as an artist who has created many recognizable artworks for GWENT cards. Let's start with a favorite question: tell us about yourself—where you're from, where you studied, what languages you speak, and anything else you'd like to share. :)

Angelina: Hi, guys. It's a pleasure to meet and speak to you. I'd be happy to answer your questions. :)

I was born in Belarus, in a small and relatively unknown town, although I grew up in Minsk. My love for drawing has been with me since childhood, just like my love for games :) I never let go of paper and pencils, and I even drew in notebooks during math and chemistry classes. Teachers had no choice but to turn a blind eye, as trying to stop me was futile. You won't believe it, but despite my passion for drawing, I didn't plan to become an artist. My parents convinced me that artists go hungry, and it's a terrible career choice :D. So, at my mother's suggestion, I prepared to study journalism up until the 11th grade. However, thanks to my rebellious nature, I ended up enrolling in visual design at the European Humanities University in Vilnius. So, by education, I'm a designer, and I probably could work in advertising if I didn't love game development and drawing so much.

In game development, by the way, I started as a UI artist, and gradually, as I improved my drawing skills, I "grew" into creating illustrations.

In addition to Russian, I'm fluent in English and Polish. I also know a bit of Spanish because I lived in Spain for a year and a half. Lithuanian, it seems, I've completely forgotten by now. :D

TGG: How did you start working at CD PROJEKT RED? Did you apply through ArtStation, or did you submit your application yourself?

Angelina: Thoughts of working at CD PROJEKT RED had been on my mind since the release of the second "Witcher" game, but back then, I was still a student, and it seemed like an unattainable dream. However, a few years later, after gaining some experience in game development, I applied for a job (at that time, it was still for a UI artist), completed a test and got hired. I'm a fan of the Witcher universe, so at that time, I wanted to work specifically on the GWENT team. By the way, at the beginning of my journey at CD PROJEKT RED I worked on "Thronebreaker," primarily on UI.

After the release of "Thronebreaker," I started creating avatars and borders for GWENT. That's how I gradually made my way into creating illustrations. :)

TGG: Expectations vs. Reality: What surprised you when you started working at CD PROJEKT RED?

Angelina: It's hard to answer that question. Overall, I expected it to be a great place to work where I would be happy—and it turned out to be just that :) Perhaps what surprised me was how familial and friendly the atmosphere was within the GWENT team specifically. I didn't expect that, especially considering that CD PROJEKT RED itself is a corporation, and corporations usually have a different vibe.

TGG: How much time does CD PROJEKT RED usually allocate for art development?

Angelina: We're typically given 10 working days for one illustration including the preparation for the subsequent creation of the premium version (cutting out each element). Creating the animated version of the card, by the way, takes much more time and involves many more people: it starts with a 3D artist, then a rigger (the one who creates the "skeletons" of characters), followed by an animator, a special effects artist and sound designers. In short, the card goes through a long journey before it makes its way, so to speak, to the game table.

TGG: How many artists can work on one artwork? Do you enjoy working in a team?

Angelina: Typically, one artist works on one illustration, except for rare cases when someone simply couldn't finish the work, for example, before going on vacation. However, we have reviews where we discuss each other's work in a soft and respectful manner to make them even better and then we make revisions. As I mentioned before, other specialists work on the premium version. I really enjoy working in a team; I've learned a lot from my colleagues and I'm immensely grateful to them for that.

TGG: How demanding is CD PROJEKT RED when it comes to the composition of an artwork and its quality, and what can this depend on?

Angelina: Composition is the foundation of the illustration, so at the very beginning the artist creates several sketches and we all together choose the one that works well compositionally and aligns best with the card's description. The quality standards are high, but even in the pursuit of perfection we need to strike a balance, especially considering our deadlines :)

TGG: Are there any CD PROJEKT RED projects [artworks?] that were rejected or canceled?

Angelina: There's one such project. We had an idea to release an adventure featuring Roach in the lead role and I even created some concept designs for the leader's appearance. Unfortunately, it didn't work out. I think it would have been a lot of fun.

TGG: Please tell us about your projects outside of GWENT. Any artworks for other games? Personal projects?

Angelina: Sometimes I take on art projects for indie games by friends but, unfortunately, none of these projects have been completed yet :D

I also create custom posters upon request. For example, for one client I drew an illustration in a D&D setting for his gaming group where they are all depicted as their characters celebrating something in a tavern.

