Playing Dungeons and Dragons can be a really cathartic and exhilarating event. It can not only reduce feelings of anxiety and loneliness but it’s also bursting with creativity that inspires some great Dungeons and Dragons art.
At its best, D&D is a session of improv with dice determining a lot of the action. What this improvisation can do is create a lot of visual stimuli. In many cases, these images or scenes are fleeting and only exist in those few seconds, where funny, thrilling, or terrifying events take place. In my experience running D&D with students at the high school library I manage, I find that they absolutely love creating their own art around the experience they have with their characters and the settings they find themselves in. They love creating characters and writing their backstories and including art as part of this process.
I do my best to collect this artwork and archive it digitally so they can see it later when they’re older, as a way to remember the fun we had playing this weird and wonderful game together.
Luckily, there are also a million amazingly talented artists out there who create stunning Dungeons and Dragons art. I’m going to highlight some amazing D&D-inspired art, I hope you enjoy this!
Gannucci Art
I love Gannucci Art because there’s a warmth and joy to the characters that I absolutely love. If you’re looking for someone who will customise their work based on your party’s ideas, needs, and interests, then this is the place to start! Find even more D&D character art here!
Eva Wildermann
Eva Wildermann’s art is like something from a history book — it instills the feeling that these characters have had real lives in the past. I think Eva’s underdark art is truly frightening since it depicts a place that scares the life out of most adventurers!
David A. Trampier
Trampier illustrated the earliest editions of (Advanced) Dungeons and Dragons in 1977, including the iconic Player’s Handbook. He also created the art for the 1979 edition of the Dungeon Master’s Screen and the interior art for several Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. This is amazing artwork that makes you feel nostalgic for different editions of D&D.
Wayne Reynolds
Reynolds’ work often features more diverse characters than other traditional D&D art, this is hugely important because it helps create a more realistic idea of what this world would have looked like. He’s been creating D&D art for over 30 years and has developed some extremely iconic scenes with his abilities.
Brom
Brom’s art is reminiscent of stark deserts and Mad Max-themed dystopian nightmares. I love Brom’s D&D art because it can evoke a very unsettling feeling.
Larry Elmore
Larry Elmore started illustrating for Dungeons and Dragons in the early 1980s and created some of the most iconic D&D art pieces around. He also worked on the original Dragonlance book series, which is amazing.
Greg Rutkowski
Greg Rutkowski’s art is dark, mysterious, and beautiful. For D&D players, it’s the perfect artwork to transport them to a situation where survival is probably pretty low. These are often the most fun kinds of experiences at the gaming table if you ask a group!
Rebecca Guay
Guay’s art transports you to the Renaissance era while creating fantastical imagery using watercolours. Her work is featured in the Magic: The Gathering card series, as well as in many other works. They seem to come straight out of ancient medieval texts and are amazing representations of the genre.
Using art to enhance your experience can be an amazing way to bring your party’s adventure to life. It can also be a very inspiring way to start thinking about your own artwork in relation to your players’ experiences.