In our ongoing Artist Profile series we feature some of the top artists in the board gaming industry. Today we feature Chicago native, Anthony Gero.
Rapid Response:
Name:Anthony Gero
Date/Place of Birth: I was born on 7/11/1996 in Evanston (Basically in Chicago)
Where are you from?:I’m from the suburbs of Chicago!
Where do you currently live?:‘Burbs outside of Chicago! I went to Florida to live with my grandparents for a little bit when I was younger. I do travel a lot though! Not so much with all of this COVID nonsense currently, however 🙁
Married? Kids?: Unfortunately, no on both of those questions 😛 I’m in a serious relationship at the moment, though! One thing will probably lead to another~
What’s your favorite board game of all time?: Oof, you’re making me choose here. I really, really love Pandemic: Call of Cthulhu. I already love the Pandemic game but the added flavor of the Lovecraft mythos -really- does it for me. The artwork is superb and the gameplay is super simple from Pandemic. I highly recommend it if you like Lovecraft’s works. 🙂
Who’s your favorite artist?: Contemporary or Classic? If I had to choose an artist today, honestly, it would have to be Adam Duff. He’s got a Youtube Channel that talks about the creative process and how it can affect people in different ways. Really nice to sit down and listen to if you’re looking for an extra boost in your confidence for the day, he doesn’t pull any punches! If you need a quick shot of reality and feelgood he’s the place to go! He’s also got a mentorship program which is AMAZING. If I had to pick a Classical artist it would have to be a TIE between Norman Rockwell and John Singer Sargent. Rockwell’s paintings are timeless and invoke a sense of belongingness and emotion, almost as if you were there in person. John Singer Sargent has an interesting story since he got sick of painting rich people and starting to branch off and doing his own thing, I like him mostly for the fact that he was a rebel and said “screw it, I’m going to do it myself.” If you look at both my classical pics, you can definitely see the inspiration for a lot of current playing card art! :D!
What’s the most embarrassing fashion trend you used to rock?: Anyone remember those 2-1 pants where you can zip off at the knee area to turn them into shorts? I had like 3 pairs of those and MAN the material was like parachute cloth. Rocked that along with a OLD NAVY sweater when the weather got colder in grade school ahaha. They all came in super eye-gouging fluorescent colors too, eugh.
You have to sing karaoke, what song do you pick?: Mmmm I like to read the room when I do karaoke. If the crowd is older we go with the ol’ reliable “We didn’t start the fire”by Billy Joel. If I’m with people who are around my age? “The Walker” by Fitz and the Tantrums.
What got me into art?: Been drawing since I was a wee lad, drove my teachers absolutely insane. I even got banned for drawing too much in 5th grade! I kept it up allllll the way up to college where I stopped because I had a particularly bad and snobby art program that kinda made me not want to pursue it anymore. Also, I didn’t know the absolute POWER of digital art yet. So I started to pursue a business marketing degree! Since I was getting into boring business classes, I wanted an avenue into art so I bought a digital tablet and the rest is honestly history. I’ve been exploring online resources and materials to make myself the self made artist that I am today, I even took a mentorship program this last summer. My business classes really helped me understand everything that goes on in the business world SO much better, combined with my own research into the art: it’s where I am today! Doing art for companies and loving doing it!
Personal Project
Deadhand - Personal Project
The Thalassic Terror - Cube Brush Art Challenge
UncleMulcimer - Personal Project
Alien Fish - Personal Project
The False Idol - Personal Project
Kiwi-Rabbits - Personal Project
Stag Guardian - Dave Greco Challenge Piece
Anthony is a freelance digital illustrator who relishes in the challenge of bringing fantastical worlds to life. Currently pursuing a marketing degree, Anthony is very sensitive to the ins and outs of making artwork to catch the eye of potential customers. With years of practice under his belt, he is itching to carve out a name for not only himself but any potential employers with his skills in Character Art, Illustration, Creature Design, Visual Marketing, and Product Design.
See more of Anthony’s artwork at https://mulcimer.com.
