Inside the Art of 1920+ with Jakub Różalski
Who is Jakub Różalski?
In the artistic world of 1920+, mythical beasts and diesel-fueled mechs exist alongside everyday people. This collection of works by Jakub Różalski (AKA Mr. Werewolf) is deeply rooted in his Polish heritage and the rustic scenes of rural life. His work includes many digital and traditional paintings influenced by Europe's historical events, placing pastoral landscapes against a striking contrast of looming war machines. He also enjoys sharing his process with fans, often posting annotated stages of his concept art process alongside the final output.
Jakub’s unique art style and imaginative visual storytelling has led to the creation of various games, including the board game Scythe and video game Iron Harvest. Unlike the usual game development process where concept art is based on an existing idea, Jakub’s 1920+ artwork directly inspired the lore and story for the games he worked on. For example, game designer Jamey Stegmaier built on the art of 1920+ to create Scythe, a board game where players battle for territory and resources with dieselpunk mechs. Years later, 1920+ inspired the real-time strategy game Iron Harvest which features Jakub’s distinctive mechs in a 20th century European battlefield. Through these games, Jakub has essentially flipped the script on traditional game development by establishing a world so compelling that the art precedes core game mechanics and storylines.
In order to learn more about Jakub’s unique style, artistic process, and motivation for sharing that process, I asked him a few questions.
Interview and 1920+ Concept Art
Most games start with an initial concept, which then leads to the artwork. In your case, the world of 1920+ was already well established before Scythe. How did working on Scythe change the way you make art within the 1920+ world?
JR: The work on Scythe did not significantly affect my art or vision of the 1920+ world. As the author, I had complete creative freedom. Of course, as with any production, there were many aspects, game mechanics and components that had a big impact on the theme and character of my art and many illustrations. On the other hand, many aspects of the game were also created and inspired directly by my art, stories and concept arts. I think that such mutual influence and inspiration are an obvious element of this type of cooperation and project.
What motivates you to share your early process steps and notes?
JR: Many fans and young artists asked me to share the process of my work, mainly about video. Personally, as an introvert, I don't feel too good in the video format, I don't think I'm able to prepare material of sufficient quality and at the level that today's viewer expects. So I found my own, more personal and original way to share my work process. Over the years, these processes and descriptions, sometimes even comics, have become quite popular, which makes me very happy because I put a lot of heart and time into them.
Do you have a preference for traditional painting or working digitally? What tools or software do you use, and how does your process change depending on the piece?
JR: Currently, I definitely prefer digital painting. I work a lot, and digital painting, mainly thanks to the saving option, allows me to save some time that I can spend with my loved ones. I can also afford a slightly more bold approach to the composition and its changes at any time of work, which in the case of traditional painting is much more complicated. In addition, I can take my tablet with me everywhere and continue working without a problem. Together with my wife, we travel a lot, so it is very important to me. I value the creative freedom that digital painting gives me. It is also a rather natural choice if we are talking about the gaming or film industry. I will probably return to traditional painting when I have a less intensive work schedule, maybe in retirement, haha.
A lot of your work has a very strong narrative feel, even without text. Have you written any lore or stories from the 1920+ world, or is your work mostly visual?
JR: Storytelling and creating portals to other worlds, for myself and for the viewers, is the most important aspect of my creative work for me and what interests and passionate me the most. Yes, of course, I created the entire story, all the characters and the main plot of the 1920+ world. Everything is written down, mainly in the form of notes and short texts. I plan to publish a guide/lexicon of the 1920+ world, but it will take a lot of time to do it properly, which I lack currently.
How does the art process change when you’re working on something interactive, like Iron Harvest, compared to board games like Scythe? Do you use storyboards or any other drafting methods to help with the animation?
JR: In the case of Iron Harvest, as the author and creator of the world, I was mainly responsible for pre-production, art direction, concept arts, world building, and the core of the story. In the later stages, mainly as a consultant. As for Scythe, most aspects from illustrations, through UI, map, etc., I did myself. The same goes for the latest chapter and new storyline of the 1920+ world, the Expeditions game.
What are you working on now, and what do you have planned for the future? Do you see more work to be done in the 1920+ world?
JR: Unfortunately I can't share any information regarding this, but a lot is happening, also in the context of the 1920+ world. Yes of course I hope and plan to develop the 1920+ world and this IP. I also have two new worlds and IP that I have been working on for some time.