About

Todd A. Rinker

I'm Todd A. Rinker — a digital artist working in portrait, illustration, character design, and concept art. I hold a BFA from Midwestern State University and an MFA from Academy of Art University, and I've spent most of my life trying to make images that feel like they come from somewhere real, even when they don't.

For a long time I aimed at the game industry. I did the grind, built the portfolio, chased the dream — and it didn't happen. At some point I made peace with that and made a different decision: I'd stop chasing what the industry wanted and start making the work I actually wanted to make. Honestly, it's the best thing that didn't happen to me.

That said, the love for games never went away. I'd still jump at the chance to illustrate for video games, board games, and card games — there's a specific kind of world-building that happens in those spaces that I find endlessly compelling. The same goes for book covers and tabletop RPG art: the art has to do real narrative work, and I'm drawn to that challenge.