Your Character Has Been Invisible for 7 Years. 
This Christmas Changes Everything.

How I accidentally discovered why 90% of D&D players are walking around with a hole in their chest

Written by Jan 👋

I've drawn over 500 D&D characters since 2023.


But last April, a player named Matthew taught me something I'd been missing.


He messaged me at 3:45 AM with twelve reference images. Pinterest screenshots. Hero Forge attempts. Even notebook sketches that looked years old. 

 

His character: a warlock with a black bob, red eyes, and something called a "Banshee Lamplight."

Then he wrote something intriguing:


"I was hoping you could draw her with her new outfit. The one she's been wearing since we defeated Strahd."


I checked the date. 

 

April.


"When did you defeat Strahd?" I asked.
 

"Last year."


This player had been using wrong art for years. 

 

Then waited another full year after his character's defining moment before getting her drawn accurately.


When I sent him the two portrait variations, he couldn't choose. 

 

"I love both. Though my party's going to be confused lol, they've been picturing something completely different this whole time."
 

Four years at that table. Four years of his party imagining the wrong person when he described her actions.


Here's the portrait that finally made her visible:

His reaction? 

 

"My DM said now he can actually describe her properly in scenes."
 

That's when I realized: Matthew isn't unusual. 

 

He's every player.

The 7-Year Secret Nobody Talks About

Here's what I've learned from 500+ commissions:
 

The average D&D player waits seven years before getting custom art of their character.
 

Seven. Years.


That's seven years of:

Describing your character while people picture something completely wrong

Using a Pinterest image that's "kind of close but not really"

Watching other players' characters get remembered while yours gets forgotten

Feeling like the hero in your head is invisible to everyone else

One client told me: "I have 47 pages of backstory. I know every scar, every mannerism, the way he holds his sword. But at the table? I'm just 'the rage dude".
 

This isn't about vanity.
 

It's about the psychological weight of creating something nobody else can see.

Why This Christmas Is Different

Every December, the same conversation happens in thousands of homes:
 

"What do you want for Christmas?"
 

"I don't know... maybe some new dice?"
 

It's become a running joke in the D&D community. We always say dice. Even when we have 47 sets already.

Last week, a wife emailed me something that made me understand why:
 

"My husband plays this character with blue fire for hair. He spent hours on that Hero Forge website trying to make it work - he wanted it to look like actual flames but also like hair? Like Hades from the Disney movie."

"He kept showing me different versions saying 'imagine this but the hair is actually moving flames.' He even bought the $8 digital download but never uses it because 'it just looks like blue plastic.' Would it be possible to get his actual character drawn for Christmas?"

She sent me screenshots of his attempts and moodboards. Seven different Hero Forge configurations. Each one saved with names like "Kullen_attempt4_almost" and "Kullen_blue_hair_not_fire."
 

The dedication broke my heart. This player had spent hours trying to make a standardized system show something that doesn't exist in any preset options: hair that's literally made of fire.
 

I helped her secretly gather more details. The character was an Illrigger (she had to Google that) with ashy white skin, an eyepatch, purple and gold armor.
 

When her husband finally saw the portrait, she said he went completely quiet.

"The fire. It's actually fire but still looks like hair. How did you...?"
 

"You kept explaining it," she told him. 

 

"Every Friday for two years. 'It's like Hades but more like real fire but still in a hair shape.' I finally found someone who could draw what you kept describing."

She didn't understand what an Illrigger was. She didn't know who Sutekh (his god) was. But she understood that her husband had been settling for "blue ombre noodles" when he wanted blue fire.

The "Close Enough" Cycle Everyone Knows

Here's what actually happens when someone tries to find art for their character:

Pinterest: 3 hours of scrolling. 847 pins saved. Wrong weapon, wrong armor, wrong everything, but at least class and race is right. 

 

Character creators: "I mean, it's not entirely accurate, but I've exhausted all the customizable options, so I guess this is close enough?"
 

ChatGPT attempts: "Maybe if I squint and forget about that one important detail, then that kind of looks like them?"

The truth is, most players are walking around with a hole in their chest. The gap between who their character is in their mind and what everyone else sees at the table.


