In an effort to keep our content varied and most importantly interesting, we have in the past reached out to Graphic Design Artists to provide them an opportunity to talk about their craft and their works. I for one love a good looking game as much as a well designed game and feel that the visual element to wargames can make them successful or hold them back. Prior interviews with Graphic Design Artists that have appeared on our blog have included Antonio Pinar Peña, Nicolás Eskubi, Ilya Kudriashov, Ania Ziolkowska, Matt White and Iván Cáceres. In this interview, we talk to an up and coming artist who has actually done a lot of really great looking graphics for several wargames over the recent years in Wouter Schoutteten.
Grant: First off Wouter, please tell us a little about yourself. Where do you live? What are your hobbies and interests? What types of games do you enjoy playing?
Wouter: I’m Wouter Schoutteten, I live in Belgium, I’m married with 2 kids. I have many interests and hobbies! Gardening, reading, grilling, walking, baking sourdough bread, drawing and being creative all around, collecting music… But my main interest is playing board games. I play all kinds: I play a lot of wargames obviously, but I also play Euro games and last year I really got into TTRPG’s as well. I play a lot solo too – almost every evening, something I enjoy a lot.
I really appreciate games that are very tight, that have limited mechanics. Games where every decision just is really important. The White Castle is one I like a lot.
As for wargames, ironically I have more affinity with history before WWII. Though I play WWII games too, and mostly on a tactical scale.
I’m now diving a bit into the ACW and one game that really stood out for me is Mark Herman’s Rebel Fury. What a clever game, one that I’m blessed to play with my 8-year old.
Grant: What is your full time profession? How did you get into wargame graphic design?
Wouter: I work as a graphic designer and illustrator. I do a lot of illustration in the field of branding and marketing. I’ve been working independent close to 10 years now.
One day during holiday, I was reflecting on my career as an artist and about the kind of jobs I did so far.
I always feel like an artist should set his own goals and should create something he wants to create. You know, something you as an artist would like to put into the world. And it dawned on me I could probably involve my hobby in my profession. I mean, I loved spending time tinkering with boardgames, making my own stuff, laying out little playaids I shared on BGG… But is there such a thing as an artist working in the wargame niche? I felt it would enable me to create something myself and at the same time give something back to the hobby.
So I first created the art for Corvette Command, got in touch with Allen Eagle (the designer) next and presented the art to a couple of publishers and that got the ball rolling!
Grant: What is your favorite part about the graphic design/art process? Conversely, what do you struggle with or find to be the greatest challenge?
Wouter: My favorite part about it is really pretty early on in the process. Reading up, doing the research and spending a couple of days diving into the topic, looking for documentaries, listening to podcasts and get some understanding of what the topic is about. Something I did with Volko Ruhnke when we were starting on Coast Watchers – We sat together and played a single turn of the game, just so I got an understanding of the basic ideas and hearing from the designer what he is trying to convey, what he thinks the ideal experience for the player should be like.
So what is my greatest challenge? In 2025 I started taking on more and more commissions, which was very exciting. I did a lot more work in the war game space than I ever did before. Then I learned that mapping the workload and working out my schedule really is a nightmare! These games can take a long time to develop. There’s a lot of going back and forth and to get everybody on the same line, that could mean a lot of iterations. So working on my planning skills this year!
Grant: If you are given strict design parameters for a specific game, does this stifle your creativity?
Wouter: Not really! As long as the parameters aren’t really about the look and feel of the game, I’m okay with that. Usually being creative is easier within constraints. Starting from a blank canvas, that’s often a bit paralyzing. It’s nice to have some parameters like “we are looking to bring this kind of a feeling” or “this one should really feel like 1600”. These kinds of parameters work really well to spark creativity.
Grant: How long does it usually take to fully design the graphics for a wargame? What is the starting point for the whole process?
Wouter: The starting point really is doing research, reading up on the topic, talking with the designer about his vision, what he’s trying to convey, what the players should experience while playing the game. Once I have that, I start with mood boarding, looking for inspirational or similar graphics that I like. Also digging into the whole BGG catalog, looking for other games on the same topic, taking inspiration out of that. Then usually I design a couple of components to get a general look and feel. Then I hope to get the green light from both publisher and designer. Once we have that, I work out everything and usually there’s a couple of iterations that are going back and forth between me, the publisher and the designer.
