15-Year Celebration: “Kyudo” by Toby Gard

“I think the key thing about the new Lara that Crystal is creating is how much more human she is. I wanted to capture fear and vulnerability but in a way that expresses her ability to overcome both her internal and external difficulties.

I’m a sucker for bows, and I wanted to represent her as an almost mythical figure, like some injured Ronin against a harsh but beautiful world.

I’m a game designer and animator by trade, who just does a bit of art on the side, so knew I couldn’t possibly stack up with the accomplished artists who have gone before me by trying to render the image realistically. I chose to go the natural media route and used Painter 12 to imitate an ink wash/watercolor look getting a lot of texture but with little detail.”

– Toby Gard

About Toby Gard: Toby Gard designed the original Tomb Raider back in 1995 along with its heroine Lara Croft.

After leaving Core Design he ran the development studio Confounding Factor until returning to the Tomb Raider franchise as a consultant for Tomb Raider: Legend. He worked as the Cinematics Director on Tomb Raider: Anniversary and Underworld.

Since then he has been consulting on various game projects while writing and drawing the online graphic novel Otherworld. [Toby’s Website] 

Visit tombraider.com/15 and download “Kyudo” to adorn your desktop or favorite mobile device.