Illustration · Printmaking · Brand Systems
Marcus Valedesigns theunderground.
A hybrid graphic designer with a BA in Printmaking & Contemporary Design, building dark-surrealist illustration, gritty silk-screen posters, and unified brand systems for gaming, marketplace, and corporate communities.
Case Study — Key Art
Gaming Merchandise& collectible art.
High-level, narrative-driven traditional illustration translated into premium digital merchandise for the trading card game and collector communities.
The Strategy
Cleaning raw physical media — ink, stippling, watercolor — and translating it onto dark, minimalist backdrops optimized to function as limited-edition gaming playmats, custom card sleeves, and premium apparel graphics. A visual language tuned for the fantasy & sci-fi gaming cultures of MTG and Yu-Gi-Oh!.
Brand Mark
Illuminated Serenity Emblem
Stipple & Watercolor
The Spiral Eye
Triptych · The Metamorphosis
Raw ink-on-paper next to digital merchandise mockups — playmats, deck boxes, sleeves.
Case Study — Printmaking
Silk-screenevent posters.
Drawing from contemporary printmaking principles, building high-impact posters for TCG tournaments, community conventions, and underground pop-culture activations.
Edition 01
2026
TCGplayer Regional Championship
Limerick,
Ireland.
Format
Modern · Legacy
Prize Pool
€5,000
Edition 02
Underground
After-Hours Pop-Up
Analog
Sessions.
Venue
Printworks
Doors
22:00 — 04:00
Heavy textural grain, deep duotone contrast, restricted palettes — neon cyans, deep magentas, stark charcoals. Flat, crisp, minimalist typography on a strict grid lets the print textures do the heavy lifting.
Case Study — Brand Campaign
Spin the wheel.Three posters, one system.
Cohesive multi-asset visual systems driving user engagement, milestone celebrations, and live marketplace reward activations.
Shared Backdrop
Pop-art sunburst rays + retro halftone dots anchor the entire series.
Cohesive System
Repeatable visual language across multiple variations, not isolated one-offs.
Live Activation
Designed to translate directly into user activity and seller appreciation events.
Case Study — Internal Brand
Corporate,but never sterile.
High-impact internal collateral for resource groups and community events, working inside fast-paced global corporate environments.
Event Flyer
Canvas & Cocktails
Centerpiece illustration framed by an elegant floral arch — refined serif typography for an upscale tone.
Vector Emblem
Golf Club Crest
Holiday Campaign
25 Days · Snowglobe
Balancing clean information hierarchy with engaging graphic design — the ability to work within structured corporate environments while driving internal culture forward.