Grant: Where do you obtain information from to ensure the accuracy of your subjects, whether it be uniforms, insignia, equipment, maps, terrain, etc.?
Wouter: So when I say mood boarding it’s more than just finding an esthetic. It’s also about collecting reference images from the appropriate period, so that I will be working on the right uniform, the right insignia and things like that. I like to have at least a couple of different sources. Online groups with miniature painters for exemple are excellent for this, these guys are experts. Also museums, books, documentaries,…
Wargamers can be really picky about details. And rightly so. I remember a talk from Adrian Goldsworthy, the historian, on historical accuracy in movies. But the same applies to games as well: We create these visuals as a representation of history and they are passed from generation to generation and we expect them to be accurate. Now there’s a big risk in that if we make something inaccurate, not many people will be able to tell. So it’s important for us to try and tell the history as accurately as possible. I like to think of wargames as another form of education, a way of studying history. But also as a way of preserving stories and keeping them alive.
Grant: What role does a good map play in a proper wargame? How does it help tell the narrative of the battle depicted?
Wouter: One of the things a map does is conveying the feeling of the era. It can also tell a part of the story in itself. Like the board I did for 1812: Napoleon’s Fateful March from VUCA Simulations, if you look to the right top corner, where Moscow is, you will see the colors there are paler and they’re almost white, as opposed to the lower left, where the colors are more green-ish. This is because the French invasion started from these countries with a more mild climate. And as the French marched on toward Moscow, winter was setting in. Once they retreated from Moscow, they had to do so in terrible conditions, freezing severely. For this game, we couldn’t create two maps just for the sake of the narrative. So I worked with this color gradient so the French player would feel, the more he’s moving towards Moscow, the harsher the terrain is, the harsher the conditions are becoming.
Another one is the map for the upcoming Merville Battery from Dan Verssen Games that I am working on. For the raid on that French coast battery during D-Day, British paratroopers were dropped very early in the morning. By the time they attacked the battery, the sun was almost coming up, so the sun would have created these very long shadows. I visited the site of the battery in person to see how the site looked, but also what kind of colors we have there. I also checked with photo’s from tourists there that were taken early dawn, to really simulate those colors. In my first designs I tried dark blue tones to give it that night ambiance, but we settled for a version with a lot of dark greens with some pastel-like hues, some pink and soft purple. A peculiar color scheme, but one that gives that sense of early dawn on the map.
Grant: How does the design process for counters compare to the process for maps? What is your goal with the look of counters?
Wouter: Oh I enjoy drawing counters! I make illustrations based on reference images like photos from miniatures. Counters are drawn by hand. Usually I do a couple of tests to see if they work well when printed small. They have to be clear when used so very tiny. One thing I like about counters when placed on the map is when they really pop out. That’s something I keep in mind, to keep the colors of the map rather subdued and work with brighter colors for the counters.
Personally, I like if the counters are a bit of a narrative as well. I’m not a fan of NATO symbols because I feel they are too abstract and I lose that emotional connection with the people that were involved in the action.
Grant: What wargame companies have you worked with in the past? What games have you been involved with?
Wouter: I’ve been blessed to work with a very wide roster of publishers in such a short time. Lately I’ve been working with GMT, with VUCA Simulations and with Sound of Drums. But I also work with DVG, Nuts! Publishing and have worked for PHALANX, Fort Circle and War Diary Publications.
Grant: What games have you been involved with?
Wouter: 1812: Napoleon’s Fateful March, 1920: Nest of Eagles, Assault Red Horizon 41: Revised Edition and Primosole Bridge Expansion, Corvette Command, Nightfighter Command, Merville Battery, Coast Watchers: Allied Field Intelligence in the South Pacific, 1942-1943 (to be released), The Far Seas (to be released), 1813: Napoleon’s Struggle for Germany (to be released), A House Divided: Designer Edition (to be released) and my own Dreaded Flags: Naval Conflict in the Age of Piracy 1568-1720.
