IAN MACDONALD — ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Meet Ian MacDonald, who jumps into (artistic) action with his amazing depictions of Disney glimmers.

Thanks for joining us, Ian. You had the exciting task of showcasing all members of the Big Hero 6 team. How did you go about fitting them all on a single card?
Ian: It was definitely a challenge bringing all of them into one piece! I wanted to use the framing of the "We Can Be Immortals" sequence in the film, which featured Hiro essentially suiting up all the members of the team. I wanted them to radiate out of the center where Hiro is, almost like a movie poster. Fitting all six with equal representation in a small card was difficult, but so rewarding!

What other characters do you enjoy drawing?
Ian: I'm a huge fan of all things Disney, so getting to work on any property is a dream come true. I think my favorite so far has been Big Hero 6 characters since the designs are so fun. A close second was getting to illustrate Hades in the Glimmer vs. Glimmer card since he's one of my favorite villains. It's tough to choose since they're all such important parts of my childhood.

Do you have a go-to Disney song or album you put on when you are drawing?
Ian: I love putting on "I’ll Make a Man Out of You" from Mulan when I start an illustration because the line "let's get down to business" feels appropriate when staring at a blank canvas. “Zero to Hero” from Hercules and “I 2 I” from A Goofy Movie are in my regular rotation and always give me great vibes. I rewatch the “Hellfire” sequence from The Hunchback of Notre Dame often as well because the combination of music and visuals is some of the best I've ever seen. So inspiring and expertly storyboarded and animated. Gives me goosebumps every time!

When you play the game, what cards do you like to have in your deck?
Ian: I'm actually just a collector of the cards! I don’t have anybody to play with just yet, but I've managed to convince some friends to jump in. We’ve scheduled a play session in a couple weeks. I've been gathering the cards since The First Chapter, so I'm excited to finally wrap my head around the mechanics. I will definitely try to arrange a deck around some of the other cards I've done though, and I'm excited to try creating themed decks!

Check out more of Ian’s work on Instagram @ian_macdonald_art.