Franck Pawlowski

Today we’re thrilled to welcome another talented artist to Sorcery: Contested Realm: Franck Pawlowski.

Inspired by classic fantasy, tabletop adventures, and a passion for traditional painting, Franck brings a fresh voice to the realm while embracing the handcrafted spirit that defines Sorcery. Today we’re excited to debut his first Sorcery illustration, Mock Court, now available on the 

, manga, fantasy novels, and video games sparked a lifelong love of imaginative storytelling. But the moment that truly set him on the path to becoming a fantasy illustrator came much later than you might expect.

It happened during his very first game of 

“It wasn’t the best session of all time,” Franck laughs, “but when it ended, I thought, ‘I want to paint dragons, knights, and goblins.’”

From that moment forward, there was no turning back.

Today, his work draws inspiration from a wide range of creators and worlds, including Guillermo del Toro’s creature design and use of color, Robin Hobb’s 

. Together, these influences have helped shape the fantasy aesthetic that now finds its way into Sorcery’s realm.

After earning a degree in animation at ECV Lille in France, Franck worked on 3D miniature models and digital illustration before rediscovering what would become his favorite medium: acrylic paint.

Every Sorcery illustration he has created has been painted traditionally by hand.

His breakthrough came after studying the glazing techniques of acclaimed fantasy artist Jesper Ejsing. Rather than treating acrylics as a thick, opaque medium, Franck learned to build paintings through countless thin, transparent layers.

That deliberate process has become central to his work. Each glaze adds depth, atmosphere, and subtle shifts in color while preserving everything beneath it, allowing the painting to evolve naturally over time. It’s a philosophy that fits perfectly with Sorcery’s celebration of handcrafted fantasy art.

When Erik Olofsson, founder and creative director of Erik’s Curiosa, first described Mock Court, one idea immediately stuck with Franck: Corrupted judges.

“The composition came really quickly,” he explains. “I wanted the judges towering above the accused, almost crushing them beneath their words and their schemes.”

Drawing inspiration from the lavish costumes of 

, Franck imagined Renaissance-era nobles whose wealth and authority had slowly decayed into corruption. Every color reinforces that story: crimson marks the presiding judge’s power, gold reflects greed and influence, while cool blues isolate the lone accused beneath the weight of an unjust court.

Even the texture of the painting became part of the storytelling.

“I could have made the shadows smoother,” Franck says, “but I wanted the mood to feel dirty. I left the texture in the walls and shadows because it felt right for the piece.”

Like many artists before him, Franck first discovered Sorcery through Instagram. “I saw that several artists I admire were following Sorcery, and I fell in love with the aesthetic.”

As someone who grew up playing trading card games, seeing an entire game built around full-art, traditionally painted illustrations immediately resonated with him.

“So I sent an email to see if my style would fit.”

Sharing finished artwork has never become routine for Franck. “It’s always difficult for me to share my art. I’m excited and stressed at the same time. I really hope players feel happy when they open one of the cards I’ve worked on; just like I do when I open a card I love in a booster pack.”

And after getting to know the game, one thing has stood out above everything else. “The more I discover about Sorcery, the more I love it. The community seems incredible and it’s a real pleasure to become part of it.”

We’re delighted to welcome Franck to the growing family of traditional artists helping shape the world of 

Be sure to follow his work on Instagram at 

and explore his artist profile to learn more about his work and process.

Welcome to Sorcery, Franck Pawlowski!

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.

Sorcery Art

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

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