Image of Eric Klug's work desk and his painting of Counterspell, courtesy of the artist

Altering cards with custom art is an expression of devotion in the purest form, both in devotion to the new art and to the game. This is especially true of Magic: The Gathering, a card game that has taken the concept of personalizing one's deck to new extremes these past few years.

For many, altering cards is a pastime meant to show their love of something. For others, it's a means to earn some money. But whatever that reason is, there are people in the Magic community who truly know what they're doing here.

Enter Eric Klug (also known as Klug Alters), who is, perhaps, the most well-known Magic card alterist in the field. His custom-altered cards often go on auction and sell for amounts in the thousands. This is partly due to his handiwork and perhaps the subject matter. But a lot of it seems to be based around the brand he's created for himself with past work.

An alter of Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. Image credit: Eric Klug

We got a chance to conduct an exclusive interview with Eric and get his perspective on his career and the game as it evolves.

Interview With Eric Klug

This question is one that's probably on most people's minds right now, reading this (and it's certainly that for me): How do you get such fine brush strokes on your alters? What types of brushes do you use to achieve this level of detail?

This is the sort of question I don’t have an easy or canned answer for. I’ve been making art my entire life (I’m 39), and have been painting alters for 17 years. I’ve certainly put my 10,000 hours in. So a lot of the technique is just muscle memory at this point. Producing smooth, extremely clean work is about slowly and meticulously “building up the painting.”

I think where a lot of painters run into trouble is trying to rush or render out things too quickly, and you end up with a painting that looks rushed.

What drew you specifically to Magic as a medium for your art? How has altering Magic cards bolstered your connection with the game?

I discovered painted alters on an online forum in 2008, and being a long-time Magic player and artist, I instantly wanted to give it a go. I actually preferred to work in dry mediums back then, and wasn’t much of a painter at all. I had an art degree, but still had to teach myself how to alter.

Granted, I had already done a lot of painting for fun and in art school.

I’ve played Magic for more than 25 years and have altered full-time since 2011. To have Magic intertwined in both my professional and personal life means I’m deeply and forever connected to the game.

An alter of Watery Grave. Image credit: Eric Klug

How do you determine what art you use for each of your alters? Is it a commissioner's decision, or do you have full liberty? Also, was there anyone particularly surprising who commissioned a piece from you?

I stopped taking commissions three years ago, after the birth of my daughter. Since resuming work, I’ve switched to producing work on my own and auctioning those pieces. When I took commissions, the client would come to me with a concept, and we would work out what that would look like.

Brandon Sanderson is someone who contacted me back then to have work done for his incredible cube.

For my own pieces, I spend a ton of time brainstorming concepts. Sometimes there’s a reference I want to use, and I need to figure out a card it would work on. Sometimes there’s a card I want to paint on, and I try to think of how I could transform it. I’ve spent full work days just framing ideas and not painting at all. 

Eric Klug, on His Process and Background

Do you have a formal background in the arts, or are you self-trained?

I graduated from the Corcoran College of Art & Design in 2008, so I have a Fine Arts degree. That said, I’ve been drawing since I can remember. In 1st grade, my friend would write comic books and I would illustrate them, then we would try and sell them on the playground.

So it’s safe to say I’ve spent much of my life honing my craft. 

What would you say is the biggest breakthrough you've had in the process of altering a card?

When painted alters were fairly new to Magic, they were mostly border extensions of the original art or small character paintings over the original art. Nothing too ambitious. About midway through 2011, the year I started altering full-time, I slowly came to realize alters could be so much grander, and something really sparked.

I felt, and continue to feel, really inspired to innovate how I approach alter work.

The work-in-progress shot of an alter of Farewell. Image credit: Eric Klug

What was the biggest lesson you've learned while altering a card?

I remember painting the Gandalf Snapcaster MageSnapcaster Mage (pictured below). I wanted to do an extremely detailed, realistic portrait of Ian McKellen’s portrayal from the Lord of the Rings movies. I decided I was just going to take my time with it and give the painting as long as it needed. Up to that point, it was one of my more ambitious pieces, and the results showed.

An alter of Snapcaster Mage. Image credit: Eric Klug

It taught me to give the painting as long as it needs. Acclaimed artist James Gurney (of the Dinotopia books) made this great tweet in 2021: 

We often hear the advice: 'Stop before you overwork it.' But in my experience, more paintings fail from quitting too soon than from beating them to death.

That is just amazing advice for any budding artist, and I try to remember it when I’m eager for a piece to be complete that still has a ways to go.

On His Favorite Artwork

Of all the non-alter artwork you've done, what's your favorite? And, do you have a favorite alter?

I’ve painted many plein air landscapes over the years, and they mean a lot to me. These are works that are painted outside on location, working rather quickly. They’re not the most acclaimed, and I wasn’t paid to make any of them, but there’s a purity in that I painted them just as a meditation and for my own enjoyment.

I also appreciate that their creation was the complete opposite of my alter work; I’d typically work for two hours versus the 40-60 that I might put into a card.

A plein air painting of a mountainside road. Image credit: Eric Klug

I don’t pick favorites! I’ll include some images of a few that come to mind, though.

Have you ever rejected a commission? Why?

Lots of times! When I first started, I painted just about anything that wasn’t offensive because I wanted to build a brand and make a living. But as business got better, I was quickly inundated with requests. I couldn’t serve everyone and didn’t want the pressure of having a massive backlog, so I continually booked out just a month of work at a time. That meant being fairly picky in terms of what I took on.

Ultimately, I don’t take on commissions anymore because I was spending an incredible amount of time answering requests and planning projects with clients. Producing work solely for auction isn’t completely ideal. I enjoyed getting to bring other people's ideas to life, but it has allowed me far more time to just paint.

On Prospects and the Future of Altering Cards

Has Wizards of the Coast ever proactively reached out to you about doing art for them? Alternatively, have you ever reached out to them with a similar proposition?

They haven’t. I think I may have submitted a portfolio to a faceless Dropbox many years ago, but never heard anything. If it happened, that would be cool, but I also like the niche I’ve made in the community.

An alter of The Scarab God. Image credit: Eric Klug

In a post-Secret Lair, post-Universes Beyond age, what is your view on alters as a niche within Magic? Is the demand shifting at all?

I think Secret Lair and UB content is, at least in part, a fairly overt response to alters. And that’s because Magic players love to express themselves via their card choices. Think about how much time players have put into selecting their basic lands - even at the competitive level.

I think alters have a leg up because they’re one-of-a-kind, made by hand. There’s something just magic about that, if you’ll excuse the pun.

An alter of Llanowar Elves. Image credit: Eric Klug

A huge thank-you to Eric Klug for allowing us to interview him!

And now, we'd like to open the floor to you, dear readers. Have you ever tried to alter Magic cards with new art? How did you go about doing it - was it physical or digital?

Alternatively, have you ever commissioned an artist to do it for you? Sound off in the comments below! And, if you'd like to see more of Eric Klug's art and altered cards, you can check out the following links to his social media accounts or visit www.ericklug.com.

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A plein air painting of a rocky shoreline. Image credit: Eric Klug

A shot of the aforementioned Farewell alter, now finished. Image credit: Eric Klug