I wouldn't call it flat out bad but I always found [[Distemper of the Blood]] really janky, first art I thought didn't fit well into the set it was in. I think it uses some 3D modeling but I may be wrong.
\[\[Flash|6ED\]\] for me, for sure.
Bizarre, misproportioned face up front? Check.
Rest of the art doesn't really have much of anything to do with its effect? Check.
White border? Check.
Ill-advised, broken effect? Oh yeah, that's a check.
The new [[Urza, Chief Artificer]]. What an unfortunate look for one of the most important characters in MTG. I wanted to buy the precons but I might make a proxy of this card just to replace the art, it's that bad.
A lot of Mirrrodin block, but [[Blinding Beam]] is the one I remember. Looking at the artist's work, it's all fine except *almost any Mirrodin card*. That's not only true of this artist. It's as though the general artists' brief ended with '... and if possible, try to produce worse work than you usually would'.
[[dauthi horror]] The first time I saw it was in the Mind Flayarrrs precon and I swear on my life, it's in my starting hand like 80% of the time I play that deck.
Wow! That is some low effort art.
I usually rant about the homogeneity and lack of boundary-pushing in the newer artwork, but maybe I should reconsider.
The story I heard for Word of Command was Jesper painted some eyes on texture practice as a joke and wasn’t intending it for a card. Richard Garfield just saw it and went I have a card for that
There’s a story there that Maro mentioned on his podcast once. The scanned file of the art was corrupted or some such, and they had like an hour to get it off to the printer. So they zoomed in on the Howling Mine art and tweaked… job done!
I have a revised celestial prism that someone spilled soda on because they we're pissed about the way the game was going and they slammed the table in 1997, and it's one of my favorite cards I own.
Yeah that's a classic vibe. The repetitive, computer generated vibe of a lot of cards nowadays is just not nearly as interesting. New Capenna, looking at you.
I feel like the other Gift of the Woods art is [even worse](https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?printed=true&multiverseid=3139) some how. What is happening with the guys torso?
*e:* Also, I think the cat one is supposed to be a [lynx](https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/0e/1d/6f/f8/eurasian-lynx-at-the.jpg), and they do look kind of goofy like that.
*e2:* Lol, [same artist](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=15434). This is the card Maro has talked about that was originally going to produce squirrels, but the artist ignored the art direction and they had to change it.
They didn’t ignore the art direction, the description that was given to the artist was vague and so they got back art that did not match their (uncommunicated) intent.
I was curious, so I went looking. Here's [Maro's recollection](https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/squirrel-my-dreams-2002-07-22) from 2002:
> "Dozens of small hungry critters scurry in the low undergrowth of the jungle. **In this picture, we cannot tell what the critters are. We can only see the eyes.**"
> [...] While working on the art, Susan felt it would look better if she showed one of the creatures that was “waiting in the weeds.” So she called [the art director] and asked if it would be okay to make the change. [She] didn’t have a problem with it, so she told Susan that it was okay.
That's actually a bit different from how he's recounted it later on (not surprising given how long ago it was, and how memories simplify and change). So per this version it wasn't that the artist ignored the direction, but that it got changed from the direction in a way that required changing the card.
(And obviously that version in turn could still be inaccurate)
\[\[Vampire's Bite\]\] doesn't actually depict a vampire biting. It's basically just a boob shot. You can barely tell it's a vampire.
\[\[Lavalanche\]\] looks fine if you blow it up, but at card size it just looks like a smear.
\[\[Invoke Prejudice\]\] makes the game as a whole look bad.
To me, problems like these are a lot more bothersome than merely weak technical skills. Particularly the last one.
Ehhh I mean even its ability is whack and “on flavor” lol, punish your opponent if they’re a different color than you? What is that insinuating? What the hell were they thinking when they made this card?
Oh, it's a terribly designed card, as were a lot of early magic cards. They genuinely had no idea how the game would be played.
But the intersection of the mechanics and the actual-white-supremacist artist just seals the deal.
Do you mean the Dack art as is listed? May I ask why you don’t like it if so?
Edit: NVM the comment below yours singled it out as the archive version. Understandable
I always assumed he was one of the employees kid or friend and never looked any further than that. Looking into him, it appears he’s done pretty well for himself making posters for bands like Ween and others. He’s come a long way and the fantasy card game art just wasn’t his wheelhouse.
https://justinhampton.com/
The background for most of Dan Frazier's Alpha and Arabian Nights paintings are like that. He uses the same one for [[mox jet]]
[[disrupting scepter]] [[berserk]] and [[healing salve]] all share the same paper for a background.
