Hey all, copied from an earlier thread post, but still as relevant:
Wayne Reynolds is my favourite contemporary fantasy artist BUT I would probably downsize his responsibility with any new edition (that may well be a moot point if he is tied to Pathfinder of course).
Here are my general thoughts.
1. Stop Reusing Art from previous editions: I don't mind if a piece of art from this edition just happens to show up in an adventure from this edition, but it always grates to see artwork reused from past editions.
2. Improved Layout Design: I recently (at Xmas) picked up Warhammer's Storm of Magic book. I no longer play Warhammer, I just got the book because the layout and art are both fantastic. I don't mind paying a few extra gold pieces if a book is gorgeous. By comparison the interior of the Monster Manual is sterile.
3. BIG Art! Time after time WotC books like the Monster Manual (in particular) the art is squashed into a 3x3 inch 'cubby-hole'. Tarrasque, Balor, Pit Fiend etc. Solo Monsters should get full page art, Elite Monsters half a page.
4. Identity: How about different artists working on different types of monsters? Or working on different tiers? Or on different planes or campaign settings? Give certain places, monsters and styles of play their own artistic identity.
A book on the Far Realm should have a weird design (remember the D20 Call of Cthulhu book), a book on the Shadowfell should have a dark and sombre design, but all the 4E books really look the same. Grrr!
5. Sense of Scale: Illustrations of monsters that are not medium size need a reference to some type of object or character for scale.
6. Covers: Wayne Reynolds Orcus cover for the 4E Monster Manual is fantastic and one of the few iconic 4E pieces. So many other covers were utterly rubbish by comparison (Open Grave for instance, great book, terrible cover). For me, the best fantasy covers give a location and an encounter in progress with the protagonists put in peril!
Check out the difference between the 1st Edition (Iconic) Manual of the Planes cover, and the 4th Edition (Homage) Manual of the Planes cover.
I compared the covers when I reviewed the 4E Manual of the Planes recently.
Review: Manual of the Planes 4E Eternity Publishing
7. Location, Location, Location: Anyone remember the 4E preview book Worlds & Monsters? The art in that book was magnificent! Full page art! Even DOUBLE PAGE ART! Panoramic scenes that cross the page. Even the pencil sketches were great and provided a nice contrast. Black and white art can be beautiful too!
No 4E book was as well illustrated as Worlds & Monsters. How sad is that?
8. Stat-blocks. I really like the functionality of the 4E monster stat-block. BUT, they really need to do something to jazz it up a bit, more colour for one thing.
Too many pieces are functional, so very few are entertaining.
In this way the 1st Edition art was so much more interesting. Even in the monster manual you had pictures of adventuring parties in action...*spins chair and grabs 1E monster manual off the bookshelf*
9. Vignettes: Lets check out the 1E Monster Manual.
Page #1: Has a group of Knights attacking a Bulette.
Page #7: Two adventurers against a swarm of gant ants?
Page #9: Giant stag beetle chasing a chicken while someone hides behind a tree.
Page #12: A bugbear smacking an adventurer over the head
Page #34: Dragon watching its eggs hatch.
Page #37: Air elemental lifting two adventurers into the air.
Page #38: Wizard summoning a fire elemental.
Page #40: Big spread of Wood Elf families welcoming their loved ones home.
Page #42: Someone trying to outswim a Giant Gar. Also another piece where an adventurer has just ruptured a Gas Spore.
Page #48: Flesh Golem smacking an adventurer on the back. Also another piece where an Iron Golem has grabbed an adventurer.
Page #51: Giraffe chasing two adventurers.
Page #52: Battle scene between Hobgoblins and Knights.
Page #56: Jackelwere having just slain an adventurer.
Page #57: Coatl fighting(?) with a Dragon Horse.
Page #58: FULL PAGE SPREAD - Kobolds surrounding an Adventuring Party
Page #60: Leprechauns messing about with the book's graphic design.
Page #62: Lizardman fighting a Knight.
Page #64: Adventurers encounter a Giant Lynx - accompanying text is "Whaddya mean we gotta talk to this lynx, the last monster we talked to ate half the party!
Page #69: Humans guarding wagons.
Page #70: Mind Flayer blasting some adventurers, also another piece with a Rogue being attacked by a Mimic.
Page #73: A Neo-Otyugh attacks some adventurers.
Page #78: Adventurer swallowed by a Giant Pike.
Page #80: Purple Worm being attacked by two adventurers, also another piece where a Wizard is studying a Quasit.
Page #81: Rhino barrelling into two adventurers.
Page #82: Rot grubs burrowing into a shocked adventurer's arm.
Page #85: Giant Scorpion grabs an adventurer.
Page #86: Two Sea Lions attack a Shark.
Page #87: Adventurer runs from a Giant Slug.
Page #88: A giant snake encircles a Ship.
Page #90: FULL PAGE SPREAD - A Giant spider lurks above a party of adventurers.
Page #93: A swarm of Stirges attack an adventurer.
Page #94: An adventurer stands before a seated Titan.
Page #95: A Giant Toad swallows an adventurer, also another piece of a Trapper curling around an adventurer.
Page #96: A Treant grabs an adventurer, also another piece where a Triton rides a Hippocampus.
Page #97: A Troglodyte versus a Knight.
Page #99: Giant Wasp about to sting an adventurer.
Page #100: Water Weird leaping out ofa fountain towards an adventurer.
Page #102: Wizard lightning bolting a Xorn.
Page #103: Yeti versus two adventurers.
Page #104: FULL PAGE SPREAD - Adventurers opening a Treasure chest.
Page #110: FULL PAGE SPREAD - Lone adventurer facing off against a Giant Centipede, Naga, Gargoyle and Bugbear.
47 total by my count. Just to clarify that doesn't count the lone monster illustrations.
Lets see if the 4E Monster Manual had any Vignettes:
Page #4-5: CHAPTER INTRO PIECE - Adventurers being attacked by a host of monsters.
Page #38: Bulette erupting out of the ground having knocked over an adventurer.
Page #232: Shambling Mound engulfs an adventurer.
Page #251: Treant grabs an adventurer.