Most of the time, though, if I'm drawing something outside of my main job it's just for myself, not for other projects. After all, we do have certain contract restrictions and I wouldn't be able to, for instance, create art for other card games while working on GWENT.

TGG: What references do you use when creating art?

Angelina: I have a vast number of folders with references on Pinterest. For example, there's a folder with fantasy references, another with texture references, and there's a folder simply labeled "inspirations" containing artworks that inspire me. Typically, while I'm working, I have photo references open on my screen. For instance, when I'm drawing something like gold I refer to photos of gold jewelry for inspiration.

TGG: How do already existing artworks in the game influence your process of creating new illustrations?

Angelina: They mostly don't influence it unless there's a need to make some reference to existing cards. For example, the little rabbit in the pile of rags in the background on the "Quarixis" card is a reference to a person who was drinking water from the pond in the illustration of the "Naiad Pondkeeper" card.

TGG: For which existing archetype or archetype that hasn't fully materialized in the game (like ghosts among monsters), would you like to create artworks?

Angelina: Ghosts, actually, would be interesting to illustrate. I'd also like to create artwork for vampires and, especially, dragons. Dragons, for sure.

TGG: Tell us about your favorite artwork for GWENT? Why do you like this artwork more than others?

Angelina: That would probably be "Sir Scratch-A-Lot". Mostly, because in that illustration I painted my cat Blinchik [Pancake in Russian] :) I even have that artwork hanging on my wall at home; I just love that cat so much.

TGG: Whose artworks do you admire?

Angelina: Among the illustrators who have ever worked on GWENT I particularly admire the works of Lorenzo Mastroianni, Yamandu Orce, Tony Muntean, and Anna Podedworna. In general, I really like the works of artists like Zeen Chin, Bastien Lecouffe Deharme. I also admire Raphael Lacoste, who is the art director at Ubisoft; I even have his art book. I was also greatly impressed by the skill of Kim Jung Gi. He actually came to our office last year for a lecture, just before his passing.

TGG: Do you draw on paper? If so, what are your favorite tools (pastels, pencils, watercolors, etc.)?

Angelina: I draw on paper, although, to my shame, not as often as I should :) Occasionally. Mostly, it's sketches with pencils or markers. I'm not a fan of pastels or colored pencils, they're not my thing, and I used to work with watercolors but I kind of abandoned it. It's quite a demanding material.

TGG: How much time does it usually take for an artwork or project? What challenges have you had to face?

Angelina: As I mentioned earlier, it usually takes 10 working days for an illustration, but for personal projects I can do them a bit faster or a bit longer, depending on the complexity. I can create a leader's appearance concept in a week.

As for challenges, I can create them for myself. For instance, I used to draw environments rarely and didn't feel confident in that genre, but I once chose to create the illustration for the "Baccalà" card. I really wanted to paint that city. It turned out quite well, I think.

TGG: What was the greatest (in a positive or negative way) artwork?

Angelina: Perhaps it’s my last artwork for GWENT - "Angus Bri Cri." It's the greatest artwork in both positive and negative ways. First of all, because it's the last one :)

Moreover, it features someone dear to my heart - my boyfriend, who also works in the company [Mikhail Kozlov - a full-stack developer at CDPR - editor's note].

In addition, the illustration depicting the same scene from a different angle ("Riordain") was later drawn by my close friend and colleague Renata Mrowińska, and it's very symbolic that she and I drew these two characters fighting side by side.

But this artwork was not easy for me: I had very limited time to complete it, and there are (partially) six characters in the illustration. It was quite stressful.

TGG: Do you like traditional Belarusian costumes? If yes, what elements would you like to see in modern clothing or even wear yourself? And what is your favorite costume tradition?

Angelina: I have great respect for Belarusian traditional costumes. In modern clothing, for example, there are already embroidered shirts: I have one with cornflowers myself. It would be nice to wear belts like the ones from Slutsk with a leather belt on top – that's not very traditional, but I would wear it that way. I particularly like the Kobrin winter costume of a married woman.

Just look at how well everything in it matches! And that long, beautifully wrapped shawl – it's magnificent.

TGG: Do you enjoy working with historical costumes and costumes from different cultures?

Angelina: Of course, I do. It's an integral part of character concept design, especially in the fantasy genre. I even have a folder dedicated to historical costumes on Pinterest.

