Is Larry Elmore still popular?

[Maggan]

I'm reading Soverign Stone now and diggint Larry Elmore's art style thoughout the book. You don't get to see his b&w stuff too often these days unless you're buying sketbooks or other source material.

So as I was reading it, I was wondering if people still like the revered master. With new artists being used all the time at WoTC and other companies, especially things like Udon, or the guys from Iron Kingdoms, I'm just wondering if the market still appreciates the good old classics.

Elmore will always be the artist that defined D&D for me. His work on Dragonlance covers blew me away, as well as his covers for the Basic/Expert/Companion/Master boxes.

But, I haven't really enjoyed anything he's done over the last 5 years. The dragon covers left a lot to be desired, in my opinion.

So, I still revere the old classics. The new stuff from Elmore, not so much.

Cheers!

/M

 

[OptionalRule]

For me he is at least. He had a thing at Dragon Con last week as well and it all seemed to have a significant homage factor.

 

[IronWolf]

I am still a big fan of Larry Elmore's work. I still prefer a lot of the older art than some of the new things put out today by some of the newer artists.

 

[Pseudonym]

I like his stuff but I hate to say this, I think a lot of it looks the same.

I feel the same way, especially for his female figures. While I was never a huge fan of his artwork, I'll always have a nostalgia-tinged fondness for him.

 

[TheLe]

Hey folks. Larry Elmore has a clipart package available for publishers. I use it often, as I know many other publishers do.

One thing I have noticed: people like seeing Elmore in my pdfs, and it gives it a sense of legitimacy. It is odd. Put a couple Elmore pics in there, and people think that it's a professional piece, and is more forgiving of bad writing. Not to say my books have bad writing...

Even in reviews I have noticed people find comfort in seeing Elmore pieces, and they are more than happy to mention it in the review itself.

It is strange that a person's perception of a product can change just because of name recognition. It happens all the time. I know people who buy pdfs site unseen just because of the publisher or author involved. Look at Madden football -- incredibly popular no matter how bad reviews may get.

That's just the way things are in the U.S. People take comfort in the familiar, even if it is bad. Not to say my products are bad...

~Le

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

While this runs dangerously close to violating the CoC, so I'll leave out details, google "Liberality for All." Elmore did a cover for them. So I've been a little cold on him lately.

 

[Klaus]

Elmore paints the best goddamn skies I've ever seen!

I love my Art of Dragonlance book, and I would love my Art of AD&D book if I still had it. Love, not luv, mind you!

 

[devilbat]

I'll always appreciate Elmore's work, as it reminds me of my early days of gaming. As I aged, my tastes seem to have changed, and now I find his art a little cartoony.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

I think he's great.

Nothing against newer artists, of course, but I really like his work. He's a commerical artist though, there's no getting around that. However, Elmore has had something like four heart attacks and a stroke. He's never been in a position to really go nuts and experiment. As far as I know, he's pretty much had to retain focus.

Although he does some stuff that I think is just spectacular.

 

[Henry]

I cut my gaming teeth on Elmore's work back in the early 80's (I even ordered a D&D poster of his out of the Sears Catalog for Christmas one year! Big red dragon, two armored adventurers, piles of treasure spilling out of the cave mouth) and I've never enjoyed another D&D artists as much as him ever since.

He has a sense of photo-realism to his style that I haven't seen rivalled until Todd Lockwood.