Commissions — Art and Games by James V. West

Commissioned Art

Here’s a selection of my work-for-hire art. Check my Rate Sheet and email me if you are interested in a commission.

Gary Con

I started working on the official Gary Con GM shirts with Gary Con VIII and have been honored to do many more. I am proud to do this because it feels like a real connection to the game that got me into RPGs so long ago.

Gary Con XIII: For GC 13 there is a Blighted Lands desert theme and I got to draw a beefy elemental fire lord. So cool.

Gary Con XII: This one was pretty cool because I got to base my dragon art on art created for the con by none other than Larry Elmore! A legend and a huge influence on me as a teen gamer and budding artist.

Gary Con XI: Aboleths need more love, don’t they? I like how the monsters came out on this one. Especially that guy jumping in the background.

Gary Con X: For GC 10, there was a lich as the main baddie for the module created for the con. Luke’s direction on these shirts is generally for me to put the main monster for the con into the image, which I’m always giddy to do. Liches rule.

Gary Con IX: This one holds a special place in my heart because it was my first Gary Con GM shirt that I drew on my own. It was the year Stranger Things aired and thus the Demogorgon theme.

Gary Con VIII: On this first one, Jim Wampler did the pencils and I inked it up.

Founders & Legends III without the banner.

Necrotic Gnome

I was happy to do all the art for the first Old School Essentials adventure module The Hole in the Oak.

DIY Productions

I’ve done a fair amount of work for Mike Evans, particularly for his sweet RPG Barbarians of the Ruined Earth.

Barbarians of the Ruined Earth alternate cover art.

Goodman Games

Way back in 2015 I got a chance to do some work for Goodman Games, drawing covers, maps, and interior art for a few of their tournament modules under the direction of Jim Wampler.

Kobold Avatar

Mudpuppy Games

Jim Wampler is a guy I discovered around 2012 or 2013 when I rediscovered the world of RPGs after about a decade of being out of the loop. A fellow Kentuckian and cartoonist, we hit it off and I’ve done a fair number of drawings for Jim over the years.

Psychnid class for Scientific Barbarian #3

I think Jim wanted to become part of his own creations.

Adept Press

Way back in the early 2000s I became friends with Ron Edwards, one of the founders of an RPG discussion forum known as The Forge. I helped illustrate the first edition of Ron’s game Trollbabe and did a number of the webcomic strips.

Andy Solberg

My friend Andy is an excellent GM and has published several modules for OwlCon to benefit the Houston Food Bank. I illustrated these modules and have done various other pieces for Andy’s other projects, such as Tales of the Iron League.

A Miscellany of Works

This section includes work for many different publishers and private commissions.

Cover: Tower of Boon Companions, Small Niche Games. Trad art.

Cover: Return of the Mad Hermit, Small Niche Games. Trad art.

Avrokians, for Leopard Women of Venus, Joshua LH Burnett & Leighton Connor. Digital

Leopard Women of Venus, Joshua LH Burnett & Leighton Connor. Digital

BX Bandits, art commissioned by Tony Bravo but later used on the cover of Black Pudding #4. Trad art.

Assbeard Santa commission. Fun one! Trad art.

Staging Room for Return of the Blue Baron, a cooperative dungeon written for Blueholme

Cover: Beyond the Silver Scream, published by Forrest Aguirre

City sheet for Into the Wild by Third Kingdom Games

Psychnid for Mudpuppy Games' Scientific Barbarian zine.

Art for the awesome captcorajus YouTube channel.

Intruders! cover art for Monkey's Paw Games.