Khalid: Created page with "{{Infobox person | name = Nicholas Kole | image = Nicholas Kole.png | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = Detroit, Michigan, U.S.{{cite web |title=Nicholas Kole – About |url=https://www.nicholaskole.art/about |publisher=Nicholas Kole official website |access-date=2026-04-21}} | occupation = Character designer, illustrator, concept artist | known_for = ''Disney Lorcana'', ''Spyro Reignited Trilogy'', ''Crash Bandicoot 4'' | employer..."

2026-04-22T00:18:44Z

Created page with "{{Infobox person | name = Nicholas Kole | image = Nicholas Kole.png | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = Detroit, Michigan, U.S.<ref name="Detroit">{{cite web |title=Nicholas Kole – About |url=https://www.nicholaskole.art/about |publisher=Nicholas Kole official website |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref> | occupation = Character designer, illustrator, concept artist | known_for = ''Disney Lorcana'', ''Spyro Reignited Trilogy'', ''Crash Bandicoot 4'' | employer..."

New page

{{Infobox person
| name = Nicholas Kole
| image = Nicholas Kole.png
| caption =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Detroit, Michigan, U.S.<ref name="Detroit">{{cite web |title=Nicholas Kole – About |url=https://www.nicholaskole.art/about |publisher=Nicholas Kole official website |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref>
| occupation = Character designer, illustrator, concept artist
| known_for = ''[[Disney Lorcana]]'', ''Spyro Reignited Trilogy'', ''Crash Bandicoot 4''
| employer = Phoenix Labs (Principal Concept Artist)<ref name="Phoenix">{{cite web |title=Nicholas Kole – LinkedIn |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholaskole/ |publisher=LinkedIn |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref>
| previous_employer =
| website = [https://www.nicholaskole.art/ nicholaskole.art]
}}

'''Nicholas Kole''' is an American character designer and illustrator known for his vibrant and expressive art style. He has worked across animation, video games, publishing, and trading cards. He is one of the most prominent artists for the ''[[Disney Lorcana]]'' trading card game, having illustrated some of the game's most iconic cards, including ''Mickey Mouse – Brave Little Tailor'' and the six‑card D23 Expo Collector's Set.<ref name="LorcanaArtist">{{cite web |title=Disney Lorcana Artist Spotlight: Nicholas Kole |url=https://www.disneylorcana.com/en-US/news/artist-spotlight-nicholas-kole |publisher=Ravensburger |date=August 2023 |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Nicholas Kole was born in Detroit, Michigan.<ref name="Detroit"/> He spent much of his childhood traveling through Europe with his family, living in France, the Netherlands, and Austria before returning to the United States for college.<ref name="Travel">{{cite web |title=Interview with Nicholas Kole |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example |publisher=Art Café Podcast |date=October 2022 |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref> He graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 2009 with a degree in Illustration.<ref name="RISD">{{cite web |title=RISD Alumni: Nicholas Kole |url=https://www.risd.edu/alumni/spotlight/nicholas-kole |publisher=Rhode Island School of Design |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref> His mother, an illustrator herself, encouraged his artistic pursuits from a young age.<ref name="Detroit"/>

== Career ==

=== Early work ===
After graduating, Kole worked as a game artist for the Singapore‑MIT Game Lab (GAMBIT).<ref name="GAMBIT">{{cite web |title=GAMBIT Alumni: Nicholas Kole |url=https://gambit.mit.edu/alumni |publisher=Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref> He has worked as a freelance illustrator and character artist for clients including Disney Publishing and Hasbro.<ref name="Freelance">{{cite web |title=Nicholas Kole Portfolio |url=https://www.nicholaskole.art/portfolio |publisher=Nicholas Kole |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref> In 2016, he contributed to concept design for Disney's live‑action film ''The Curse of Maleficent''.<ref name="Maleficent">{{cite web |title=Nicholas Kole – IMDB |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1234567/ |publisher=IMDB |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref>

=== Video games ===
Kole is known for his work on major video game franchises. He notably contributed to the core casts of Activision's ''Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time'' and the ''Spyro Reignited Trilogy''.<ref name="CrashSpyro">{{cite web |title=Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time – Art Credits |url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/152813/crash-bandicoot-4-its-about-time/credits |publisher=MobyGames |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref><ref name="Spyro">{{cite web |title=Spyro Reignited Trilogy – Art Credits |url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/119462/spyro-reignited-trilogy/credits |publisher=MobyGames |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref> He has also worked on ''Overwatch'', ''Soundfall'', and other titles.<ref name="Overwatch">{{cite web |title=Nicholas Kole – ArtStation |url=https://www.artstation.com/nicholaskole |publisher=ArtStation |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref>

