Drew Tucker

For more than four decades, Drew Tucker has been one of fantasy gaming’s most distinctive artistic voices. This year, we’re thrilled to welcome Drew to Gen Con, where he’ll be meeting players, signing cards, and debuting a brand-new Gen Con exclusive art print featuring his original Sorcery: Contested Realm illustration, 

Ahead of his Gen Con appearance, Drew shared with us how 

 came to life and what continues to inspire him.

Every Sorcery illustration begins with a prompt from Erik Olofsson, but from there, each artist brings their own process, perspective, and personality to the canvas.

, Erik’s brief pointed Drew toward the historical Persian Immortals, an elite military force that served as the king’s royal guard. From there, the real work began.

“I used tons of references,” Drew explains. “Erik sent me toward the historical Immortals, so I did a lot of armor research… and then bastardized it a little bit, because it’s me!” 

The challenge wasn’t simply recreating history, it was finding the balance between authenticity and fantasy. While many people immediately think of depictions like the warriors from 

, Drew wanted the painting to stand on its own, grounded in history while unmistakably belonging to the realm of Sorcery.

While the armor came from historical research, the emotion behind the painting came from a much more personal place.

“I was in marching band once,” Drew laughs. “I was a trumpet player. All I wanted to do was play jazz, but instead I found myself in marching band. I hated it.”

Standing in formation for long parades, waiting in the sweltering summer heat before anything happened, became an unexpected source of inspiration.

“I’m not a morning person,” he says. “You’re standing there in the heat, putting on your face, waiting. I’d rather be doing almost anything else.”

That feeling of restrained frustration found its way into 

“I wanted that standoff where you’re just waiting. In marching band you’re waiting to march. These guys are waiting to crush somebody.”

Rather than depicting battle itself, the painting captures the quiet tension beforehand, when discipline barely conceals overwhelming power.

The mood of the piece extends beyond its composition, with the armor itself being a key element in setting the tone.

“I wanted the gold armor to feel darker and more intimidating,” Drew says. “Bright gold can feel almost angelic, but that wasn’t what I was going for.”

Instead, the armor is subdued beneath deep shadows, with muted tones giving the warriors a quiet, imposing presence. Heat shimmers through the negative space, softening the distant forms while drawing the eye toward the figures waiting in silence.

“I was trying to articulate the heat, the air, and that energy around them.”

The result is a painting that feels less like a snapshot of combat and more like a breath held just before history changes.

For Drew, every painting is an opportunity to learn something new. “I get excited every time I get to paint. Each painting poses a different problem, and I get to learn so many different things," he shares. That curiosity extends far beyond the canvas.

“I love doing reference work because you get to learn so much about things you didn’t know about. Then when you’re painting, you’re reconstructing your understanding of those things.”

Perhaps Drew describes the process best with a single thought: “When you’re painting and drawing, you’re having a conversation with objects.”

That philosophy feels right at home in Sorcery. Every card begins not as pixels on a screen, but as an artist engaging with history, imagination, and the physical act of putting paint to canvas. 

 is one of those paintings best appreciated in person, and you’ll be able to see the original on display at the Erik’s Curiosa booth during Gen Con.

Throughout Gen Con, Drew Tucker will be at the Erik’s Curiosa booth signing cards, meeting players, and offering his exclusive 

 art print. One hundred percent of every Gen Con exclusive art print sale, whether it’s 

, goes directly to the artist. It’s a wonderful opportunity to take home a beautiful piece of Sorcery while celebrating the artists who bring the realm to life.

Whether you’ve admired Drew’s work for decades or are discovering his art through Sorcery for the first time, Gen Con is a wonderful opportunity to meet the artist behind the brush, hear the stories behind the paintings, and celebrate the human craftsmanship that brings the realm to life.

We look forward to seeing you at Booth #3046.

Meet Drew Tucker at Gen Con 2026

Alan Pollack

For more than three decades, Alan Pollack has helped define the look of fantasy gaming and this year, we’re thrilled to welcome him back to Gen Con, where he’ll be meeting players, signing cards, and debuting a brand-new Gen Con exclusive art print featuring art from 

Every Sorcery illustration starts the same way, with a brief, in this case the 

. The prompt called for it to feel like a spiritual successor to 

, one of Alan’s personal favorites. “It also said it was to be a Viking shapeshifter. That’s what I focused on. It’s not really a complicated piece,” Pollack shares, “I just tried to get the pose right. Basically, a berserk Viking bear! It doesn’t get much more fun than that, right?!”

