Let’s learn a little about Francesca Baerad, a freelance artist & cartographer, whose clients have included some of the titans in the fantasy novel, comic book, video game and role playing game industries like Square Enix, Games Workshop, Paizo, Fantasy Flight Games, Penguin Random House and Dark Horse.
Transcript
Intro
Welcome to another DragonLance Saga creator episode. My name is Adam and today I am talking with the freelance artist and cartographer, Francesca Baerald. You can check out her fantastic work at her website francescabaerald.com. Don’t forget to like and subscribe to this channel, ring the bell, and you can further help this channel, and pick up Dragonlance Gaming materials, using my affiliate link in the description below.
Due to the fact that Francesca incredibly busy, I was only able to interview her via email. However because this is a YouTube based video production, I decided to allow Siri to answer on her behalf. Francesca Baerald is Italian, but Apple doesn’t offer an Italian accented voice, so I opted for American. Thank you for tuning in and enjoy our interview.
Questions
Did you always know you wanted to be a professional artist?
No, I didn’t. I knew from when I was little that I was a creative person. I loved drawing and playing music. But I started to think about actually becoming a professional artist years later, while I was attending a three years illustration class about ten years ago.
What were your early inspirations as an artist?
Games, videogames and the fantasy genre in general have always been part of my life. I would have loved to have the chance to professionally contribute with my art to the game world and to express my vision of it.
I feel very lucky and happy that I can now do it!
When did you get your first ‘break’ into the professional art or cartography scenes? (What was your first professional job?)
My first professional commissions came from private clients and Italian game companies. But I think that the first big commission that really gave my works some visibility was the one for Fantasy Flight Games. After that came SquareEnix and Games Workshop.
Can you walk us through your process as a cartographer? (What steps do you go through to complete a map?)
Once I receive the client’s art brief, I start doing some research on the setting. I gather as much info as possible, then try to visualize the composition of the map through a sketch. I try my best to dive into the world I’m creating and to make it really authentic, imagining how a character from that world would have created the map.
When I feel that my sketch is balanced enough, I move on to a slightly more detailed drawing. After making the necessary adjustments based on the client’s feedback, I prepare a detailed drawing and when this is approved I start inking the map. I usually prefer to ink before colouring the map so that I can have a clear fix of the drawing lines on the board. Once the map is inked, I move on with colours. I don’t do many colour tests. I try to make the colours flow on the map as naturally as possible, welcoming and adapting if some accidents occur. When the map is complete, I digitally scan it at high resolution and slightly balance colours if necessary. And that’s it!
You’ve received many awards, do any have more meaning or significance to you as an artist?
Well I haven’t received so many awards actually. But I think that the most significant recognition I received was one of my illustrations being selected to be included inside Heavy Metal Magazine, a magazine that I’ve always loved.
What are some of your favorite art pieces that you have created and why?
Each of my artworks has a special significance to me, since they are all linked to a different moment in my life and I tend to transfer my emotions on the maps I work on. I really can’t tell a favourite one since they are all important to me in their own way.
Are you familiar with the Dragonlance novel and RPG world? What do you think of it?
I know the Dragonlance novels from my youth. It is a world that has always fascinated me. And since it has a special place in my heart, I always wanted to represent it through my art. I’m really happy to have had the chance to do it recently. It’s a world so rich that deserves to be explored in infinite ways, by reading the books or playing the RPG and so on. I’m really looking forward to seeing what this setting will offer us in the near future with the new trilogy.
Can you talk to us about the source materials you referenced to create the map of Krynn for your client?
I truly enjoyed working with my client to research and look for all the reference material. He’s a real fan and expert so he was a fantastic source of information. He had a pretty clear idea of the key elements he’d liked me to represent but he also gave me a lot of freedom to express my view of Ansalon. I used various old maps as reference and confronted them to make sure I didn’t forget any important locations. When my memories of the Dragonlance saga weren’t so clear, I researched online and also went looking for my old books, comics and artworks in my library.
Are you taking commission work right now?
At the moment my work agenda is quite full for this year. However I’m always happy to hear about possible new and exciting projects.
Where can the audience find you and your work online?
My official website is www.francescabaerald.com. But if you’d like to keep updated with all the new maps and stuff I daily work on, my Twitter (@FBaerald), Facebook (FrancescaBaerald) or Instagram (francesca.baerald) pages are the right places to visit.
Outro
Thank you for tuning into this episode. I would like to invite you to share your Dragonlance story as a comment below, subscribe to the channel and like this video. You can support this channel and pick up some Dragonlance gaming materials by using the affiliate link in the description below.
This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Until next time, Slàinte mhath
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