One of my favorites from Daniel Horne. A sultry mermaid, dark water, crashing surf, and just enough mystery to make you wonder what happens next. Horne did plenty of work for TSR, and I’ve always loved the mood in his fantasy art… rich, strange, and unmistakably of its era. 🖼️ Daniel Horne

Today we celebrate the 78th birthday of the incomparable Larry Elmore! 🎉 Of all the paintings he created during his legendary career, Larry has said that “Avalyne the Life Giver,” painted for the cover of Dragon Magazine #140 (December 1988), is his personal favorite. He once remarked that the giant’s footprints were the most difficult part of the painting to create, and once you know that, it’s impossible not to admire them. The subtle depressions in the snow, the broken crust, the shifting light and shadow… they’re a masterclass in realism. But the footprints also tell the story. Before your eye ever reaches the giant looming in the distance, you already know something enormous has passed through this quiet winter landscape. It’s brilliant visual storytelling. Happy Birthday, Larry, and thank you for giving generations of fantasy fans worlds we’d dream about long after we closed the magazine. 🖼️ “Avalyne the Life Giver”. Cover of Dragon Magazine #140 (December 1988), by Larry Elmore.

Keith Parkinson’s “Demorgan’s First Spell”. A painting of a heroine whose story was never finished. Look beyond Demorgan herself. The ancient ruins. The spellbooks. The roots reclaiming forgotten stone. Every inch was painted by hand, born entirely from Keith’s imagination. You don’t just see a fantasy world. You catch a glimpse of one we’ll never get to fully explore.