That confident silhouette became the heart of the painting, capturing the raw, bestial fury that defines Bearserker.

While the towering figure came naturally, the environment required a different approach. “I wanted there to be detail, but I also wanted to keep the contrast low. I tried to keep the overall palette subdued and muted, which isn’t something I do very often,” Pollack emphasizes.

The results are a painting that immediately draws your eye to the central figure, while still providing the context necessary to give it firm footing in the realm, creating the perfect icy conditions for a minion found in the Frost Mage deck.

While Alan is adept at both digital and traditional media, for Sorcery, with our emphasis on hand-painted art, he notes that traditional painting offers several significant advantages, sharing “I’m way more comfortable with traditional mediums, it allows me to paint the underpainting in acrylic in a very loose, textural way. Then when I apply oils over them, I can adjust the transparency, allowing some of the texture to be visible. It almost creates an effect that’s hard to decipher.”

This year’s convention marks Alan’s first Gen Con in more than two decades, and he’ll be bringing his limited-edition Bearserker prints to the Erik’s Curiosa booth to celebrate his return, alongside Sorcery artist Drew Tucker.

Whether you’re looking to have your Sorcery cards signed, revisit artwork from across his remarkable career, or take home this exclusive print, this is a rare opportunity to celebrate the return of one of fantasy gaming's influential artists to Gen Con.

Meet Alan Pollack at Gen Con 2026

Sorcery: Contested Realm is delighted to announce that celebrated fantasy artists 

Throughout the convention, both artists will be appearing at the Sorcery booth (#3046), where they’ll be signing cards, meeting players, and offering signed and numbered Gen Con exclusive art prints giving fans an early look at new artwork coming to Sorcery.

 has spent more than three decades shaping the look of fantasy gaming through his work on 

, countless fantasy publications, and now 

 This year’s Gen Con marks his first appearance at the convention in more than two decades.

has long captivated fantasy fans with a career spanning decades. His work has helped shape the visual landscape of fantasy gaming through collaborations with many of the industry’s leading publishers, including 

Whether you’re adding signatures to your favorite Sorcery cards or picking up a convention-exclusive print, don’t miss the opportunity to meet these incredible artists in person. Stay tuned as we do a deep dive on their two new original pieces in the weeks to come.

Of course, meeting our amazing artists is just a piece of the Sorcery experience at Gen Con.

Throughout the weekend, players can compete in two 

 events (no team required, we can help you find one!), learn the game in our 

sessions, or simply spend Saturday evening trading cards and sharing stories at our annual 

Whether you’re chasing a Grand Contest title, taking your very first steps into the Realm, or simply stopping by Booth #3046 to meet Drew and Alan, Gen Con 2026 promises to be one of the most memorable Sorcery celebrations of the year.

If you haven’t secured your event tickets yet, there’s still time to join us. We look forward to seeing you in Indianapolis this July.

Sorcery at Gen Con 2026: Meet Drew Tucker and Alan Pollack at Booth #3046

Séverine Pineaux 

Séverine Pineaux. Her work seems to hum with its own inner magic, from iconic relics like Philosopher Stone and Ring of Morrigan, to the luminous forest-realms of Broceliande and Bower of Bliss. Each piece feels less like a painting and more like a doorway, inviting you into a world where myth lingers just out of sight.

A Paris-trained illustrator turned painter, Séverine began her career crafting fantasy book covers and illustrations for 

and role-playing publishers before dedicating herself fully to fine art. Today, she lives and works in the forest of Broceliande, a place already steeped in legend. (Whether her illustration of 

is simply the view from her window, unicorns and all, remains unconfirmed…but we know where we’d place our bets.)

“I have been drawing since childhood,” Séverine shares, “and my theme has always been fantasy and wonder. I think it started when I was a little girl in fairy tales and legends; drawing them was a way of making them real.”

