The Pen & Ink Drawings of Tony DiTerlizzi

"That fizzy, bubbly excitement of anticipation as I flip open my sketchpad and uncap my pen to conjure new fantastic scenarios, creatures, and characters hasn’t diminished since I was a kid."

—Tony DiTerlizzi (from the Introduction)

The Pen & Ink Drawings of Tony DiTerlizzi

Collecting Three Decades of Fantasy Art from the Artist’s Sketchbooks

Since his meteoric debut as an illustrator for Dungeons & Dragons to a decades-long career as a bestselling author and illustrator of children’s books, Tony DiTerlizzi has continued to sketch his favorite fantasy subjects. Wizards, fairies, elves, and all manner of monsters fill over 120 pages of this special commemorative sketchbook.
 
Collected for the first time are pen & ink drawings spanning thirty years—from Tony’s early art samples for TSR (then publishers of Dungeons & Dragons) to pieces rendered in preparation for his return to Planescape. Inspired by classic artists from the Golden Age of Illustration (1880-1930), DiTerlizzi’s animated and playful style redefined the total visual presentation of a roleplaying game.
 
From his magic pen, he conjures compelling character after character, each demanding a story all their own. This book includes a selection of images taken from DiTerlizzi’s early limited-edition sketchbooks, fantasy portfolios, and gaming supplements, along with an introduction from the artist.
 
Published: October 2023
Ages: 16+ (contains some nudity)
Format: Softcover, 128 pages
Author: Tony DiTerlizzi
Publisher: DiTerlizzi Studio. An exclusive, alternate cover was printed for Lucca Comic & Games in an edition of 250. First US print run was 500 copies.
9476Pen & Ink Drawings Look Inside

Praise

“Highly Recommended!"
–Bud Plant's Art Books

“Amazing!"
–En World RPG News & Reviews

“By arranging stuff in chronological order, we get to see the artist in motion (similar to the Bernie Wrightson trading card book back in April). I can’t think of another artist who hangs on to the same essential enthusiasms even as their skills sharpen. You can tell when TD hits a critical mass of life drawing practice, but something hard to explain remains unchanged from his earliest drawings to the last...I’m flipping through, trying to find a favorite, but it’s impossible. Whichever one I’m looking at is my favorite."
–The Vintage RPG Podcast

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Goblins & Fairies & Wizards (Plus a Dragon)
The Pen & Ink Drawings of Tony DiTerlizzi
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Never Abandon Imagination
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Never Abandon Imagination Tony DiTerlizzi: Never abandon imagination.

Imagination is a world of possibility that exists within each of us. It is what makes us uniquely human. It is our creative fingerprint that touches and influences the world around us. Imagination is essential to art and science; to innovation and prosperity. It gives us hope, calls us to action and leads to change.

Whether it’s fairies, dragons, robots or aliens, all of my children’s book characters are siblings born of my imagination – an imagination strengthened through years of encouragement from family, teachers and friends. While so many others abandoned it during their transition from childhood to adulthood, I fiercely held onto mine, hoping for a day when I could share it to inspire the next generation of dreamers. Innovators. World changers.

Imagination empowers us to envision and create a reality of what could be. We must hold it dear, foster it and never abandon it.