Why We Choose Human Artists - The Heart Behind "Bedtime for Barky"
At Once Upon a Galaxy, we believe that art is more than pixels on a screen—it’s heart, it’s story, and it’s a shared vision brought to life through human creativity.
In an age where AI-generated images are faster and cheaper than ever, it can be tempting to automate the creative process. But we’ve made a conscious choice to stand by human artists.
Why? Because the spark that brings our galaxy to life, all the whimsy, the emotion, the charm can’t be generated. It must be crafted.
And there’s no better example of that than our new favorite card art: Bedtime for Barky by Ekaterina Lusupova.
From Dream to Drawing Board
When we reached out to our wonderful artist, Ekaterina Lusupova, we knew she’d bring something magical to the table. Here’s the prompt we sent her:
This is the cutest little werewolf you ever did see! It is bedtime, he has his PJs on, his nightcap and is tucked snug into bed. He is holding tight his stuffed animal sheep, who he always sleeps with. He looks sleepy but very content.
It was a short and sweet concept — just a few lines — but Ekaterina instantly understood the tone we were going for: cozy, charming, and full of character. What she delivered absolutely melted our team’s hearts.
Why It Matters
In a game like Once Upon a Galaxy, where fairy tales meet space fantasy, the tone is everything. We rely on our art not just to make things look good, but to make them feel right. Every card, every background, every silly creature or joke has a purpose and we need artists who understand that, who feel it with us.
Supporting real artists is also a way of investing in our broader creative community. When we commission a piece, we’re not just buying art, we’re building relationships, supporting livelihoods, and making a game that we can be proud to have people play.
