DnD character art: get it made, then get it printed
DnD character art can come from your own pencil, a commissioned artist or an AI tool. This guide covers each route, a brief an artist can use, the file checks that matter and how to turn the finished picture into a print, canvas or mug.
Jump to a section · 8 sections
Brush & Paint is not affiliated with Games Workshop or Wizards of the Coast, and sells nothing of theirs. We print pictures that already exist. This guide covers getting the picture of your character, and what to do with it afterwards.
Getting DnD character art: three ways
With a picture, everyone at the table can see who they’re talking to. There are three routes to one, and each suits a different person.
Draw it yourself. It costs nothing but time, and the result is exactly what you had in mind. If you’ve never drawn a face, start small with a head and shoulders. Our elf drawing guide builds one in twelve steps from a ball and a chin. Its head and shoulders steps are a fair starting point for other characters too.
Commission an artist. You pay for someone else’s skill and time, and you get a picture you couldn’t have made yourself. The catch is that the quality of the result depends on the quality of your brief, which is the next section.
Generate one with an AI tool. Type a description and choose from what comes back. We don’t offer this: our print routes start from a picture you already have. If you use another tool, read its terms to find out whether you’re allowed to print the result, and look closely at hands, eyes and any lettering the tool added before you upload anything.
Whichever route you choose, settle the character first. If you’re still deciding who they are, DnD character ideas covers a want, a flaw and a tie to another player, and the fantasy name generator helps with the name.
Write a brief an artist can use
“A rogue, please” gives an artist nothing to work with. A short brief that answers the same questions every time saves several rounds of changes. Include:
- Race and class, in plain words. Add a sentence on how the character looks, not what their stats are.
- One pose. Standing, crouching mid-fight and sitting by a fire are three different drawings.
- Framing: full length, waist up or a head and shoulders portrait.
- Setting, or a plain background if the picture is going on a mug.
- Palette. Two or three colours, and the mood you want, such as cold and grey or warm and dusty.
- Distinguishing details: a scar, a worn pendant, mismatched boots. Small things make a character look like a person.
- Your intended use, stated up front: “I’d like to print this as a poster.”
Attach references. Photographs of clothing, a sketch of the pose you want, or a colour swatch will say more than a paragraph. Send images you have the right to share, and say which parts of each one you like.
Ask what you’ll receive. A finished picture at a size large enough to print is a different deliverable from a small preview, and the same artist may quote for both.
Agree the rights before you pay
The UK government’s copyright guidance explains that copyright protects a creator’s work and stops other people using it unless they agree. Ask the artist in writing what you may do with the picture, before you order a print. One line in the message is enough: “Can I print this picture for my own use as a poster and a mug?”
If you plan to share or sell it, ask the artist that too.
The same goes for a picture a friend drew, and for anything you found online. When you upload, we ask you to confirm you own the image or hold permission to use, transform and reproduce it, so get the answer first.
Check the file before you upload it
The file is where a good picture can go wrong. Work through these checks.
Ask for the original. A screenshot is a copy of the screen, not the original file. Request the file the artist exported, not a copy sent through a chat app. If you drew it digitally, export from the program you made it in and keep your master file.
Save it as a JPEG, PNG or WebP. The upload limit is 10 MB. Flatten the layers, and check any transparent areas against a light background.
Make sure it has no watermark. If a commission preview carries a watermark, print from the final, unmarked file only.
Look at the size. The number that matters is pixels. Divide the pixels by the dpi and you get inches, so an image of 3508 × 4961 pixels is A3 at 300 dpi. Typing a bigger dpi number into a small file adds no detail. Our A3 and A4 pages show the arithmetic for each size, and the upload step checks your own file, withdrawing any size its resolution can’t support.
Leave some room. A tall portrait and a wide poster have different proportions, so the crop preview shows what prints. Keep faces, weapons and any signature away from the edges, and pick another size or format if the crop removes something that matters.
Finally, look at it on a normally lit screen, not with the brightness turned all the way up. A screen gives off light and paper reflects it, so very bright colours can look calmer in print.
Turn DnD character art into an object
Once the picture is right, choose where it lives. Every format and size is compared in choosing a format.
How to choose is less about the list than about the picture. A full-length figure with a lot going on wants a wall and a bigger size, where you can see the detail. A head and shoulders portrait on a plain background is what a mug or bottle is for, because a curved surface crowds a busy scene. A framed canvas arrives ready to hang, and a framed print comes with its frame in the same parcel, which helps if you have no frame and no wish to shop for one. How to hang a picture covers the wall.
A digital download is the option for a size, paper or frame we don’t sell. It arrives as an emailed link and you can print it wherever you like.
Two ways to order
Choose direct printing for a drawing or a commission. The file goes to print as it is, so no AI step touches it and the artist’s work reaches the paper unchanged.
A photographed miniature can take the scene route instead. It puts the figure into a setting you pick, for example a candlelit inn. Verify your email and you get up to three successful previews a day, each watermarked and kept for 30 days. The print uses the exact artwork you pick, minus the watermark. AI can shift faces, colour boundaries and small markings, so hold every preview up against your photograph. The result-checking guide lists what to look for, and photographing a miniature helps you take the reference.
A drawing of your character and a photograph of your figure can also share a wall. That’s a nice pairing, but it’s two separate items.
Timing and delivery
Physical items are made to order, so allow 4-9 working days, and start early if the print is for Christmas. Waiting on an artist or a final file adds to that. Standard UK delivery is included, while Priority delivery is optional and costs extra. Faults and damage are covered on the delivery and returns page.
If the print is a present, DnD gifts sorts ideas by player, dungeon master, couple, dad and beginner. Tabletop gaming gifts covers the wider hobby, and printing your artwork on a mug looks at the mug on its own.
Questions and answers
How do I create DnD character art?
Draw it yourself, ask an artist, or use an AI tool, then settle what you may do with the result. Our elf drawing guide covers a head and shoulders. Once you have the picture, upload it and we print it unchanged.
Where can I find good character art for DnD?
We don’t sell character art or list artists. We print a picture you already have. Ask an artist for a commission, draw it yourself, or use a tool whose terms let you print the result, and get permission to print in writing.
Can I print art an artist made for me?
Yes, if you own the image or have permission to use, transform and reproduce it. You confirm that when you upload, so ask the artist first.
What file do I need to print DnD character art?
A JPEG, PNG or WebP of 10 MB or less, exported from the original, not a screenshot. The upload check drops any size the file is too small for, so it tells you which formats suit it.
Will you change my drawing or commission?
Not with direct printing, which has no AI step. The scene route is for photographs of painted figures, and AI can change details there, so compare every preview with your original before you approve one.
Can I put my DnD character on a mug?
Yes. Upload the picture and choose an 11 oz mug. A head and shoulders portrait on a plain background suits it. Physical items are made to order, so allow 4-9 working days and order by Thursday 10 December for Christmas (Tuesday 15 December with Priority delivery).