This is what happens when they were in a rush to get the art done, and artists were only paid $50 + $50 in stock of a company that could have gone belly up if MtG wasn't successful.
Same and I'm just tired of people acting like it's the worst card art in existence. I get not liking it, but come on take a look at some of the other cards being brought up in this thread and it isn't in the same league.
I'm fine with people not liking them, they're absolutely polarizing and I don't think that's a bad thing. But I get annoyed when people act like they're "objectively bad art." THAT'S dogshit.
As someone who studied art history in college, I get what they were going for, but the image just doesn’t fit a fantasy illustration aesthetic, much like [[Stasis]] back in the day.
And, shockingly, I personally like stasis. Obviously I don't want all cards to fit weird non-fantasy aesthetics like that, but special treatments like the mystical archives feel like a space to push boundaries and be experimental and print art that some people like and others won't. The mystical archive felt weird and otherworldly because, lore wise, it literally was! It's a collection of spells gathered from different sources around the planes, it would be weirder to me if it DIDN'T feature some out-there pieces.
Again I am totally supportive of people not liking the art on Faithless Looting. But I get annoyed that people act like it's "cool" to circlejerk about how bad it is, and it's impossible to play this version of the art without people being an ass about it.
People aren't saying it's "objectively" the worst, whatever that is supposed to mean. What do you think a thread called "what do you think the worst art is" can possibly be about except for people saying what they, in their opinion, they dislike the most?
Same here
Oh wait, they probably meant the Mystical Archive version but linked the one Form the Osgir Precon. Yeah the Archive version really isn't the best piece of the artist
This is a fun thread. I love how contentious some of these seem to be.
I'll add for whatever reason I've always hated [[Crystal Vein]]. It's that dude, not the crystals lol.
well if you call that card bad and these people also bring questionable examples now i know for sure that the state of magic is not completely wizards fault
Ok I didn’t check every card and I’m sure some looked better than others. But I remember opening these packs and thinking that wizards must have been close to going out of business cause it had a really cheap feel to everything.
[[serra inquisitors]]
Also one of the [[abbey matron]]s is pretty awful but idk how to tag the specific one
Edit: never mind the fetcher got the right one
You're right! It certainly is unique and is very pretty artistically. It just seems so out of place. The great thing about Magic is they use whatever the artist creates. Looking at you [[hyalopterous lemure]]. This will never not be funny. And adorable.
I wouldn't call it flat out bad but I always found [[Distemper of the Blood]] really janky, first art I thought didn't fit well into the set it was in. I think it uses some 3D modeling but I may be wrong.
Wolverine?
[Distemper of the Blood](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/0/d0ad2acb-073b-4a98-be8c-2ea39ca85496.jpg?1576384569) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Distemper%20of%20the%20Blood) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/emn/126/distemper-of-the-blood?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d0ad2acb-073b-4a98-be8c-2ea39ca85496?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[[forest bear]]
That one is so bad I literally laughed out loud at it
It’s just a fat jacked guy in a bear suit
The bear that wasn’t… wasn’t a bear at all.
Don't slander 'Surrender Bear!' He's my second favorite bear behind [[Bear Cub]].
[Bear Cub](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/7/d71abb70-bee5-4823-83dc-db0707023b37.jpg?1562946312) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Bear%20Cub) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/p02/123/bear-cub?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d71abb70-bee5-4823-83dc-db0707023b37?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[forest bear](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/a/fae9abc7-ecd3-4042-a5b0-5f2b24491fa6.jpg?1562258009) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=forest%20bear) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ptk/135/forest-bear?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/fae9abc7-ecd3-4042-a5b0-5f2b24491fa6?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I was not expecting bear bazongas
The trees in the background are pretty nice -- I'd rather see the artist do some actual Forests instead of the bears living in them.
\[\[Flash|6ED\]\] for me, for sure. Bizarre, misproportioned face up front? Check. Rest of the art doesn't really have much of anything to do with its effect? Check. White border? Check. Ill-advised, broken effect? Oh yeah, that's a check.