During the holidays, when someone asks what you want, explaining this feels impossible. 

 

So you say dice. 

 

Again.

The Commission Horror Stories

I know why you've waited this long.
 

Because I've heard every horror story:

"Paid 50% upfront, artist vanished immediately with my deposit"

"Waited 6 months for art and he just eventually ghosted after sending a vague sketch 2 months in"

"Got the art but just disappeared once I asked for changes in the design"

"Just straight up sent me somebody elses art"

These stories have created a paralysis. 

 

You want your character to be seen, but the risk feels too high.
 

So you wait. Another year. Another holiday. Another dice set.
 

Your character stays invisible.

Why I Started FondlyFramed (And Why I'm Different)

The moment I understood this problem was when I drew Eraellyn.


She was a tiefling cleric in a campaign I was playing in. 

 

For three years, she'd been keeping everyone alive. The reliable healer. The one you called when things got bad.


But her player had been describing things we never really heard. 

 

Something about purple robes and penance. A voice that haunted her. The way she healed with desperate intensity.
 

For the rest of the party, we just saw "the cleric."
 

Her player had been using generic tiefling art for years: wrong class, wrong colors, wrong everything.


The moment I posted the finished portrait in our Discord, the table lost their minds.

"Wait, THAT'S Eraellyn?!"


"The purple robes... you kept mentioning penance but I thought it was just flavor text"


"Is something watching her in the background?"


"NOW I get why you panic every time someone takes damage"

For three years, none of us understood. We never knew about the Voice that once possessed her. About the purple she wore as eternal penance. About why she healed with such desperate intensity, each spell cast was an act of redemption we couldn't see.


The moment that portrait dropped, everything changed.
 

Our DM immediately started weaving her guilt into healing descriptions. NPCs began noticing her purple cloak, asking about it. 

 

For the first time in three years, Eraellyn wasn't just mechanically present, she was narratively alive.

That's when I realized: 

 

If this was happening at my table, it's probably happening at other tables as well...


And after creating hundreds of characters since then, I've confirmed it.

 

Every "just the fighter" or "just the wizard" is actually someone's Eraellyn: complex, layered, ready to finally be seen.

But the horror stories kept these players invisible for years. Vanishing deposits, unreliable timelines, hidden fees for adjustments - the commission world didn't feel safe.


So I built something different.

After completing 500+ commissions over 3 years, I've refined my process to eliminate every commission fear:
 

1) The Heroic Money-Back Guarantee: 

 

Most artists won't offer a money-back guarantee.

 

And I get why. Commissions are risky. You invest hours before seeing a dime of profit.

 

But here's the thing:

 

I've realized most people never commission art not because they don't want it, but because they're terrified of getting burned.

 

So the risk itself is what's killing the sale.

 

If I take on that risk instead, two things happen:

 

First, you finally get the portrait you've been wanting for years. And if I do my job right (which I do, unlimited revisions make sure of that), you're thrilled.

 

Second, you realize commissioning art isn't scary. So you do it again. Maybe from me, maybe from another artist you discover. Either way, you've joined the community of people who support artists directly.

 

That helps everyone.

 

And honestly? I rarely process refunds. When you get unlimited revisions and can request changes at every stage, we catch any issues before the final delivery.

 

The guarantee isn't a gimmick. It's the only way to get people past the fear that's been stopping them for 7 years.
 

2) The Character Blueprint:

 

Remember being terrified you'll describe them wrong? I created a simple form that captures everything. 

 

If you're giving this as a gift and don't know the details? I help you investigate without spoiling the surprise.

Direct Communication, Always No middlemen, no confusion. You message me directly. I respond within 24 hours. Every question answered, every concern addressed. You'll know exactly where your commission stands, always.

The Living Motion Upgrade This month only - your portrait breathes. Literally. Cloaks flutter, eyes blink, magic glows. When you drop this in Roll20 or show your table, jaws drop. (Free $50 value)

Real Players, Real Victories

I could tell you all day about bringing characters to life. But here's what players who've finally met their heroes face-to-face have to say:

10/10 recommend Jan!

