Central Michigan University Press’ thirteenth game, Line by Line, will debut for crowdfunding on October 20th on BackerKit! As we introduce the public to this marvelously cozy, collaborative poetry-writing game, we are also delighted to highlight its creators! Today’s profile focuses upon the artist behind Line by Line‘s lovely imagery, Vicky Tran!
Vicky Tran is a Canadian artist, designer, and lifelong illustrator whose love for games has always influenced her creative practice. She holds a Bachelor of Design from OCAD University and enjoys exploring both digital and analog games, which have become a rich source of inspiration for her own creative work.
Her practice is driven by a love of worldbuilding and storytelling, often drawing inspiration from the games she plays and the tales they create. You can find her latest work and obsessions on Bluesky and Instagram.
We sent Vicky a list of questions to delve deeper into her thoughts while creating art for Line by Line. Keep reading for more!
Q: How did you get involved in this project?
I drew Quill when the game was first conceived in a game design class, and Tilak recommended that I draw the rest of the art once it was officially picked up!
Q: What is your background with games and/or poetry?
I’m a lifelong gamer, from videogames to tabletop. It might sound corny, but it really did expose me to all manner of artistic direction and styles, and plays a big part in how I create today! Aside from games, I also did creative writing as a hobby – and then I took a Writer’s Craft class in high school which honestly gave me a whole new appreciation for it.
Q: How did you develop the look of Line By Line?
It took a lot of back and forth, but ultimately we wanted a style that was first and foremost both approachable and easy to replicate. It was based on a prototype sketch from when the game was first developed, and blossomed from there! Based a bit on pen and ink drawings, sketchbook drawings, and watercolour paintings, I always thought of these styles as being wonderfully versatile. I especially have a soft spot for sketchbook pieces. They’re important contributions to the creation of more art – and in this case, the creation of poetry!
Q: What inspired your interpretation of Line by Line’s game board, box art, and images for the Ingredient Cards? (Especially Quill!)
I think the most repeated word used to describe the mood we were going for was “cozy”. This drove the idea of a ‘fantasy coffee shop’ – warm, approachable, even a little Parisian. It helped to populate much of the art, but especially being able to include fantastical, medieval ideas and motifs – all of the filigree is based on medieval scripture – it made it very fun imagining what the linens or a well-loved tavern table would look like, and how we could make all of the elements of the game diegetic (the Ingredient Cards becoming plates, using faded spots to signify card places on the board, having the instructions look like a menu etc.).
The biggest thought that drove the creation of Quill was my belief of coziness coming from the idea of being very little! Films like Arrietty, Stuart Little, or Toy Story – there’s something very comforting about being small enough to fit inside a teacup.
Q: How does your work for Line by Line fit into your portfolio of other created works? (Or is it completely different?)
It’s actually pretty different! I’ve always created one off pieces, so it felt like I was painting within a system with Line by Line. It was also quite different because I’ve never drawn such a wide variety of subjects, like everyday objects and animals – it really pushed my artistic capabilities, so it was a very rewarding learning opportunity!
Q: What art medium/s did you use to create the game art?
Trusty ol’ Photoshop. It’s all digital, but we did aim to give it a handdrawn, watercolour effect – working digitally was just more sustainable for the amount of art that needed to be made.
Q: What does the process of creating art look like for you? Did you try any new techniques or experiment with this process?Not this time! I was a little hesitant to try anything too out of the box with so much art to complete, so this really was a reliability test of all the processes I’d developed over the years.
Q: Were there any art ideas that you did not use in your final designs?
I’m actually so thrilled to get this question – I drew some beautiful chairs for the game board, and they were going to sit in the corners, but alas they did not survive playtesting… :’)
We also had individual art for House Blend cards that didn’t end up being used!
Q: Is there anything else you would like people to know about the art or how you created it?
I’d like people to know that a lot of love went into crafting its palette and colours – Quill for example especially had a completely different colour scheme at the beginning, and it took a lot of back and forth to arrive at the final look. There are chains and chains of emails discussing just the colour of Quill’s coat!
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Thank you, Vicky! You can follow Line by Line‘s prelaunch page right now at https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/central-michigan-university-press/line-by-line?ref=tilakqna to prep for the launch on October 20th! We can’t wait!