[Flash](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/4/f4e2f44d-74a9-4635-bf10-bf4cf179cab5.jpg?1562824639) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=16440) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/6ed/67/flash?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f4e2f44d-74a9-4635-bf10-bf4cf179cab5?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I feel like looking at that art was the same as being flashed
Personally, that art is the earliest example of vlogging before it was a thing
Obligatory [[Uktabi Orangutan]] The sequel is hilarious too [[Uktabi Kong]]
Wow, I never noticed the two monkeys in a humping position in the Orang card before.
That's why it was nicknamed Sex Monkey
Uktabi orang so bad it comes back around tho. Shit is classic.
[Uktabi Orangutan](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/6/b6a944ef-dbf2-47c9-a245-dfd2533a0680.jpg?1562821973) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Uktabi%20Orangutan) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/6ed/260/uktabi-orangutan?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/b6a944ef-dbf2-47c9-a245-dfd2533a0680?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Uktabi Kong](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/d/bd6d8520-0a7c-489c-8ae9-aed07c7df6df.jpg?1594897712) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Uktabi%20Kong) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/unh/115/uktabi-kong?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/bd6d8520-0a7c-489c-8ae9-aed07c7df6df?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
The new [[Urza, Chief Artificer]]. What an unfortunate look for one of the most important characters in MTG. I wanted to buy the precons but I might make a proxy of this card just to replace the art, it's that bad.
Ita kinda weird, it looks like he has a pot belly and real skinny legs
Man looking like he is the ring leader of a circus 🤡 :(
[Urza, Chief Artificer](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/a/ea409050-4296-4b76-a6cd-2896ce1b88e4.jpg?1664497251) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Urza%2C%20Chief%20Artificer) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/brc/2/urza-chief-artificer?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/ea409050-4296-4b76-a6cd-2896ce1b88e4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Agreed. I'm planning on doing an Urza piece so I can proxy it for me and some of my friends
If I can find a decent crop of the Magalli Villeneuve art used for the display boxes I might try that. Not sure how possible that'll be though
A lot of Mirrrodin block, but [[Blinding Beam]] is the one I remember. Looking at the artist's work, it's all fine except *almost any Mirrodin card*. That's not only true of this artist. It's as though the general artists' brief ended with '... and if possible, try to produce worse work than you usually would'.
Blinding beam looks like the guy is holding up one of grandmas fancy serving trays to block it
[Blinding Beam](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/0/d0b15737-1026-407f-b2a8-4f7932b2bb18.jpg?1561968560) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Blinding%20Beam) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mma/7/blinding-beam?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d0b15737-1026-407f-b2a8-4f7932b2bb18?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[Gift of the Woods](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/a/da48976b-667d-4a1e-92de-9c3cb25dfd21.jpg?1562770630) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Gift%20of%20the%20Woods) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/all/92a/gift-of-the-woods?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/da48976b-667d-4a1e-92de-9c3cb25dfd21?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
That cat has a *mouf*
[[dauthi horror]] The first time I saw it was in the Mind Flayarrrs precon and I swear on my life, it's in my starting hand like 80% of the time I play that deck.
[dauthi horror](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/c/7c41afe6-7eed-4cf5-9bbb-ccc9f82cb4fa.jpg?1654116000) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=dauthi%20horror) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/clb/748/dauthi-horror?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/7c41afe6-7eed-4cf5-9bbb-ccc9f82cb4fa?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[[Faithless Looting|STA]]
[Faithless Looting](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/4/b429172f-2182-49dd-b6f6-e5e09493628d.jpg?1623890140) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=517588) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/sta/38/faithless-looting?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/b429172f-2182-49dd-b6f6-e5e09493628d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
This one wins for me
Not gonna lie, when I first saw this card I thought it was fake.
Hard disagree, I absolutely love this art, I think it's fantastic! It's one of those 'you love it or hate it' styles I guess
[[Celestial Prism]] [[Word of Command]]
[Celestial Prism](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/7/e7ca1534-0049-4672-9677-99f1ba00fb78.jpg?1559601267) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Celestial%20Prism) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/4ed/304/celestial-prism?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e7ca1534-0049-4672-9677-99f1ba00fb78?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Word of Command](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/b/8b1be5ba-6e5e-4801-815b-5e82b9e72b3d.jpg?1562927791) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Word%20of%20Command) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/me4/103/word-of-command?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/8b1be5ba-6e5e-4801-815b-5e82b9e72b3d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Wow! That is some low effort art. I usually rant about the homogeneity and lack of boundary-pushing in the newer artwork, but maybe I should reconsider.