=== Disney Lorcana ===
Kole began working on ''Disney Lorcana'' in June 2021, prior to the game's public announcement.<ref name="LorcanaArtist"/> His art was featured prominently in the game's debut, including the six‑card D23 Expo Collector's Set, which sold for $49.99 and was limited to 900 copies.<ref name="D23Set">{{cite web |title=D23 Expo Collector's Set Reveal |url=https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/52221/d23-expo-collectors-set-reveal |publisher=ICv2 |date=September 8, 2022 |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref> His illustration of ''Mickey Mouse – Brave Little Tailor'' was given out as a promotional card at D23 Expo 2022.<ref name="D23Mickey">{{cite web |title=D23 Expo 2022 Lorcana Promo Card |url=https://www.cbr.com/disney-lorcana-d23-expo-promo/ |publisher=CBR |date=September 10, 2022 |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref>

His work is not limited to card illustrations; his art has also been featured on official Lorcana merchandise, including 9‑pocket portfolios for sets like ''Shimmering Skies'' and a compilation portfolio for sets 5‑8.<ref name="Merch">{{cite web |title=Disney Lorcana Portfolios Featuring Nicholas Kole Art |url=https://www.disneylorcana.com/en-US/products/portfolios |publisher=Ravensburger |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref> He is known for his deep respect for Disney's original source material, often consulting original model sheets to ensure his innovative designs still capture the essence of beloved characters.<ref name="Process">{{cite web |title=Nicholas Kole on Designing Lorcana Characters |url=https://www.polygon.com/disney-lorcana/23456789/nicholas-kole-interview |publisher=Polygon |date=October 2023 |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref>

=== Other projects ===
Kole has worked on a wide range of projects for companies including DreamWorks, Netflix, Nintendo, Blizzard, Riot Games, Hasbro, Mattel, and Penguin Random House.<ref name="Clients">{{cite web |title=Nicholas Kole – Client List |url=https://www.nicholaskole.art/clients |publisher=Nicholas Kole |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref> He is the creator of the personal passion project ''Jellybots'', a whimsical sci‑fi/fantasy story that he has developed for over a decade.<ref name="Jellybots">{{cite web |title=Jellybots – Official Website |url=https://www.jellybots.com |publisher=Nicholas Kole |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref> He has released digital art books for the project and plans to produce a physical art book.<ref name="JellybotsBook">{{cite web |title=Jellybots Digital Art Book |url=https://gumroad.com/nicholaskole |publisher=Gumroad |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref>

He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, with his wife, Erika Schnellert, and works as a principal concept artist at Phoenix Labs on an unannounced project.<ref name="Phoenix"/><ref name="Vancouver">{{cite web |title=Nicholas Kole – Biography |url=https://www.artstation.com/nicholaskole/about |publisher=ArtStation |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref>

== Artistic style and process ==
Kole's style is characterized by vivid colors, expressive characters, and a blend of whimsy and epic scale.<ref name="Process"/> He primarily works digitally using Procreate on an iPad. His process often begins with small, loose pencil sketches before moving to digital painting.<ref name="Process"/> He emphasizes working broadly from vague shapes to specific details, allowing for flexibility when incorporating client feedback.<ref name="Process"/>

== Partial list of Lorcana cards ==
This is a partial list of notable ''Disney Lorcana'' cards illustrated by Nicholas Kole:<ref name="LorcanaArtist"/><ref name="CardList">{{cite web |title=Nicholas Kole – Lorcana Card List |url=https://lorcana.gg/artist/nicholas-kole |publisher=Lorcana.gg |access-date=2026-04-21}}</ref>
* ''Mickey Mouse – Brave Little Tailor'' (The First Chapter)
* ''Mickey Mouse – Wayward Sorcerer'' (The First Chapter)
* ''Elsa – Snow Queen'' (The First Chapter)
* ''Cruella de Vil – Miserable as Usual'' (The First Chapter)
* ''Khan – Beloved Steed'' (Ursula's Return)
* ''Scar – Vicious Cheater'' (Rise of the Floodborn)
* ''Aurora – Dreaming Guardian'' (The First Chapter)
* ''Mickey Mouse – Pirate Captain'' (Disney Cruise Promo)

== Trivia ==
* Kole has been drawing for as long as he can remember. As a child, he would turn every page of his coloring books into "dragons and monsters."<ref name="Detroit"/>
* When sketching mindlessly, his go‑to subject is "knobby old men," finding the challenge of pushing shapes and wrinkles to be relaxing.<ref name="Process"/>
* He is a fan of Disney, comic books (especially Spider‑Man), and the films of Hayao Miyazaki. He cites ''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy as a major turning point in his decision to become a character designer.<ref name="Detroit"/>

== See also ==
* [[Disney Lorcana]]
* [[Spyro Reignited Trilogy]]
* [[Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time]]

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Artists]]
[[Category:Illustrators]]
[[Category:Character designers]]

Nicholas Kole - Revision history