TGG: Besides The Witcher, do you have any favorite authors/works in the fantasy genre? Perhaps, any favorite Belarusian authors in this field?

Angelina: Well, of course, it's Tolkien and his "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings". I haven't read any Belarusian authors in this genre, unfortunately. Thanks for asking that question; now I'll definitely try to find something among Belarusian fantasy literature for myself.

TGG: Have you played computer or tabletop games based on The Witcher? Which game did you like the most?

Angelina: I've played The Witcher 2 and The Witcher 3, and unfortunately, I've only watched streams of the first one, and that was after I'd already completed the third game. Of course, I liked The Witcher 3 the most (it's a masterpiece, what more can I say?), but the second one is also excellent. And, of course, there's GWENT.

TGG: Do you play GWENT yourself? If so, what's your favorite faction and the associated mechanics?

Angelina: I used to play, but I think I'm so bad at GWENT that I often got frustrated. Competitive games are emotionally challenging for me. My favorite faction was Monsters, and their vampires with bleeding mechanics. I generally like vampires, so that's how it goes here too.

TGG: What other hobbies and interests do you have besides drawing?

Angelina: A little bit of everything: I sing, do pole dancing, and also play games, both computer and tabletop (I hope that can be called a hobby?).

TGG: What are you working on right now?

Angelina: Right now I'm trying to improve my skills in environmental concept art, so I'm drawing again, I could say, for myself. I'm also learning Unreal Engine.

TGG: What artistic movements or styles do you like?

Angelina: From classical art movements I like Renaissance, Romanticism and Surrealism.

Overall, I'm often inspired by the works of Renaissance artists for illustrations and card backs. I also like Abstract art but more as a form of interior decor :)

TGG: How do you feel about neural networks and artificial intelligence? Do you believe that the generation of art, like in the case of the Midjourney, will replace illustrators, concept artists and other creative professions?

Angelina: This is a complex and sensitive question for me, as it is for many contemporary artists. I want to believe that it won't replace us entirely. There are many reasons why AI cannot currently fully meet all the needs of modern projects. Additionally, AI sometimes uses direct pieces of others' work, which is plagiarism, and such content cannot be used in a project. However, there's nothing wrong with using AI as a tool to assist in the creative process.

TGG: The most cliché question ever: what are your creative plans?

• What would you like to work on?

• Are there any genres or materials you'd like to try?

Angelina: I really want to create a board game. Right now I'm looking for potential collaborators, such as a game designer and possibly a writer, to get started. I'm also casually considering getting into 3D art. I already use 3D in my work to some extent, but I could further develop my skills in this area.

TGG: Your favorite dinosaur?

Angelina: Pterodactyl. It's the closest thing to a dragon.

TGG: Are there any projects or genres that you definitely wouldn't take on?

Angelina: No. If the project is interesting or the team is good I'm always willing to consider participating in it.

TGG: Drawing is a popular anti-stress hobby. But how do you relieve stress if you're already an artist? 🙂

Angelina: Take a break from drawing for a while and engage in other forms of creativity (such as sculpting) or play games. That's how I relieve stress at least.

TGG: Your favorite Belarusian proverb that helps you in your creative work?

Angelina: "Adklad ne idze u lad"/ “Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today” — it helps not only in creativity but in any other task as well. I'm always fighting procrastination.

TGG: Have you watched the original Star Trek series? If yes, who is your favorite character?

Angelina: Unfortunately, I haven't watched it :(

TGG: Triss or Yennefer?

Angelina: Yennefer, because it's more canonical, and I think Geralt would choose her :) Although I personally like Triss as a character more!

TGG: What would you like to say in conclusion to our readers, both fans of GWENT and The Witcher, and those who are considering a life connected to art?

Angelina: Don't abandon GWENT. As long as you play, GWENT lives on, and I sincerely hope it will live for a long time.

And if you've decided to dedicate your life to art - believe in yourself, create with love and savor every moment of this amazing journey.

Mikhail Kozlov, who became a reference for the "Angus Bri Cri" card, is wearing a t-shirt with a picture of Angelina's cat named Blinchik. Angelina also drew the art for this shirt. However, Blinchik's modeling career didn't stop there; he also became the reference for the main character of the "Sir Scratch-A-Lot " card!

Artfully incorporating many references to real people (and not just people) is a skill not every artist possesses, but Angelina certainly nailed it!