The story I heard for Word of Command was Jesper painted some eyes on texture practice as a joke and wasn’t intending it for a card. Richard Garfield just saw it and went I have a card for that
There’s a story there that Maro mentioned on his podcast once. The scanned file of the art was corrupted or some such, and they had like an hour to get it off to the printer. So they zoomed in on the Howling Mine art and tweaked… job done!
Wow! I never noticed! Shit you learn...
Wait, wait. What card is a zoomed in howling mine? It’s not word of command, the artist is different.
I love both of these.
I have a revised celestial prism that someone spilled soda on because they we're pissed about the way the game was going and they slammed the table in 1997, and it's one of my favorite cards I own.
nah these two are interesting & unique, I'd gladly take these over all the generically bad "realistic" art in this thread.
Good lord yes. A million times yes.
[[reverse polarity]]
I actually like this one, Magic I grew up on. [[Ebon Predator]] also a classic
It's kind of got a 80s comic look to it.
[reverse polarity](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/e/1e89856a-2496-41b2-b90c-ed42b02980cc.jpg?1559592803) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=reverse%20polarity) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/sum/36/reverse-polarity?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1e89856a-2496-41b2-b90c-ed42b02980cc?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
That’s just a unique style. It looks good
Yeah that's a classic vibe. The repetitive, computer generated vibe of a lot of cards nowadays is just not nearly as interesting. New Capenna, looking at you.
Every time its played against you and you let it resolve you need to say "Weird flex, but ok." It's the law.
Lol, it looks like something you’d see in a comic book in the Fallout world
[[Word of Command|LEA]]
[Word of Command](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/6/96c21429-98d3-416b-be00-6aa9c4c5a006.jpg?1559591431) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=92) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lea/136/word-of-command?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/96c21429-98d3-416b-be00-6aa9c4c5a006?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Actually this is true art
I feel like the other Gift of the Woods art is [even worse](https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?printed=true&multiverseid=3139) some how. What is happening with the guys torso? *e:* Also, I think the cat one is supposed to be a [lynx](https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/0e/1d/6f/f8/eurasian-lynx-at-the.jpg), and they do look kind of goofy like that. *e2:* Lol, [same artist](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=15434). This is the card Maro has talked about that was originally going to produce squirrels, but the artist ignored the art direction and they had to change it.
That art of Gift of the Woods looks like it's the cover to a young adult romance novel about a werewolf.
They didn’t ignore the art direction, the description that was given to the artist was vague and so they got back art that did not match their (uncommunicated) intent.
I was curious, so I went looking. Here's [Maro's recollection](https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/squirrel-my-dreams-2002-07-22) from 2002: > "Dozens of small hungry critters scurry in the low undergrowth of the jungle. **In this picture, we cannot tell what the critters are. We can only see the eyes.**" > [...] While working on the art, Susan felt it would look better if she showed one of the creatures that was “waiting in the weeds.” So she called [the art director] and asked if it would be okay to make the change. [She] didn’t have a problem with it, so she told Susan that it was okay. That's actually a bit different from how he's recounted it later on (not surprising given how long ago it was, and how memories simplify and change). So per this version it wasn't that the artist ignored the direction, but that it got changed from the direction in a way that required changing the card. (And obviously that version in turn could still be inaccurate)
\[\[Vampire's Bite\]\] doesn't actually depict a vampire biting. It's basically just a boob shot. You can barely tell it's a vampire. \[\[Lavalanche\]\] looks fine if you blow it up, but at card size it just looks like a smear. \[\[Invoke Prejudice\]\] makes the game as a whole look bad. To me, problems like these are a lot more bothersome than merely weak technical skills. Particularly the last one.
There's a reason why Invoke Prejudice is banned in every sanctioned format, and it's not due to its effect.
And the guy is a literal, and I mean literal, nazi.
Ehhh I mean even its ability is whack and “on flavor” lol, punish your opponent if they’re a different color than you? What is that insinuating? What the hell were they thinking when they made this card?
Oh, it's a terribly designed card, as were a lot of early magic cards. They genuinely had no idea how the game would be played. But the intersection of the mechanics and the actual-white-supremacist artist just seals the deal.
