This week we're highlighting Vincenzo Riccardi, the card artist who created the stunning Arasaka triptych — three connected cards forming one cohesive illustration — for Cyberpunk Trading Card Game's debut set.
Getting into Cyberpunk
Riccardi first encountered the Mike Pondsmith tabletop RPG but had his breakthrough with the Cyberpunk 2077 video game. He's also a fan of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which he says captures the world's atmosphere authentically. Being selected to illustrate for the TCG thrilled him.
Developing a Style
His distinctive look emerged through years of experimentation. "I've always tried to find my own style, my own voice, and I continued to experiment until I realized the direction I was taking was the right one." His love of vibrant color and maximal visual impact shaped the psychedelic aesthetic that fans now recognize.
His workflow comprises two distinct phases: rapid sketches presenting multiple options to the client, followed by final artwork. Depending on the timeline, he works purely digitally or combines traditional ink on paper with digital color enhancement.
Working on Trading Cards
Card illustration isn't all that different from his typical cover and page work. The biggest distinction involves designing around graphic elements — character descriptions, statistical information — within a fixed compositional frame.
Pride in the Triptych
He particularly enjoyed crafting an expansive scene that also reads as one unified image. When placed side-by-side, the three cards reveal the complete picture and character interactions among iconic figures.
Follow Vincenzo
Find him on Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook.
He wraps up by saying he hopes the community appreciates his card contributions and enjoys playing Cyberpunk TCG.