Jakub Różalski Explained

Birth Place:Koszalin, Poland
Education:Wyższa Szkoła Sztuki Stosowanej
Jakub Różalski
Nationality:Polish
Notable Works:Scythe

Jakub Różalski (born 1981), also known as Mr. Werewolf, is a Polish artist. He is best known as the illustrator of the board game Scythe and related paintings, commonly featuring mythical, fantastical beasts, robots and similar concepts. His style combines the classic art style of late 18th and early 19th century paintings with modern fantasy and science fiction concepts.

Biography

Różalski was born in Koszalin, Poland, in 1981.[1] He graduated from the Wyższa Szkoła Sztuki Stosowanej in Poznań, and resides in Kraków.[2]

Works

Różalski created concept art illustrations for the 2017 film. In 2018, an artbook featuring his works, titled Howling at the Moon, was published.[3]

The 2016 board game Scythe was inspired by his art; Różalski has contributed dozens of illustrations for the game.[2] [4] It is the first major work in what Różalski calls the 1920+ universe, set in an alternative history universe, around the time of the Polish–Soviet War, but incorporating science fiction elements like dieselpunk or steampunk airships and mecha.[5] [6] This style has also been described as inspired by classic works by Józef Chełmoński, but updated for the new century; as "The Witcher meets mecha".[7] The next major installment in the 1920+ series is the Iron Harvest real-time strategy video game, in development by King Art Games, announced in 2016.[8] The game had a successful crowdfunding phase in 2018 and has been released in September 2020.[9]

Influences

In 2017 a short film by Neill Blomkamp, based on Różalski's works and showing an alternate 15th century era around the time of the Battle of Grunwald, was announced.[10]

In 2018, a Polish science-fiction short story anthology, inspired by his art, titled Inne światy Jakuba Różalskiego (Other Worlds of Jakub Różalski) was published. Writers who published stories in the anthology were Sylwia Chutnik, Jacek Dukaj, Aneta Jadowska, Anna Kańtoch, Jakub Małecki, Remigiusz Mróz, Łukasz Orbitowski, Robert J. Szmidt, Aleksandra Zielińska, and Jakub Żulczyk.[11] [12]

Jamey Stegmaier noted that Różalski "[...] used some references [...] and photos from the internet, in several [works] (maybe 10, maybe more) [by] track[ing] photo[s] in 1:1, for some elements like: horses or pigs, cow[s], or specific parts, even some characters."[13]

Artistic style

Różalski's style combines the classic art style of painters like Ivan Shishkin, Isaac Levitan, Józef Brandt, Aleksander Gierymski, and Józef Chełmoński, whom he cites as highly influential on his style, with modern fantasy and science fiction concepts.[2] [14] [15] [16]

Recognition

Since 2018 his works have been part of the permanent exhibition in the Museum of Magical Realism "Ochorowiczówka" in Wisła, Poland. That same year, Różalski received the Annual Award of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage in the field of "digital culture".

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: JAKUB RÓŻALSKI Kwartalnik o sztuce Artysta i Sztuka. Artysta i Sztuka. pl-PL. April 11, 2019.
  2. Web site: Jakub Rozalski – The art of Mr.Werewolf. June 29, 2015. CFYE Magazine.
  3. Book: Różalski, Jakub. Howling at the moon. 9781775070719. First. Canada. 1031116212. 2018.
  4. Web site: Jakub Różalski w Ochorowiczówce. Informacje. May 14, 2018. Ochorowiczówka – Muzeum Magicznego Realizmu. pl-PL. April 11, 2019.
  5. Web site: Painter's Art Turns into Video Game with Dieselpunk Robots. Culture.pl. April 11, 2019.
  6. Web site: Jakub Różalski's Alternate History of Europe. Culture.pl. April 11, 2019.
  7. Sokoluk . Tomasz . January 2017 . Scythe: Workerzy na mechy! . Rebel Times . Polish . 112 . 3–7.
  8. Web site: Iron Harvest is a new diesel punk RTS based on alternate history WWI (updated). Hall. Charlie. November 3, 2016. Polygon. April 11, 2019.
  9. Web site: Purchase Iron Harvest on Steam.
  10. Web site: Scythe artist's latest project is a short film by Neill Blomkamp's experimental studio. Hall. Charlie. November 22, 2017. Polygon. April 11, 2019.
  11. Web site: "Inne Światy" — Antologia inspirowana pracami Jakuba Różalskiego.. Kizlich. Michał. July 25, 2018. Medium. April 11, 2019.
  12. Web site: "Inne Światy". Chutnik, Dukaj, Orbitowski i inni. Przeczytaj fragmenty opowiadań inspirowanych obrazami Jakuba Różalskiego. May 22, 2018. Gazeta Wyborcza. April 11, 2019.
  13. Web site: Seems like Jakub Rozalski isn't very truthful about his art (From r/Conceptart/) : Boardgames.
  14. Web site: Jakub Rozalski's Howling at the Moon is a beautiful art book that merges real and fictional worlds. Liptak. Andrew. March 17, 2018. The Verge. April 11, 2019.
  15. Web site: Roboty jak z 'Gwiezdnych Wojen' w Bitwie Warszawskiej? Nowy wymiar historii na obrazach Jakuba Różalskiego. tvp.info. March 21, 2015. pl. April 11, 2019.
  16. Web site: Jakub Rozalski's Art is an Exercise in Alternate History Contrasts. Liptak. Andrew. io9. January 30, 2016 . April 11, 2019.