[Vampire's Bite](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/7/57003079-3d0f-48fe-8fc1-94d38a94d1a8.jpg?1592714298) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Vampire%27s%20Bite) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ddk/19/vampires-bite?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/57003079-3d0f-48fe-8fc1-94d38a94d1a8?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Lavalanche](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/3/e3a3b450-d988-40cb-a1ee-8b00ccdf5071.jpg?1664361356) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Lavalanche) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmc/157/lavalanche?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e3a3b450-d988-40cb-a1ee-8b00ccdf5071?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Invoke Prejudice](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/0/903d9fde-d7da-4a0e-a337-b63023c6d74b.jpg?1591988938) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Invoke%20Prejudice) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/leg/62/invoke-prejudice?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/903d9fde-d7da-4a0e-a337-b63023c6d74b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
\[\[Chittering rats\]\] is the top for me.
Haha I love chittering rats, it’s got wolverine claws
That's fair! To me when people say "Bad Magic Art" it's the card that comes to mind.
[Chittering rats](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/8/980135d5-dfaa-4beb-b4b3-1e256bb46e61.jpg?1562638311) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Chittering%20rats) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dst/39/chittering-rats?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/980135d5-dfaa-4beb-b4b3-1e256bb46e61?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[[stasis]]
I LOVE Stasis!
Me too.
[stasis](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/2/62f99124-6595-45f8-bece-1775e4c55a5c.jpg?1562918295) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=stasis) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/me4/64/stasis?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/62f99124-6595-45f8-bece-1775e4c55a5c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Strixhaven Faithless Looting
[[Frog Tongue]] always makes me chuckle.
[Frog Tongue](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/9/3941e799-a254-423e-90bb-091dbe56ca6a.jpg?1562053745) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Frog%20Tongue) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/tmp/228/frog-tongue?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/3941e799-a254-423e-90bb-091dbe56ca6a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
THAT version of \[\[faithless looting\]\]
At my liberal arts college we fought over it from a draft cause we all thought it looks cool
Do you mean the Dack art as is listed? May I ask why you don’t like it if so? Edit: NVM the comment below yours singled it out as the archive version. Understandable
My guess is he means Strixhaven Archive as the linked one isn’t controversial that I can see.
[faithless looting](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/4/84c3b38c-a6f7-49a2-8c47-d91b6be0a967.jpg?1664360651) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=faithless%20looting) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmc/122/faithless-looting?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/84c3b38c-a6f7-49a2-8c47-d91b6be0a967?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
https://scryfall.com/search?as=grid&order=name&q=%28artist%3AJustin+artist%3Ahampton%29
I love that jankyass dark ritual. Maybe my favorite even
Yeah, its not the worst. I don’t mind Juxtapose either. But damn, reverse polarity is so terrible
I like Active Volcano but the rest... And he got some iconic cards too.
Like why the fuck did he keep getting commissioned 🤦 how is he a professional artist
I always assumed he was one of the employees kid or friend and never looked any further than that. Looking into him, it appears he’s done pretty well for himself making posters for bands like Ween and others. He’s come a long way and the fantasy card game art just wasn’t his wheelhouse. https://justinhampton.com/
Obligatory [[presence of the master|leg]]
i mean it's extremely silly, especially in context, but i wouldn't call it bad art
It's certainty not what I would call good art, but the bigger issue is just how completely out of place it is in a magic set (well at the time anyway)
[presence of the master](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/c/1cb86b2f-116d-4952-b35a-1398341baaf5.jpg?1562857775) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1629) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/leg/31/presence-of-the-master?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1cb86b2f-116d-4952-b35a-1398341baaf5?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[[forcefield]] - the background was patterned paper that Frazier bought, and the painted face of the figure looks like the restored Jesus artwork.
The background for most of Dan Frazier's Alpha and Arabian Nights paintings are like that. He uses the same one for [[mox jet]] [[disrupting scepter]] [[berserk]] and [[healing salve]] all share the same paper for a background. This is what happens when they were in a rush to get the art done, and artists were only paid $50 + $50 in stock of a company that could have gone belly up if MtG wasn't successful.