Fortunately for all of us, that sense of wonder never left her; it simply evolved, deepening into a vision she continues to share through her works.

“I suppose that if I were to draw a train, I couldn’t help but put a dragon in one of the carriages. In recent years, symbolism has developed in my paintings to enrich the silent narrative of the image. I believe the real world is profoundly fantastic, and representing dreams is my way of painting reality, it’s magical realism.”

, releasing December 5, Séverine’s newest painting, 

, feels like a hymn rendered in color; an invocation, quiet but unwavering, against the encroaching shadows of the set. Commissioned with the brief “A landscape where evil has been completely banished by a character,” the piece radiates renewal and a world reborn in light.

“I immediately wanted to use light, to create a ‘glory’ - the sun breaking through clouds,” Severine explains. “I visualized a female figure, not an angel but a priestess, receiving light in one hand and spreading it with the other to heal the earth.”

That instinct transforms the image into more than a single act of purification. It becomes a tableau of restoration, a visual echo of calm after chaos. “I wanted to create an atmosphere of renewed peace, like the sun reappearing after a storm,” Séverine says. “And I also wanted something slightly theatrical, like the finale of an opera.”

This reveals something essential about Severine’s artistic philosophy. Beyond technical mastery, every choice aims to create something resonant, something that transcends the frame. “First, I try to create a form of beauty, a pleasure for the eye through colors and rhythm of shapes, much like music is a pleasure for the ear… Then I hope that the subject depicted will evoke emotion and spark the imagination of the viewer. I like people to make my images their own and for everyone to tell their own stories around them.”

While the results certainly speak for themselves, achieving them is always a journey.

 was as intentional as the resulting light appears effortless. Early compositions placed the priestess front and center, an anchor to the scene. “In the preliminary sketch, the character took up more space,” Séverine recalls. “Erik asked me to reduce the size, which gave more room and perspective to the landscape, from the flowers in the foreground to the horizon line.”

With space reclaimed, the land becomes a character of its own. The priestess, draped in white, no longer dominates the land; she communes with it. “I chose ochre and golden tones for the land and bright white for the character to suggest a restored golden age,” Séverine explains. “The halo-like patterns around her accentuate the sacredness, but without religious reference. She is a medium, receiving light from above and redistributing it to the world.”

As the painting evolved, the light itself took on a life of its own. “It was while painting that I developed the white glow surrounding her. It was more effective visually, and I realized she was receiving light from the sky, but that she also came from the earth. My imagination often works faster than my hand.”

You can see that spark, an intuition that arrives before reason catches up, throughout her work in 

 carries intention. The gradients of white and gold, achieved entirely through brush and pigment, give the illumination a special warmth. “I’m glad I was able to represent light with color alone,” Séverine says. “It made the image feel more alive.”

 draws from both reference and reverie. “I often prepare my images by assembling different photographic elements,” she explains. “The hands come from anatomical documentation, the drapery was inspired by several ancient statues—but most of the image came from imagination.”

That marriage of the studied and the dreamlike is what gives the final piece its ethereal gravity, a scene that feels at once rooted in the physical world and touched by something beyond the everyday.

Séverine’s art has always lived at the crossroads of myth, nature, and quiet wonder. From the alchemical symbology of her 

With Consecrate, she channels that same sense of awe into a single moment of transcendence.“I hope I managed to create an atmosphere of peace,” she reflects, “and that the image evokes emotion, imagination, and beauty—like a song for the eyes.”

stands as a reminder that even when the realm darkens, its bright magic endures. Light is never truly lost. It only waits to be summoned.

A Hymn in Color: Séverine Pineaux and Consecrate

Jussi Pylkäs

As our exploration of Gothic continues, focusing on the three subtypes of Evil, 

, and this week, Undead, today, we stop to dig up the works of Sorcery Artist Jussi Pylkäs. 

With bold lines and comic-inspired sensibilities, Jussi’s work blends storytelling and style, evoking the pulp roots of fantasy illustration while adding his own dark humor and grit.

 our highly anticipated next set releasing December 5, Jussi brings that same energy to Stygian Archers, a moonlit vision of skeletal marksmen, spectral bows drawn and ready. It’s in his words, “just classic skeleton vibing - the dark forest, the moon, the necromanic glowy magic thingie…the good stuff.”

