When I was a teenager, I started learning PhotoShop. Never was good at drawing, but have been able to use technical skills to express art. Make designs that are printed onto cloth mats, which people play board games and card games on. It is fun to make these and a great way for people to express their interests while playing games with friends!

Designing The Card Zones

Skeleton for Card Frame. All colors are used to measure.

After coming up with a color palette, first thing is to make the card zones. these are measured to be 2.5"x3.5", the size of a standard playing card. Create simple rectangles for the whole space, then measure out a border on inner edge. Text and small "cool factor" elements are added.

Border Colors are added.

With base design done, add colors to the borders. Using a gradient top left corner to bottom right corner gives the borders a metallic look, as opposed to a flat color.

Final touch ups.

Various touch-up work done. Inner/Outer glows added to give an illuminated appearance.

Finding a Layout

After all card zones are made, they are brought onto the master playmat file as PNGs to save file size. They are then all meticulously positioned to create a layout that is intuitive, but gives the most space possible.

Putting together one half of the mat

Half of a playmat done. Once the first half is built, it is rotated 180 degrees to create the top half.

A frame with a more 'vertical' card zone placement. Things are pushed to the edges.

A design where card zones are pushed further to edges, user has to reach further across the table, but they have more room in the center.

A frame with a more 'horizontal' card zone placement.

A design that has card zones pulled closer to their user on each respective end. No longer have to reach as far across, but they lose space down the middle column of the mat.

Finalizing the Design

Starting the background with simple colors

The background typically starts as basic colors with some gradients. I typically go for darker backgrounds, or colors that make the card zones pop out while also not hiding the hexagonal grid throughout the entire design.

Images of waves and nebulas are blended with the gradient to add texture

Images and gradients are added on top of one another until the results are what is being looked for.

Further VFX are added until it's deemed finished. These files can reach as large as 1.5GB, as theyre 24" x 28" at 300 pixels per inch.

Once final touches are completed, the entire design is compiled as a PNG and given to whomever it is for.

"These playmats have GOT to be the greatest things I've seen since sliced bread!"