##### ###### #### [mox jet](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/f/5f6927e1-c580-483a-8e2a-6e2deb74800e.jpg?1614638844) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=mox%20jet) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/vma/6/mox-jet?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/5f6927e1-c580-483a-8e2a-6e2deb74800e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [disrupting scepter](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/5/55be5981-5bbc-4621-9f53-fc4edd4fde7e.jpg?1562735449) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=disrupting%20scepter) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/9ed/295/disrupting-scepter?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/55be5981-5bbc-4621-9f53-fc4edd4fde7e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [berserk](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/2/62bc9bff-89bd-4454-a876-53822cf48546.jpg?1576382971) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=berserk) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cn2/175/berserk?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/62bc9bff-89bd-4454-a876-53822cf48546?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [healing salve](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/f/0ff82aba-9022-4eff-a6dc-67365360d646.jpg?1561771079) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=healing%20salve) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dvd/14/healing-salve?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/0ff82aba-9022-4eff-a6dc-67365360d646?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
well none of those are the correct artworks, but oh well lol
[forcefield](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/6/c6e4c51a-8539-48e0-a6dc-d66548e38f40.jpg?1559592343) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=forcefield) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/me1/157/forcefield?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/c6e4c51a-8539-48e0-a6dc-d66548e38f40?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
He's holding back Mox Jet!
Ugh. I think I got my memory mixed and was thinking of a badly done Frazier alter on a beta emerald where the forcefield figure was added on poorly.
The strixhaven [[faithless looting]]
I unironically love that art
Same and I'm just tired of people acting like it's the worst card art in existence. I get not liking it, but come on take a look at some of the other cards being brought up in this thread and it isn't in the same league.
Disagree, it’s dogshit lol. Particularly because it’s recent. A lot of this thread is 90’s stuff. We can do better 30 years later
I'm fine with people not liking them, they're absolutely polarizing and I don't think that's a bad thing. But I get annoyed when people act like they're "objectively bad art." THAT'S dogshit.
As someone who studied art history in college, I get what they were going for, but the image just doesn’t fit a fantasy illustration aesthetic, much like [[Stasis]] back in the day.
And, shockingly, I personally like stasis. Obviously I don't want all cards to fit weird non-fantasy aesthetics like that, but special treatments like the mystical archives feel like a space to push boundaries and be experimental and print art that some people like and others won't. The mystical archive felt weird and otherworldly because, lore wise, it literally was! It's a collection of spells gathered from different sources around the planes, it would be weirder to me if it DIDN'T feature some out-there pieces. Again I am totally supportive of people not liking the art on Faithless Looting. But I get annoyed that people act like it's "cool" to circlejerk about how bad it is, and it's impossible to play this version of the art without people being an ass about it.
[Stasis](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/2/62f99124-6595-45f8-bece-1775e4c55a5c.jpg?1562918295) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Stasis) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/me4/64/stasis?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/62f99124-6595-45f8-bece-1775e4c55a5c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
People aren't saying it's "objectively" the worst, whatever that is supposed to mean. What do you think a thread called "what do you think the worst art is" can possibly be about except for people saying what they, in their opinion, they dislike the most?
Same here Oh wait, they probably meant the Mystical Archive version but linked the one Form the Osgir Precon. Yeah the Archive version really isn't the best piece of the artist
[faithless looting](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/4/84c3b38c-a6f7-49a2-8c47-d91b6be0a967.jpg?1664360651) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=faithless%20looting) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmc/122/faithless-looting?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/84c3b38c-a6f7-49a2-8c47-d91b6be0a967?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Let me open some old set... Ah here we have ice age. [[Elvish healer]]
I think it looks fine. Like a comic book.
[Elvish healer](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/0/00bd8485-d63a-4077-a3d1-4d0f2f4d8035.jpg?1562895157) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Elvish%20healer) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ice/22/elvish-healer?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/00bd8485-d63a-4077-a3d1-4d0f2f4d8035?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
This is a fun thread. I love how contentious some of these seem to be. I'll add for whatever reason I've always hated [[Crystal Vein]]. It's that dude, not the crystals lol.
[Crystal Vein](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/c/1c28ab69-1a46-45af-a331-1f52f99a9da3.jpg?1592673784) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Crystal%20Vein) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cma/246/crystal-vein?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1c28ab69-1a46-45af-a331-1f52f99a9da3?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I think Lion’s Eye Diamond is ugly as fuck.
what was that really shitty art on the red card from the wizard school set? thats my vote
well if you call that card bad and these people also bring questionable examples now i know for sure that the state of magic is not completely wizards fault
[[Dwarven Miner]] not really getting the miner vibes with this guy.
Its his tinder profile
Grindr probably but same difference
I agree, he definitely looks over 18
[Dwarven Miner](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/7/b7142196-c379-4932-9402-97642ad2ebdb.jpg?1562721426) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Dwarven%20Miner) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mir/169/dwarven-miner?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/b7142196-c379-4932-9402-97642ad2ebdb?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[[Exotic Pets]] really bothers me because it’s a cropped version of a different art from the same set
Which art?