Grant: How would you classify or describe your distinct graphics style?
Wouter: I try to inject little bits of innovation in my art, something a bit different at least for the wargame scene. I like clear iconography, clear typography. I’m not a big fan of a lot of drop shadows and special effects. So I think you would classify it more as a bold, flat, very graphic style with some elements of the Franco-Belge comic, DIY and print techniques such as screenprinting, copier effects and lithography. I think these are some common elements you’ll find with other European artists as well. Is there something as a European wargame look?
Grant: What game’s graphics are you most proud of? Is there one game that you would like another crack at to improve or simply do differently?
Wouter: I really like the whole package of 1812 and how everything in that box works together. I’m also pretty proud at the humble Corvette Command. It’s published by War Diary Publications and it’s a game by Alan Eagle and more of a narrative-style game in the line of B-17: Queen of the Skies. Usually in these games, you haven’t many visual components in front of you. So for this type of game, I really wanted to create something different, something new, a strong visual game. I like the box art of Corvette Command. I tried a couple of new techniques in there.
Grant: What graphic designers/artists out there have influenced your style? Do you spend a lot of time studying other’s work?
Wouter: No, I try not to look too much to other artists. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, prone to tinkering with my own art. And, like many artists, I struggle with the infamous ‘imposter syndrome’. Nothing is ever good enough, especially if you compare it to work made by people who are way more experienced than me. “Comparison is the thief of joy” is a mantra I need daily. Of course, there are artists I admire a lot and if I buy a game, usually it’s because I like the look of it! Work by Nils Johansson, Marc Von Martial, Iván Cáceres, Roland MacDonald, Donal Hegarty, Rick Barber, Albert Monteys, Javi de Castro… Sure, I’m now forgetting many… So many talented artists.
Grant: What games are you currently working on?
Wouter: We have the Kickstarter running for Merville Battery by Vince Cooper for DVG. I’m also finishing up Coast Watchers with GMT Games before I start working on A House Divided. I’m also working on 1813 which is the follow-up on 1812, and the next volume in that series. There is this big rework of The Far Seas I’m finishing for Vuca. With Sound of Drums I’m working on their ‘Assault’ line and with Nuts! on a game on the Battle of Borodino. And some other as well, but that’s too early to say anything about!
Grant: Where do you see your wargaming graphic design career in 5 years?
Wouter: Difficult question because honestly I didn’t think there was such a thing as an artist career in wargames, because it’s so niche. Something I started to realize is that working in a niche industry is incredibly valuable. It’s very powerful for an artist to find a niche, one where you feel welcome and validated. It gives you focus in your artistic choices and it gives your work longevity. But that being said, I’m incredibly grateful for being able to work in this space and I didn’t expect it to go that fast. Something I really like to do in the future is to be able to work on a medieval or ancients game, because it would be so different to work on. And perhaps break in the TTRPG scene because there are a lot of illustrations used there.
Grant: What type of software and hardware do you use for design?
Wouter: Part of my work is deliberately done analog, pen and paper style. Most of the work however is done on computer in Photoshop, Illustrator and some InDesign. Drawings I do analog and a lot on iPad as well. At the moment I’m trying a couple of new things. I’m trying to introduce my scanner and my analog work back into the digital space, combining it with photobashing, which is a very exciting technique to create fast but unique visuals that sit somewhere between photograhpy and illustration.
Thank you Grant, for taking the time to listen to me. And thanks a lot to you and Alexander for doing The Players’ Aid these past 10 years or so. I think it’s one of the pillars of the hobby and of this wonderful community. I’ve been following the blog for as long as I can remember. It’s how I have been staying in touch with new games, how I discovered a lot of games and the joy of solo gaming too. The blog and YouTube channel has given me so much joy in this hobby. Thank you!
Thanks for your time Wouter. I know that you are busy working on several new projects but appreciate that you were willing to share your story and give us a little bit of insight into the life of a graphic designer. You have a very impressive list of games that you have done graphics for and I look forward to enjoying your work for years to come.
-Grant
The Players' Aid 