The Gathering Artists of All Time

Art is an integral part of Magic: The Gathering. It is through card art that the fantastical planes come alive to inspire players. The game simply would not be what it is today without the hundreds of remarkable artists laboring over some of the most beautiful fantasy illustrations in the genre.

By its nature, art is subjective; prone to change and reinterpretation, just like the tastes of its connoisseurs. What does endure about art is its effect on those that encounter it. Whether selected for quantity, uniqueness, or not named at all, every single artistic contribution to the game is part of Magic the Gathering’s extraordinary story.

10

Chris Rahn

Chris Rahn began illustrating cards for Magic: The Gathering in 2008. The San Francisco Academy of Arts graduate has gone on to create art for over 200 cards. Nearly 20 years since his debut, Rahn continues to regularly work with Wizards of The Coast. He received his own Secret Lair Artist Series in June 2022.

Over the years, Rahn has displayed a mastery of depicting every type of card imaginable. One constant has been the realism inherent in his compositions. Whether a monster or magical scene, his paintings are grounded in reality. Rahn’s ability to make the impossible seem authentic is unparalleled.

9

Magali Villannueve

The experienced French artist Magali Villanueve first worked with Wizards of the Coast in 2013. Her first Magic: The Gathering illustration was of an artifact creature from the Theros set. To date, she has worked on more than 200 cards. Villanueve received her own Secret Lair Artist Series in 2022. She has also contributed art to Fantasy Flight Games, Del Rey Books, and Star Wars Insider.

Her use of rich lighting to illuminate striking, heroic portraits has earned Villanueve a great deal of acclaim among card collectors. The game’s many different creatures, magic, and luminous planes are regular features of her work.

8

Sidharth Chaturvedi

Sidarth Chaturvedi is a Munich-based artist who began illustrating Magic: The Gathering cards in 2016. In addition to his work with Wizards Of The Coast, Chaturvedi also serves as an Art Director for video game developer Plaion. He has illustrated over 100 magic cards and received his own Secret Lair Artist Series in April 2022. His work has been exhibited multiple times across the United States.

Action and movement are where Chaturvedi shines. Combat, heroic portraiture, and monster designs are some of his best subjects. Many of Chaturvedi’s illustrations are full of drama and tension that make them fun pieces to collect.

7

Rebecca Guay

Rebecca Guay began doing card art for Magic The Gathering in 1996. Her signature style would become a firm favorite with players and collectors alike. To date, she has illustrated over 150 cards in the game. Wizards of the Coast released Guay’s Secret Lair Artist Series in 2023.

Guay’s illustrations are instantly recognizable thanks to the way they mix fairy tail, fantasy, and classical elements. Her style is known for taking tasteful inspiration from the Italian renaissance and the pre-Raphaelites. Fans of Guay’s work love the way her gentle brushstrokes and extensive use of color make every card resemble a mosaic.

6

John Avon

MTG legend John Avon is an artist from the UK who has worked with Wizards Of The Coast since 1996. He’s created artwork for Magic: The Gathering ever since. Avon has also created book covers for Stephen King, Terry Pratchett, and Arthur C. Clarke. He received his own Secret Lair Artist Series in 2023.

As the original master of MTG’s many wondrous settings, decades of games have been graced by the many lands illustrated by Avon. From swamp to mountain, each basic land would come to be defined by his artwork. Beyond that, his brush has painted some of the game’s most arresting moments of high drama and magic.

5

Alayna Danner

Alayna Danner is a Seattle-based artist who began illustrating Magic The Gathering cards in 2017. Her extensive career has seen her work for Rio Grande Games and AEG among other companies. She has created artwork for more than 100 Magic cards and received her own Secret Lair Artist Series in 2023.

The bulk of Danner’s card art focuses on the ethereal landscapes that make up the game’s numerous settings. Her ability to depict celestial castles, otherworldly weather effects, and worlds twisted by magic is up there with the best in the medium. Danner is also adept at capturing and reflecting light in her illustrations.

4

Mike ‘Daarken’ Lim

Mike ‘Daarken’ Lim is a longtime Magic: The Gathering illustrator who began working with Wizards Of The Coast in 2004. He illustrated his first MTG card in 2007 and has since created hundreds more. The San Francisco Academy of Art graduate has also worked with Games Workshop, Valve, and Bethesda.

As a result of Daarken’s penchant for epic scenes, his cards regularly center on large-scale battles, massive creatures, and duels. The artist doesn’t shy away from darker themes and tends to inject his work with grim undertones. Visually striking, his illustrations make use of shading, action, and contrasts to depict tragedies in the making.

3

Izzy Medrano

Izzy Medrano is a veteran artist who has worked in a wide range of roles across the gaming industry. He has served as both a creative and art director in his long career. Medrano has illustrated over 100 Magic: The Gathering cards. He’s also worked on Dungeons & Dragons, League Of Legends, and Doom (2016).

Medrano is an expert at illustrating magical creatures, cultures, and character portraits. Some of his most notable cards feature monstrous eldrazi, phyrexians, and twisted spells. As adept at battle scenes as he is portraying spellcasting wizards, he has consistently given each plane its own distinct appearance.

2

Winona Nelson

Winona Nelson joined Magic: The Gathering’s team of artists in 2011, illustrating her first cards for the Innistrad set. The artist and writer was a student of San Francisco’s Safehouse Atelier. In addition to illustration, Nelson is also a comic book creator and concept artist. She has worked for Marvel Studios and Naughty Dog.

Nelson’s best cards tend to depict angels and other fantastical imagery in realistic ways. For that reason, her style has been dubbed ‘magical realism’ due to the way it brings classical realism to fantasy art. Her cards typically center around characters in dynamic poses or in a moment of high drama.

1

Kev Walker

Veteran artist Kev Walker illustrated his first card for Magic: The Gathering in 1996. As an artist he has worked on more cards than anyone else, with over 400 illustrations to his name. Walker has also created artwork for Warhammer 40,000 and 2000 AD. He received his own Super Lair Artist Series drop in 2023.

Early in his career, Walker was known for his expert use of acrylic for illustrations. This contrasted nicely with the ink and pen drawings he reserved for comics. His cards regularly see the mundane mix with the extraordinary, from werewolves in a diner to a well-dressed rhino enjoying a late dinner with an elephant. In Magic, he has shown himself to be a true jack of all trades, injecting every illustration with a sense of wonder and realism.