Ralph Horsley
Contributing Artist
As long as he can remember, Ralph has drawn and painted, but the naïve doodling gained dramatic focus when he read Lord of the Rings and was introduced to Dungeons & Dragons. Then his pictures began to depict adventurers and their monstrous foes.
After leaving university with a degree in English Literature and Librarianship, he decided instead to pursue his twin passions for art and gaming. Teaching himself to draw and paint, he forged a career in illustration within the games industry.
For over four decades, he has worked with all the major publishers: Wizards of the Coast, Blizzard, Games Workshop, Paizo, etc. He has created art for use as book covers, trading card games, board games, miniature designs, cartography, comics, and more. This includes working on Dungeons & Dragons since edition 3.5, all the editions of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, and painting over one hundred cards for Magic: The Gathering.
His personal work embraces either complex multi-figure scenes or his 'Wildborn' range of landscapes featuring dragons.
Preferred Medium
Ralph's initial artistic inspiration came from the line drawings in AD&D. This enthusiasm for inked work was amplified by his exposure to comic art. He morphed into full colour through the prism of miniature painting, acrylic paints, and the desire to produce cover and trading card art. Just over a decade ago, he taught himself to use oil paints. This was a good period of experimentation, when he broke down and then redeveloped his creative process.
He is now happy to transition between whichever medium best suits the painting, but feels most comfortable working in acrylics. He enjoys the immediacy, and flexibility, they offer.
Along the Way
Looking back, Ralph considers his greatest achievement simply being able to build a career painting Dragons and Goblins in an industry he loves. Along the way, there have been a few other milestones worth celebrating.
His work and career are collected in the 200+ page book Ralph Horsley: An Art Adventure. He has also received the prestigious Best in Show award at the Gen Con Art Show.
And beyond the easel, there’s at least one rather different accomplishment: swimming the 7.5-mile length of Ullswater in the UK’s Lake District.
Discover More
Find more of Ralph's work and support the artist directly.