This qualifies as art?

[frankthedm]

How about an old wound... being a source for why I don't get off on whimiscal D&D art.

"Roleplaying is for kids - REALLY playing lets pretend?... You are an adult what are you doing playing with little figurines --- are you obsessed with dragons or what .. ad nauseum. "

I dont need art to say this is childish... or trivial (not worthy of investing effort) ... plenty of critics available for mocking if we need that.

Plenty of jobs, hobbies and pastimes can have similar arguments made about them. Some people are just to be avoided, given as little info as possible or just ignored.

It IS annoying, but having someone on your case for no good reason is a normal part of the human experience.

 

[resistor]

A couple of comments:

What is this "whimsy" that people keep saying they see in these works? For me, at least, whimsy doesn't just mean "anything other than epic, romanticist art," but something that specifically evokes playfulness. I'm not really getting that from these.

Additionally, I think the reason I can't get into most of these is the medium and technique employed. I think this is where Kzach was getting the "childish" part from. Looking at the "Adult Gray Dragon" illustration, I assume it's done with ink and watercolor, but it looks, at first glance, like it could be ink and magic marker, which reminds me all too much of elementary and middle school art class.

 

[Jeff Wilder]

What is this "whimsy" that people keep saying they see in these works? For me, at least, whimsy doesn't just mean "anything other than epic, romanticist art," but something that specifically evokes playfulness. I'm not really getting that from these.

Seriously? You don't get "playfulness" from the death giant sucking down a spirit-shake (my personal favorite, of those posted so far), or from the sorrowborn reaper wailing out a metal song on guitar?

If not, I dunno what else to say. "Whimsy" is exactly -- and strongly -- what I get from Jared's art.

 

[resistor]

Seriously? You don't get "playfulness" from the death giant sucking down a spirit-shake (my personal favorite, of those posted so far), or from the sorrowborn reaper wailing out a metal song on guitar.

Nope. Those just sound like par-for-the-course comedic to me. I would expect something whimsical to apply to something with more of a dream-like or surreal quality.

 

[ki11erDM]

It's a tricky thing... an e-penis... and it's hard to... love..."MonkeyBees"... Since I'm a Luddite.

That was a great post! Love your art, love the spunk, if I see ya at a con I’ll buy you a crappy American beer : )

 

[Jeff Wilder]

Nope. Those just sound like par-for-the-course comedic to me. I would expect something whimsical to apply to something with more of a dream-like or surreal quality.

I think you've got your connotational (and to a lesser extent, denotational) wires crossed.

WHIMSICAL - adj. - Given to whimsy; capricious; odd; peculiar; playful; light-hearted or amusing

SURREAL - n. - phantasmagoric: characterized by fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtapositions; dreamlike: resembling a dream

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

As a lover of impressionism, Monet, much anime artwork, OotS and the Sunday comics, I'm utterly apathetic about this art. It has a trace of humor, as in "Heh, the death giant's drinking a spirit shake...whatever." But I like art to be...I guess beautiful is the best word, which Jared's is decidedly not.

 

[malraux]

Ce n'est pas un poste.

 

[The Shaman]

I like 'em.

I also like Tom Wham's illustrations, which probably explains that a bit.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

You know, I didn't care at first, not liking the mini-previews and thinking it was just not for me... But after actually looking at them, I think they are funny.

No, I don't want them as art in Monster Manual III or the Dark Sun Campaign Setting, but that doesn't mean they are not art or bad. Bad for a specific purpose perhaps. But they are great for another purpose - entertaining.

And I definitely think that D&D fans should learn not to fear humor and self-mockery. Being able to mock yourself and take things with humor is a sign of strength and self-confidence.

One way of humor to work is to surprise, to defy the expected. If we normally take D&D as "serious business", humor is when it's depicted as not serious.
If we treat D&D as serious business but fear it's not really, someone depicting it as not serious is feeding your doubts, and might be mistaken as an attack.