Devin Night has done an amazing thing by creating a top-down, digital token for every monster from Kobold Press’s Tome of Beasts. They’re all for sale at his website, where he talks more about the project.
Some sample tokens are below. We caught up with Devin to find out more.
KP: Devin, the Tome of Beasts tokens are done and look amazing. Do you have a couple favorites or pieces you think turned out especially well?
DN: There are definitely some that are better than others, but I couldn’t narrow down the good ones to just three or four. I usually hi-lite some of the better ones on the store images or on Twitter when I announce the sets. I did save the Kobold from inside the cover. It didn’t have an entry, but I felt it would make a good bonus token.
KP: Was there any monster in Tome of Beasts that required new technique or a new twist to your style?
DN: When the workload was hanging over my head, I didn’t want to try and make any major changes to my style. I would usually have to make about five tokens a day, and I couldn’t afford to try new things. That said, I do try to keep evolving as an artist. The inspiration provided by the existing artwork did help influence some of the coloration and lighting. I think when I manage to pull off some really good highlights and rim-lighting, the tokens feel more dimensional.
KP: What makes a good token for online play?
DN: I think the most important thing is the silhouette. Quite often when you are playing on virtual tabletops, you will be zoomed out, so being able to distinguish one token from another just by the shape of it is important. Next is the general shapes and color. I tend to put more detail into the tokens than is really needed. I can’t stop, though, after I see how people react to the little details I squeeze into each token.
KP: Do liquidy monsters such as oozes give you fits, or are they easy to make?
DN: Yes and no. Shiny surfaces are hard for me to render. I really need more practice with rendering specific types of surfaces. One of the tokens, the crypt ooze, also has a black skull floating in it. I think that one came out pretty well, it has a bit of transparency where the skull hopefully looks like it’s inside the ooze and not sitting on top of it.
KP: What’s up next from you? And are you open for commissions?
DN: I am trying to get on top of my backlog of custom orders. I will probably be looking to start the Patreon that I have put off until Tome of Beasts was done. I am always accepting requests and enjoy hearing from existing patrons and new patrons alike.
