Field notes & deep dives
One long-form genre guide per genre we paint, plus the studio notes — guides, walkthroughs, and process pieces. Start with a genre guide, explore the deep dives.
The genres we paint in
Cornerstone guides for every genre on the studio’s slate. Live where written; the rest are in the queue.
Commissioning Fantasy Character Art: A Complete Guide for Players, GMs, and Writers
Species cues, faction-warm palettes, magical effects without the sparkles, weapons that aren't generic, and what actually goes in the brief.
The D&D 5e Player's Guide to Commissioning Character Art
What a D&D 5e character art commission actually delivers, what to put in the brief, and how class and lineage shape the painting. From a studio that has painted hundreds.
Sci-fi Character Art: From Starfinder to Original Settings
What two years of painting sci-fi characters taught me about hardsuits, alien species, body mods, Starfinder, Mothership, and original-IP worldbuilding briefs.
Cyberpunk Character Art Commissions: The Neon-Lit Aesthetic Guide
A studio guide to commissioning cyberpunk character art — palette, chrome, archetype cues, lighting rigs, and what RED, Shadowrun, and 2077 each demand.
Horror Character Art: Painting What Should Not Be
A studio guide to commissioning horror character art — dread over shock, gothic vs cosmic vs body horror, 1920s investigators, and what to leave to the painter.
Modern Character Art: Urban Fantasy, Crime, Mundane Heroics
A working guide to commissioning modern character art: World of Darkness portraits, urban fantasy leads, modern crime PCs, and the person-in-jeans brief.
Historical Character Art Commissions: Getting the Period Right
Medieval, Viking, samurai, Edwardian. How I narrow a year range with the client, check references, and avoid the costume-drama mistakes that ruin a period portrait.
Souls & Anime Fan Art Commissions: Tribute Portraits Done Right
Souls-style and anime style commissions, palette by palette, plus the calm IP conversation about fan art that most studios won't have with you. A founder's field guide.
Western & Weird West Character Art: Frontier, Gunslinger, Outlaw
A studio guide to commissioning western character art — period-accurate fashion, firearms, dust-and-golden-hour light, and how the weird west really works.
Field notes & process
Guides on commissioning art, walkthroughs of recent pieces, and the occasional studio dispatch.
Deadlands at a Glance: huckster, mad scientist, gunslinger, brave
A studio-eye view of Deadlands character art: huckster, mad scientist, gunslinger, brave, Ranger, Harrowed. Palette, props, and what the Reckoning changes.
Malenia, Blade of Miquella: the difficulty of capturing Souls bosses in paint
How we brief, abstract, and paint a Malenia portrait without it looking like a screenshot. The prosthetic, the rot, the helm, the pose, and the fair-use line.
Geralt of Rivia in paint: references for the Witcher commission
Three Geralts (book, game, Netflix), cat eyes, the medallion, the scars, and the tonal register a Witcher portrait actually needs.
The Starfinder Solarian Painted: solar weapons, photon flares, gravity wells
How I paint a Starfinder solarian: solar weapon shape, photon vs gravity attunement, common builds, and how kasathan, vesk, and lashunta species read at portrait scale.
Lancer at a Glance: mech pilots, NHPs, and the portrait beneath the cockpit
A field guide to commissioning a Lancer pilot portrait: pilot vs mech, NHP rendering, and the four manufacturer aesthetics (IPS-N, SSC, HORUS, HA).
World of Darkness Clans: a visual cheat sheet for Vampire the Masquerade portraits
Two or three sentences per V5 clan: palette, posture, and the status accessory that makes a Vampire the Masquerade portrait read without a caption.
John Constantine: the hellblazer portrait, and why he's the hardest face to paint
Three canonical Constantines, the chain-smoker face problem, and the tired-bastard register that makes any worn-down magic-user commission land.
The Dresden Files Portrait Guide: Harry, Murphy, and the Chicago crew
How Harry Dresden's canonical look, Murphy's compressed-power register, and a Chicago 3 a.m. light translate into urban-fantasy character commissions.
Strahd von Zarovich: the world's most-painted vampire
What makes a Strahd portrait actually look like Strahd: the widow's peak, the gray eyes, the Renaissance coat, and the Tatyana question.
The Curse of Strahd NPC Roadmap: 8 commissions worth making
Which eight NPCs in Curse of Strahd actually earn a portrait, the order they enter the story, and the essentials-only vs full-pack budget tiers.
The Viking Portrait: getting helmets, braids, and gear right
Vikings didn't wear horned helmets. Here's what they actually wore, how to braid the hair, and how to brief a Norse commission that lands historically.
The Samurai Portrait: kabuto, kimono, and the era you actually mean
Sengoku, Edo, or Bakumatsu? Three centuries of samurai look almost nothing alike. A briefing guide to period-accurate kabuto, kimono, and kit.
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New work & new thinking, monthly
Every few weeks, a roundup of recent commissions, process notes, and slot openings. No spam, no marketing fluff — just the good stuff.