Melissa Benson

Melissa Benson is one of the original twenty-five Magic: The Gathering artists. Much of her work is recognizable and highly memorable due to the era she was prolific. She primarily uses Dr. Martin's water dyes and color pencils for cards but prefers oils. Her palette is typically comprised of vivid, flamboyant colors. Outside of Magic, she has worked for White Wolf, Iron Crown Entertainment, Black Dragon Press, and Z-Man Games amongst others. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Illustration from the Paier College of Art in Hamden, Connecticut. 
Benson was last active during Urza's Legacy before she stated "They (Wizards of the Coast) became a corporate giant." She is currently living in Shelton, Connecticut with her husband Joseph Jacouzzi. She will take paid commissions for original artwork and redesigns of her existing artwork. She remains in contact with other early Magic artists including Ed Beard Jr., Quinton Hoover, Amy Weber, Richard Kane-Ferguson, Mark Poole, and Jeff A. Menges. She has expressed a desire to collaborate with Quinton Hoover and return to Magic. As of 2024, she does artwork for the TCG Sorcery: Contested Realm.
==Gallery==
Image:AngelOfMercy.jpg|<c>Angel of Mercy</c> - Features striking whites and intricate shadows. 
Image:FieryJustice.jpg|<c>Fiery Justice</c> - A redesign of one of her many "flaming" cards.
Image:LordOfAtlantis.jpg|<c>Lord of Atlantis</c> - Benson's vivid color palette on full display.
Image:MesaPegasus.jpg|<c>Mesa Pegasus</c> - Another of her arts that helped define Magic.
Image:Caliphear.jpg|<c>Nightmare</c> - A version of one of her classic artworks.
Image:SegovianLeviathan.jpg|<c>Segovian Leviathan</c> - A fun play on scale.
Image:ShivanDragon.jpg|<c>Shivan Dragon</c> - Arguably the face of Magic.
Image:Xira.jpg|<c>Xira Arien</c> - An oft-cited art to stress the need for a style guide.
==References==
==External links==
*Fantasy Art by Melissa A Benson - Official Site
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Benson, Melissa