I spent weeks looking on Reddit, getting frustrated by the lack of price disclosure and feeling nervous about getting ghosted. Then I found Jan through a Facebook ad. She brought every detail to life based on written descriptions, scattered references, and a mediocre Hero Forge image. I'm so glad I took the plunge!

-Kaitlyn G.

Verified Customer

She really gets your character

Jan understands visual storytelling takes intentional reflection. She's not a 'draw a pair of boots' artist, but a 'where have those boots been, how many miles have they seen?' kind of artist. You can't teach that kind of care and curiosity. It turned out spectacular, can't wait for my next character!

-Jayce S.

Verified Customer

Jan brought my character to life!

Honestly, I was scared at first, because I'm really picky with art. But Jan managed to gather everything I described into the picture. I nearly heard my character speaking out of it. Her eyes seemed to be alive. It was worth every bit of anxiety and doubt I had going in.

-Luzy L.

Verified Customer

Even better than Hero Forge

The Weaver has been my character for a year and a half, and I could never get them right with Hero Forge or my own drawings. Jan brought this enigmatic courtier to life perfectly. I'll definitely commission again when the campaign wraps to show how the character has changed and evolved.

-Gale S.

Verified Customer

The Math Every Player Should See

What You've Already Invested:

100+ hours creating and playing this character

Emotional connection worth far more than money

Years of stories and memories

What You're Currently Using:

Wrong Pinterest art (free but soul-crushing)

Hero Forge screenshot (generic and lifeless)

ChatGPT approximation (soulless and wrong)

What Your Character Deserves:

Professional art that captures their essence ($99)

Permanent record of your creative work

Validation that your imagination matters

This Holiday: Give Visibility to the Invisible

Whether it's for yourself, for another player, or from someone who loves you...


This is the moment your character steps out of your mind and into reality.

Make Them Real This Christmas

Stop describing. Start showing.
 

Stop waiting. Start creating.
 

Stop using "close enough." Get exactly them.

FondlyFramed

4.9

|

324 Reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I get a character portrait?

Because right now, you're the only one who truly sees your character.


After 200+ hours of play, your party still forgets their name. The DM overlooks your backstory. That epic moment from last month? Already forgotten.


And that ChatGPT placeholder isn't cutting it either.
 

A portrait changes the entire table dynamic.


Suddenly, you're not "the wizard", you're Kalendra the Stormcaller. Your plot hooks get woven in. Your victories stick in everyone's memory. You go from background player to the character everyone's invested in.


Plus, campaigns end. Groups drift apart.


But that hero who's lived in your head for years? They deserve to exist beyond your imagination.


A portrait is proof that all those Thursday nights mattered.


And with Living Motion, they don't just exist. They breathe.
 

Bottom line: Your character has earned the right to be seen, remembered, and immortalized.


The only question is whether it happens before your campaign ends.

Not sure where to start or how to describe your character?

No problem at all! I'll guide you through the commission process step-by-step. Many of my clients are first-time commissioners, so you're in good company.

 

If you'd like to be extra prepared, you're welcome to grab a free Character Blueprint and fill that out with as much or as little detail as you feel comfortable with.

 

Otherwise, you can simply make a purchase, and I'll personally walk you through everything from there. My goal is to make this easy and enjoyable for you!

How does the Money‑Back Guarantee work?

After I deliver your polished concept (in around 2 weeks), you will have 3 days to decide if the art feels right. If not, just email me, I'll refund you in full.

Once I start revisions, the guarantee ends. Simple, risk‑free, and there so you can commission with confidence.(See the full Refund Policy for the fine print.)

 

I truly believe every D&D player deserves to see their hero come to life. This guarantee is just my way of making sure you feel safe jumping in.

What does my order include?

1) A custom hand-painted portrait of your character

 

2) My Heroic Money Back Guarantee

3) Unlimited revisions until it's perfect

 

4) 2-week turnaround on your first concept

 

5) Limited Bonus: Get a Free Living Motion upgrade on your finalized portrait. (Regular Price: $50, Limit 1 per customer)

P.S. - I seriously appreciate you taking the time to read this. As a free present, below are hand-drawn token borders I've created, completely free.

 

Use them with any art you have. Consider it a preview of how attention to detail can elevate your hero.

→ [Hand-Drawn Token Borders] ←

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