I was commissioned to create 12 character designs for Best XI, a soccer board game. Receiving focused direction from the creator, illustrator Matthew Shipley, I developed characters based on broad names like ‘The Iron Lady’ and ‘The Octopus’. These designs would echo hallmarks of famous figures within the game and accentuate the traits suggested by their game names.

The production workflow involved concept generation, character design and portraiture that leant into fun.