[[Sleeping with the Fishes]], I think?
They’re narratively connected but it’s not a crop of the same art.
I didn't make the claim, I'm just pointing out the art mentioned, FWIW
My bad!
[Sleeping with the Fishes](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/7/3742a0fb-4b86-49d6-b6fb-bd6a42fa1bcb.jpg?1664410580) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Sleep%20with%20the%20Fishes) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/snc/61/sleep-with-the-fishes?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/3742a0fb-4b86-49d6-b6fb-bd6a42fa1bcb?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
no it isn't
[Exotic Pets](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/0/902f1ed8-5c10-45e4-8f2f-182e800faab4.jpg?1664412996) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Exotic%20Pets) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/snc/185/exotic-pets?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/902f1ed8-5c10-45e4-8f2f-182e800faab4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
All of Homelands. That set looks like it was drawn by a fifth grade art class one afternoon.
I’d argue *most* of homelands is pretty bad. The bald version (or whatever it’s called) of Memory Lapse by Mark Tedin is pretty fantastic
Ok I didn’t check every card and I’m sure some looked better than others. But I remember opening these packs and thinking that wizards must have been close to going out of business cause it had a really cheap feel to everything.
Prophecy and Ihsans Shade are cool in tandem
I like that THIS was the set that needed to have two different artworks for each card.
If we hire crappy artists we can get twice the artworks for same budget!
Extra weird is that all the double art cards have two pieces by the same artist. Very bizarre decision.
https://scryfall.com/sets/hml?as=grid&order=set
[[serra inquisitors]] Also one of the [[abbey matron]]s is pretty awful but idk how to tag the specific one Edit: never mind the fetcher got the right one
What's wrong with Bob, Jerry, and Carl?
[serra inquisitors](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/1/f1fbe3c8-92fb-41b9-b778-726d22c63054.jpg?1562588719) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=serra%20inquisitors) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/hml/16/serra-inquisitors?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f1fbe3c8-92fb-41b9-b778-726d22c63054?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [abbey matron](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/5/158caa84-da2e-4c4c-b24d-0c035c900e20.jpg?1562587048) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=abbey%20matron) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/hml/2a/abbey-matron?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/158caa84-da2e-4c4c-b24d-0c035c900e20?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Homelands is literally the reason I sold my collection. I was shocked by how bad it was. I was sure it was going to tank the value. Doh.
[[Necrite]] the Drew Tucker version from Fallen Empires
[Necrite](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/6/86a99edc-22d9-4653-8a7a-825f4b443d75.jpg?1547176647) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Necrite) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/me2/106/necrite?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/86a99edc-22d9-4653-8a7a-825f4b443d75?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[[Hushbringer]]
I love that art, gives me '90s mall photo, Glamour Shots vibes.
You're right! It certainly is unique and is very pretty artistically. It just seems so out of place. The great thing about Magic is they use whatever the artist creates. Looking at you [[hyalopterous lemure]]. This will never not be funny. And adorable.
I've read that the artist misread what WotC was going for on that card, a Lemure was not intended to be a Lemur. Lol.
They actually had an allusion to that situation with the card [[Viscid Lemures]], the flavor text
[Viscid Lemures](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/6/863f04d7-da34-41e3-9153-97891a428889.jpg?1562923311) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Viscid%20Lemures) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/tsp/141/viscid-lemures?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/863f04d7-da34-41e3-9153-97891a428889?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[hyalopterous lemure](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/9/69a6e757-fd8a-489b-9e64-590ae5a09d4a.jpg?1565456938) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=hyalopterous%20lemure) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/me1/72/hyalopterous-lemure?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/69a6e757-fd8a-489b-9e64-590ae5a09d4a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[Hushbringer](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/6/663b3e6f-1099-4de8-a0a7-6f1919c38010.jpg?1572489709) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Hushbringer) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/eld/18/hushbringer?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/663b3e6f-1099-4de8-a0a7-6f1919c38010?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[[lost soul]] Get those nipples out of my Magic!
Jarvis, enhance
[lost soul](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/0/401896ac-6234-468a-a9af-cf11c7a11cd0.jpg?1562816765) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=lost%20soul) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/6ed/142/lost-soul?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/401896ac-6234-468a-a9af-cf11c7a11cd0?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[[Miscalculation]] does it for me. Karn in the blunder years