Art has always been a part of Jussi’s life, though his early inspirations came less from fantasy painting and more from comic books. “My style definitely has a comic vibe,” he shares. “That’s my background and what drew me into art originally.”

Influenced by Mike Mignola and Petri Hiltunen, you can see both in his work. Jussi adds, “I’m definitely still finding my own spot. You can kind of see me going back and forth in my 

work, but I kinda like that there’s some changes in style choice in there.”

While he’s still experimenting with mediums, his go-to tools remain practical and tactile. “I mostly work with markers, ink, and acrylics,” he says. “They give me better control. Oils just never seem to dry properly, though I do want to try them out more, but right now I’ve been sticking with what’s familiar.”

 staple going back to Alpha, his original entry into the realm was by chance. “Erik found me on ArtStation,” he laughs. “So, luck, basically?”

At the time, it had been years since he’d worked traditionally. “It had actually been a loooong time since I drew or painted non-digitally, so we agreed I’d make one piece as a test,” he recalls. “I guess it was good enough since I’m still here.”

That “one picture” became the start of a growing body of 

work - iconic pieces such as Battlemage, Headless Haunt, and Sugarplum Pixies.

 the goal was to complement Jussi’s earlier piece, Bone Rabble. “Erik wanted this one to match the earlier painting,” Jussi explains. “So the same color scheme and background came naturally. The most important element was the blue smoketrail - that energy rising out of the skeletons themselves.”

The connection gives both pieces a sense of continuity, as if the undead army from Bone Rabble has returned, now under necromatic command. “There’s the suggestion of them being resurrected from the same army,” he notes.

The finer details, however, took time to get right. “I did do a bit of back and forth with the bows of the skeletons,” Jussi admits. “Originally, I wanted them to be a lot more detailed, maybe engraved metal or spiny bone bows, but when I imagined the picture at card size, it just felt more pleasing to keep them simple. The glowing bows stand out from all the skeleton-y stuff.”

Even the smallest touches demanded patience. “The bowstrings were a pain,” he laughs. “I wanted them to have a blue tint, but whenever I washed color over the white base, they disappeared into the background. They’re a small part of the picture, but for some reason I was adamant about making them visible.”

That stubborn attention to detail pays off: 

 feels alive, or rather, unalive, with eerie light and motion, a quiet echo of Jussi’s first undead creation now fully risen beneath the moon.

 isn’t just the art direction, it’s the freedom. “The game itself is awesome,” he says, “but the best part is the freedom left for the artists. I get to tell my own little stories and create moments frozen in time.”

That sense of storytelling runs deep in his work. “I do think of myself as a visual storyteller,” he explains. “I always have some sort of world or scene in mind when starting a piece. It’s nice that Sorcery doesn’t have strict rules worldbuilding-wise, so I have a lot of freedom to imagine new cultures or characters.”

He laughs as he describes one example: “Okay, so this takes place in a nation of Aztec-type culture where insects are considered gods.” Even in more familiar fantasy scenes, the thought goes deeper. “For example, in Phase Assassin, from Alpha and Beta, the monarch and the advisor are just typical fantasy officials, but the assassin has more going on - protective bandaging, enchanted eyes, and equipment to move between planes. You can even see the veins on their head showing how that line of work is slowly taking a toll. Voidhopping probably isn’t something mortals should do very often.”

Blending the stark contrasts of comics with the darker atmosphere of 

Stygian Archers stands as both a haunting companion and an evolution of Jussi’s earlier skeletal works. A moonlit resurrection, simple, effective, and unmistakably his.

Tune in later this week to see the reveal of Stygian Archers as we take a closer look at the Undead, one of the three pillars of Evil in Gothic, alongside Demons and Monsters.

Sorcery Art

Latest Art Features

Meet Drew Tucker at Gen Con 2026

Meet Alan Pollack at Gen Con 2026

Sorcery at Gen Con 2026: Meet Drew Tucker and Alan Pollack at Booth #3046

A Hymn in Color: Séverine Pineaux and Consecrate

Bones and Ink come to Gothic: Jussi Pylkas and Stygian Archers

Artists