ARTIST INTERVIEW: VINCENZO RICCARDI
Today we’re highlighting the work of one of our card artists, Vincenzo Riccardi. Vincenzo created the gorgeous Arasaka triptych — three cards that can be put together to form a bigger illustration — that will appear as alternates in Cyberpunk Trading Card Game’s first set.
We sat down with Vincenzo to ask him a few questions about Cyberpunk, his creative process, and the inspiration behind his triptych artwork.
Are you a Cyberpunk fan? If so, how did you first get into the franchise?
I’ve been aware of the Mike Pondsmith tabletop RPG for a while, but my proper introduction was the Cyberpunk 2077 video game, which I loved as a fan of RPGs — the problem is finding the time for playing such vast games!
I also think the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners series is fantastic, as it captures the feel of the game perfectly. So when I was asked to create illustrations for Cyberpunk TCG, I was thrilled!
Could you tell us a bit about your creative process? How did you develop your distinctive style?
My drawing style is the fruit of years of experimentation and rethinking. I've always tried to find my own style, my own voice, and I continued to experiment until I realized the direction I was taking was the right one.
I can't say exactly what drove me to such a psychedelic style, other than that I've always preferred working with color, and I want my work to be as impactful as possible.
Regarding the creative process, my work follows two phases. The first is the creation of quick sketches where I make several options for the client to choose from; the second phase is the final art. It can be worked directly digitally or, as I prefer (depending on deadlines), ink on paper and digital colors.
Was there anything different or unusual about making artwork for trading cards versus your usual pieces?
When I work on trading cards, my creative process is the same as when I work on covers or pages. The only thing that changes is that trading cards have many graphic elements that you have to pay attention to when working on the composition of the illustration, such as character descriptions and stats.
Are there any details in your Arasaka triptych piece that you’re especially proud of?
I loved that I was able to create a piece that is in actuality one huge scene, where you could put the illustrations side by side and see the whole picture and the interaction between such iconic characters!
Lastly, where can people find you online? And is there anything you’d like to say to the Cyberpunk TCG community?
I'm mainly active on Instagram, but you can also find me on Bluesky and Facebook.
I hope the Cyberpunk TCG community appreciates the work I've done on the cards, and that everyone will have a great time playing with Cyberpunk TCG!
Are you looking to collect the full trio? Would you like to see more artist interviews in the future? Let us know by writing to community@weird-company.com, or join community discussions in the official Cyberpunk TCG Discord server at discord.com/invite/cyberpunktcg.
See you soon, and happy gaming!
– The Weird Crew
