Steve Prescott moved to Columbus from the Cleveland area in 1991 to attend the Columbus College of Art and Design. It seemed like a natural fit, since he’s been drawing as long as he can remember. “My parents were lucky – they could keep me quiet as long as I had something to draw with,” he says.

Prescott’s been in Columbus ever since, producing intricate art work for various big name players in the gaming industry – including Dungeons & Dragons, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Shadowrun and Vampire: The Eternal Struggle.

“My job, I guess, would be called fantasy illustration for games and books. It is detail-rich, stylized, semi-realistic, fantastical illustration with a definite underlying sense of humor,” he says. Prescott works in acrylics, pencil and sometimes pen and ink.

The self-described “nerd” has always been interested in fantasy and science fiction, which is how his work fell into place. Timing was also a factor, as an art director from the role-playing game company White Wolf visited CCAD during Prescott’s final year. He showed the representative some of his black and white pieces and, a few weeks later, began working for the company.

Prescott draws inspiration from many sources, which also keeps him busy. “Any kind of artwork can rev my engine. But it’s not just art – anything that is observed and sparks and interest,” he says. “I am still growing.”

To see a collection of Prescott’s work, visit www.rottface.com.

Kirk Hardtle’s move to Columbus wasn’t mapped out. The former Mardi Gras production designer watched as his studio, home and work were swept away by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Without skipping a beat, Hardtle took whatever he had left and relocated to Ohio, where he went to college.

Hardtle’s artistry is difficult to define. He’s worked on Mardi Gras floats, from conception and design to sculpting. He’s also worked on tattoos, comics and freelancing for fantasy games, which is how he became involved in the Origins International Game Expo.

“I’ve always just thought that I was a good doodler and that was that. But I’ve done a lot of facets of art, from the dark stuff to the cartoonish stuff, like sculpting Disney floats. That’s why I love art – there are so many facets of expression,” Hardtle says. Since the dark days of Katrina, Hardtle prefers the “bright, positive and colorful stuff.”

He’s started over from square one, trying to reconnect and produce new work, and network as much as possible in Columbus. He gravitates toward icons, surrealism and fantasy drawings. “I like for people to look at my art and ask me what I mean. But I don’t want it to mean any one thing, just what they see individually. I want it to be an experience for the viewer,” Hardtle says.

For more information on Hardtle’s work, visit www.liquid-lizard.com.


Save the Date
The Origins International Game Expo 2007 is set for July 5-8 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Origins 2007 is the Game Industry’s North American Showcase, and features vendors, exhibitions, demonstrations, an open hands-on gaming area, new product information, special events and more.

Games featured at the event range from card games to Dungeons & Dragons to Anachronism. It will also include a poker tournament, collectibles and traditional board games like chess, Monopoly and Scrabble.

Some events will run 24 hours a day, according to Christine Brucker, marketing manager for GAMA. “We are going for the interactive at this show. And there will be opportunities to meet the artists – to be able to sit down with the guy who designed a particular game,” she says. “We attract a lot of families and gaming is their hobby. We make it as family-friendly as possible.”

Besides Steve Prescott and Kirk Hardtle, Columbus resident Jeff Carlisle will also be a contributing artist at the expo. Visit www.originsgames.com for more information, registration details and a full schedule.