A young illustrator will see thousands of examples of her work in the hands of children and games fans around the world, with the launch of a new set of the card game Top Trumps by JORVIK Viking Centre. 25-year old Katie Smith, who works for York Archaeology, has designed the newest addition to the Top Trumps game, which goes on sale today.
Katie has been working for York Archaeology, the charity behind JORVIK Viking Centre, for the last 18 months. When the attraction was approached to create its very own set of Top Trumps, collected and played by enthusiasts across the globe, Katie leapt at the chance of designing a set of illustrations for the 30-strong pack.
“Top Trumps is an iconic game, and we wanted to create a set of cards that reflected Norse heritage, myths and legends, but unlike versions featuring cars or athletes, we couldn’t really photograph mythical creatures or Norse Gods, so this was an amazing opportunity to use Katie’s illustration skills,” explains Lisa Wood, head of communications and marketing for York Archaeology.
One of York Archaeology’s Viking lore experts, Lucas Norton, created a list of characters to feature, and then Katie set to work creating the amazing array of illustrations that would be used on the cards. “It was a lot of fun, but also hard work making sure that the illustrations captured not only the look, but also the spirit of the character – and with their core strengths highlighted in the statistics below each image, that had to be right!” says Katie.
JORVIK Viking Centre’s Top Trumps have gone on sale today from the attraction’s gift shop, and online at jorvikshop.com, priced at £12.50.
With just over a month to go before the start of JORVIK Viking Festival, the new game will also feature in the programme. Giant Top Trump cards will be hidden in locations across the city, creating a brand new Viking-themed trail, and Katie will also host an illustration workshop, aimed primarily at young people aged 15 and over.
“There are so few opportunities for young people to explore opportunities in illustration, and I would have found it incredibly useful to have someone to talk to before I made my college and university choices about how you can turn a passion for art into a career,” explains Katie. “Breaking into the industry when you don’t know anyone within it can be tough, and it took me a couple of years of building a portfolio whilst working full-time in a very different role before I found my feet. Designing a set of Top Trumps and actually holding the completed game in my hand feels amazing.”
Katie’s The Art of Illustration Workshop takes place at Barley Hall on Thursday 20 February, and features an introductory talk followed by a drawing workshop, where participants will be supported by Katie. Each participant will also receive a limited edition Top Trumps card that Katie will sign. The workshop is £10 per person, with discounted tickets available for anyone on a low income. To book, visit jorvikvikingfestival.co.uk
Top Trumps are made by Winning Moves. Yasmin East of Winning Moves commented, “We’re so happy we could include Katie’s illustrations and it’s now one of our favourite custom packs in-house with our designers and office nerds! We’re also really pleased we can be part of JORVIK Viking Festival. We love activities here, and think it’s a smashing way to launch the game!”
