Second
Rat Games We cannot consider amateur, "fan" art, but if you think your work has something to offer our products, we'll be happy to look it over.
Initial Inquiries
When you first contact us, please include a cover letter and samples for our files as a permanent reference. We love techno-savvy artists, but under no circumstances e-mail unsolicited files to 2nd Rat Games. Unsolicited files will be deleted unopened. If you have a web page with samples of your work, let us know when your galleries are updated. (Dated galleries showing your most current work are a big help.)
What We Want - Black & White
Black & White art submissions must be clear, bold, high-contrast pen-and-ink (or computer-generated) drawings, showing a thorough knowledge of perspective, anatomy, shading and proportion. Shading should be done with solid blacks or in a graphics program such as Photoshop. Our black-and-white art requires computer files for computer-generated work. Contact the Art Director for more information. We will accept mailed artwork but only inked originals or high-quality photocopies for reproduction (i.e., scanning).
What We Want - Color
We are looking for bright, high-energy color work that shows good composition, attention to detail, and knowledge of how a cover should be laid out.
Covers require either the original or a professionally-done transparency.
Submitting Samples
If you are mailing your samples, black-and-white artwork should be submitted as clean photocopies, with your name and address on the back of each sheet. For color samples, we will accept slides, high-quality color laser copies, or color photos. Again, your name and address (if there is room) should be on each copy.
Include representative samples of your work, regardless of style and/or subject matter, as our needs vary. Only submit samples that reflect the work you are interested in contributing. If you only want to create space ships on your computer please don’t send a portfolio of oil painted portraits.
All inquiries should include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE). If the return of any submitted samples is requested, the SASE must have sufficient postage and be of a sufficient size to handle that return. No materials will be returned without an SASE with sufficient postage attached.
Rights Purchased
The rights purchased are negotiable, however anything we purchase cannot be used for another company's game.
Art Specs
Contracted art must be consistent with the rules and text of the product. Therefore, we provide specific art guidelines for each project.
Artists are either supplied with laid-out pages, showing the size and shape of the "art hole" to be filled, or exact dimensions we expect the art to fit. Not all art spaces are rectangular or square. Artists are also provided with any specific illustration instructions illustration descriptions and visual source material when possible.
Payment is based on the size of the "art hole," not the size of the finished piece. Artists are encouraged to work proportionately larger than the designated area, though the Art Director should be contacted if the art is larger than 11" x 17".
Electronic Specs
We like to have art submitted electronically because it saves us time in converting it. However, if you do send art through e-mail, please follow the guidelines below.
Send electronic images in grayscale for black and white illustrations, CYMK for color. Do not send files in bitmap. Crop any excess white space from the edges. The resolution image size should be 300 pixels per inch. Save each file in TIFF format, not EPS. If you have Photoshop, save the file for Macintosh with LZW compression. Always label assigned art with an abbreviation of the project name and the page number for which the art was assigned.
These guidelines are for interior illustrations (for print production) only. Please contact the art director about sending color or card art electronically
Standard Image Size Samples
| Image Desc | Size | Page % |
| Full Page | 8.5 x 11 | 100% |
| Half Page Tall | 4.25 x 11 | 50% |
| Half Page Wide | 8.5 x 5.5 | 50% |
| Qtr Page | 4.25 x 5.5 | 25% |
| Qtr Page Tall | 2.175 x 11 | 25% |
| Qtr Page Wide | 8.5 x 2.25 | 25% |
| 1 column | 4x10 | |
| Half Column | 4x5 |
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