BEHOLD! I unveil full art transparent border cards!

I feel like every other alter I've made has just been a warm up for these guys!

I'm really excited about the technique. My first few alters I did in this style I removed part of the border and made it look like the art was popping out of the card, but I've since realized that keeping the whole border transparent is much better.  

You see, the border actually communicates valuable information, namely what color the card is and that it is, in fact, a magic card. When the border is eliminated you lose this information. However, borders conceal beautiful pictures. Designers have this problem when making apps for mobile phones--a lot of information and too little space. One solution is to use transparency. 

Another thing I love about this technique is how smooth and uniform I can make the surface of the card. Take a look at the light reflecting off this card. 

No added thickness either! These are truly the best alters I've ever created. 

There are a few quirks I'm working out in photoshop. I'm still trying to find the best way to optimize the transparency effect. I think in some places I use too much and in some places I use too little. Getting that right is a bit of an art. 

 

Over all I love the feel of these legendary creatures. They are truly epic.