The art of Dungeons and Dragons is something I am excited to delve into here, both as an illustrator and a newbie player. I’ve known about it for years, always been curious, but somehow never found myself at a table. Perhaps I rolled a 1 for initiative before entering this world. But now, at long last, I am in the game. And I am hooked.
The sheer range of possibility when designing your character is enough to keep you busy for a couple of days. Then actually playing… a whole world awaits, rich in history and adventure. And a wealth of amazing art has been produced to make things that much more real and exciting.
Official art for Dungeons and Dragons
Art And Arcana – A visual history of D&D
The art that accompanies D&D today has come a long way. Dungeons and Dragons Art And Arcana: A Visual History documents it’s early beginnings and the initial struggles to communicate the wild imagination of Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
Art of the players…
Today, many artists help players bring their characters to life by doing portrait commissions. Combining the variety of races, classes and player imagination, pieces like this always seem to be unique and a lot of fun to create.
These are just some of the artists I’m following that do character portraits.
Building worlds
There is so much creatvity that’s inspired by this game. From the 2D on to the 3D…
With 3D printing, environments and miniatures have become way more affordable and quicker to create.
Oliver Spaeth is one of many creators who share their work on Patreon and offer rewards for your support. Some share the designs for their creations, while others share tutorials for making them.
Platforms like HeroForge or EldritchFoundry allow players to build and customize their own characters for printing. MyMiniFactory is a marketplace for digital sculptors to sell the print files for their designs.
This is the design for the Loxodon Druid I’m playing. I purchased it from Onmioji on MyMiniFactory, and printed locally.
The painting of minis too is an art unto itself. Some take it further to create dioramas for their characters. Others go even further…
Like this whole tabletop world that includes a castle and harbor. It’s made by Ryan Devoto and Richard Grey. You can see more of it here.
Even Lego is being used in interesting ways to interpret creatures and scenarios.
If you want more on painting miniatures, then check out our post about Paint and Plastic, a documentary about mini painters in South Africa.
Live stream and Animation…
I can’t make a post about D&D without mentioning Critical Role, a group of voice actors who stream their adventures live, with Matthew Mercer as the Dungeon Master. The following (known as Critters) and support they have garnered in recent years is truly astounding. From it, even more art has been created. This includes a comic and an animated series of their campaigns.
Below, CR member, Sam Regal, chats about animation…
There are several fan-art galleries on their blog as well, with work made by creative Critters.
Sheath your weapon…
So to wrap things up, D&D has clearly given players way to indulge their imagination and adventure in fantastical lands with their friends. For artists, it’s an outlet for their creativity, and offers an array of ways to earn some income from it.
For some people, it’s even been something of a live-saver, and a way to connect with other people. It’s impact is profound, and I’m stoked to finally be a player. I’ll leave you with this video that goes into that a bit more…
Looking for more inspiration? Then check out our Art section for visuals from the games and movies we love.
Full Disclosure: This post does contain affiliate links, so should you make any purchases through them, as an Amazon Associate, I might get a small commission. This doesn’t affect the price for you in any way, but it does help me to keep creating content here for you.
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