Ed Beard Jr. has spent over 42 years as a celebrated self-employed artist, beginning his career in the 1980s as an automotive airbrush artist before transitioning into illustration for children's books, board games, and hundreds of licensed products ranging from dragon calendars to cell phone covers. Best known for his iconic work on Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons, including cards like Nicol Bolas and Birds of Paradise, he remains committed to traditional hand-painted and hand-drawn methods while continuing to showcase his automotive airbrush art at prestigious venues like the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.