Artist Russel Scott has created an MTG Black Lotus that definitely won’t pringle – using a block of wood, a magnifying glass, and the literal sun. Known as ‘thesunsmith’ on social media, Scott specializes in this unorthodox form of wood burning. They posted a video of their Magic: The Gathering art on July 5, where they also mentioned it took four hours to create this version of the rare MTG card.
You can watch Scott create their MTG Black Lotus in the video below:
In a Reddit post discussing their work, Scott says using the sun has some stylistic benefits. “I’ve found this to be better for darker, thicker lines and for spots where the design is blacked out”, they explain. It apparently takes about the same time as using a dedicated wood-burning kit.
Scott also acknowledges the cool factor in choosing to make art this way. “I’m like a wizard using a crystal to harness the power of a star that’s 92 million miles away”, they tell Reddit. “Never ceases to blow my mind.”
Scott has created other images from pop culture by collaborating with the sun. This includes some excellent Pokémon art – though we’re yet to see any rare Pokémon cards burned into wood.
For more of the latest Magic: The Gathering news, keep an eye on the MTG 2023 release schedule. Digital gamers will also want to track the latest MTG Arena codes and MTG Arena decks – and we’ve already done all the hard work for you in our handy guides.