Philip Lindeman x Laurence King

Laurence King Publishing commissioned the wonderful Philip Lindeman to create the artwork for the latest addition to their series of beautifully illustrated games. ‘Height of Flight’ is a family card game of higher or lower, with players competing to guess what flies highest from a flamingo to Concorde, a hot air balloon to a paper airplane. As well as the highest recorded flight of each animal or object the game is packed full of surprising facts with all 45 flying creatures and contraptions gorgeously illustrated by Philip.

We caught up with Philip to get some of insight on the creation this lovely game!

Were you excited to illustrate your first game?

When I got the opportunity to create illustrations, I had just become a father. The project really resonated with me because I loved the idea of someday playing this game with my son.

What was the process like?

When I took on the assignment, it felt very approachable. Drawing a huge variety of flying creatures and objects seemed incredibly straightforward but fun! At that time, I was on cloud nine, and this project fit perfectly with the life of a new, slightly exhausted dad. I did most of the drawings with my son in a baby carrier.

Which animal or machine was your favourite to illustrate?

Most of the creatures and vehicles were things I had never drawn before. This project had many firsts for me in that regard, and I love exploring how something is put together for the first time and figuring out how to depict it interestingly in my own way. During the Height of Flight game, I added many fun new creatures and objects to my visual library, or at least that’s how it felt. It’s hard to pick a favourite, but some of the flying innovative vehicles like the autogiro, tandem twin-balloon airship, and the cluster helium balloon turned out so delightfully whimsical.

Did you learn any fun facts?

It’s wild to realise that technological advancements have allowed humans to fly higher than animals! Things like the tandem twin-balloon airship and gliders soar way above any bird or insect. This really shows how technology can push us beyond our natural limits. And the champion is quite a surprise: the paper airplane, which tops the list at 114,970 feet high. This is much higher than any other object or animal, showing how amazingly effective a super simple design can be.

If you could illustrate another game, what sort of game would it be?

I’m endlessly fascinated by toys, and this often shows in my work. Creating a game that combines toys and gameplay would be a dream come true. Think of wooden puzzles or stacking toys. That would be fantastic! It might seem obvious, but I think my detailed worlds would be perfect for a puzzle.

What projects are manifesting at the moment?

Besides editorial projects, I’m currently working on a design for a large mural. I’ll be painting this in a new development site and neighbourhood in the city of Utrecht. Additionally, I’m working on various personal projects in my studio. In these projects, I explore my illustrated world using analogue (and spatial) techniques. This work doesn’t have a destination yet, but I dream of showing a new side of myself in a solo exhibition and providing people with an immersive experience.

You can purchase the game directly from Laurence King here.

Check out more of Philip’s incredible illustrated world here in his portfolio.