DAC Nights: The Art of Dungeons & Dragons

DAC Nights: The Art of Dungeons & Dragons takes over the Dougherty Arts Center on Wednesday, July 29, from 6:30 to 9:30 PM. It's a night that pairs a hands-on painting session with two screenings of The Eye of the Beholder: The Art of Dungeons & Dragons, a 2019 documentary that runs 90 minutes. The film shows at 6:30 PM and again at 8 PM, so you can choose the screening that fits your evening.

Before the movie, there's a session for painting tabletop RPG-themed minifigures. A limited supply of figures is available, so if you're planning to paint, it's worth getting there early. The documentary itself looks at the history, influence, and stories behind the artwork that builds the worlds of tabletop role-playing games, profiling D&D artists past and present. It features former TSR insiders, game designers, authors, and fans, so it's as much about the people who made the game as it is about the art they produced.

Between the painting and the screenings, the whole evening is built around the visual side of the hobby. If you've spent years playing D&D, it's a chance to see the art you've looked at for decades from a different angle; if you've never played, it's a good way to see how a game like this is constructed. The documentary runs 90 minutes, and since it plays twice, you can catch it at 6:30 PM or 8 PM.

Admission is free, and while registration through Eventbrite is encouraged, it isn't required. The event runs from 6:30 to 9:30 PM at the Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Rd., Austin, TX 78704.