Post your Top 20 D&D Illustrations of All Time!

[Yora]

I always loved that one picture of Demogorgon from the Dragon cover (or was it Dugeon?). The description of Demogorgon is as silly as almost all images made of him are. But in this one, he not only looks passable, but actually awsome and terrifying.
That image tells you it's the meanest and most savage demon in all of the abyss.

 

[CasvalRemDeikun]

In no particular order:

1. Caramon's Fear - http://larryelmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Z_CARAMO.jpg

2. Dragonblade - http://larryelmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/GREEN_DR.jpg

3. Mountain Conflict - http://larryelmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/MOUNTAIN.jpg

4. Dragonlance - http://larryelmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Z_DRAGON.jpg

5. Companions of the Lance - http://larryelmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/COMPANIO.jpg

6. The Death of Sturm - http://larryelmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/DEATH_OF-strom.jpg

7. Ice Boats - http://larryelmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ICE-BOATS-17X22-copy.jpg

8. Unknown Matt Stawicki - http://www.mattstawicki.com/galleryimgs/dlcommission.jpg

9. Test of the Twins - http://www.mattstawicki.com/galleryimgs/twins3.jpg

10. Dragons of the Highlord Skies - http://www.mattstawicki.com/galleryimgs/dragonsofthehighlordskies.jpg

11. Lord Soth's Charge - http://www.keithparkinson.com/images/lordsothscharge.jpg

12. What do you mean we're lost? - http://www.smashingshowcase.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Keith-Parkinson-001.jpg

13. D&D Jam - http://www.toddlockwood.com/resources/images/galleries/dnd/01/tsr_jam.jpg

14. Chaos Spawn - http://www.toddlockwood.com/resources/images/galleries/dnd/01/chaos_spawn.jpg

15. Draconomicon (Even Red Dragons have hearts) - http://www.toddlockwood.com/resources/images/galleries/dnd/01/draconomicon.jpg

16. The Two Swords - http://www.toddlockwood.com/resources/images/galleries/books/02/two_swords.jpg

17. Bestiary of Krynn - http://www.greggmrowka.com/gallery_web/jeffeasley/images/art/color/lg_co_048.jpg

18. Githyanki - http://www.greggmrowka.com/gallery_web/jeffeasley/images/art/color/lg_co_018.jpg

19. Masters Vision - http://www.greggmrowka.com/gallery_web/jeffeasley/images/art/color/lg_co_057.jpg

20. Driz'zt - Jeff Easley's Official Web Page

 

[Keefe the Thief]

Redefining two of the most awesome races D&D ever had: please hire this man.

 

[osprey126]

I complied a list from memory, sorry no links. As I saw other pictures I realized how much good art there was for D&D but I went with my gut and picked the pictures that first jumped into my mind. As I have been a customer for around 30 years there is a bias towards those early images that first caught my interest.

1. Gas Spore exploding after being hit with a sword from 1st ed Monster Manual (I picked it up to look at in a Toys R US and it was the page I flipped to. I still remembered that picture months later when I was looking again when I was thinking about what to buy to get into this complex but fun looking game)

2. The cover of the Holmes Basic Set - I still have a photocopy tacked to the wall in my computer room.

3. The cover of Keep on the Borderlands - I still remember thinking about what I could afford to get off the equipment list that would make my charcter like the elf shooting orcs on that cover.


4. 1st edition Screen collage - It contains all of the images you would need to convey a great adventure.

5. Paladin In Hell

6 Emirikol the Chaotic

7. Green Dragon Breathing on a horde of kobolds

8. Party fighting an Owlbear from B2

9. Jeff Dee Cover for White Plume Mountain - I conveyed the rought and tumble of a fight, especially the shield spell and dodging the tail spike.

10 Cover of Slave Pits of the Undercity - Another Jeff Dee that really shows characters doing something

11. Cover to X1

12. Cover to PHB 1st ed

13. Dragonslayers by Elmore in 3rd ed PHB

14. Paladin by Elmore - a mounted knight fighting three orcs with a mountain backdrop - from a poster/product listing

15. Savage Frontiers for Forgotten Realms by Elmore - I would love a poster of that or better yet the original

16. Intellect Devourer from Expedition to the Barrier Peaks

17. Cover of the Temple of Elemental Evil by Parkinson

18. Dragon Breathing fire on a group of fighters while a mage hides behind a pillar by Lockwood

19. Waterdeep cover with Xanathar and his lackeys

20. Ravenloft cover

Artists.
This was a little harder and again leans towards the 70s and 80s
Larry Elmore
Jeff Dee
Jim Holloway
Erol Otus
Jim Roslof
Trampier
Keith Parkinson
Jeff Easley
Brom
Willingham
Lockwood
WAR
O'Conner
Clyde Cauldwell
Fred Fields
Tom Baxa
RK Post
Sutherland
Darlene
Eva Widerman

 

[NewJeffCT]

The 1E succubus was always memorable to me. Not sure why...

 

[Scribble]

This thread has made it clear to me that I definitely prefer the art to depict normal looking people rather than superheroes with 12-ft swords. And they should wear clothes. I love Elmore's Dragonslayers, above. It evokes something in me, whereas a lot of the art over the last few years has left me cold.

I am right there with you on your entire statement.

Dragonslayers is on my top 20... I think it might be number 1.

For me:

It takes place in fall/winter. I've always for some reason though of fall/winter as being the "season" that most reminds me of D&D. I don't know if that's because a lot of Elmore stuff took place then, or that's why I like a lot of his stuff.

It's just a normal scene... Like you mentioned above. They aren't superheros and they aren't carrying outrageous exaggerated weapons, and they're not doing anything insane. They're just sitting around admiring the fact that they managed to slay a small dragon... I can identify with them.

It's also a complete scene... Care has been taken to detail the surroundings and the background. It feels like I could go there.

 

[Stormonu]

5. Slave Pits of the Undercity by Jeff Dee. To me this will always be the piece showing how a D&D party works together.
!

It's also the only D&D picture I can remember that shows a female dwarf with a beard...

 

[Ed_Laprade]

Lots of good picks (or pics). But where's Iggwilv's (sp?) daughter, from The Lost Caverns, I believe? That one lept to mind at once for me. Not as storytelling as many here perhaps, but a great piece of artwork, IMO.

 

[steeldragons]

Lots of good picks (or pics). But where's Iggwilv's (sp?) daughter, from The Lost Caverns, I believe? That one lept to mind at once for me. Not as storytelling as many here perhaps, but a great piece of artwork, IMO.

TONS of great images from the Lost Caverns...
http://minipainting-guild.net/eo/Image2.jpg

http://www.munchkinpress.com/cpg149/albums/userpics/10145/S4_2.JPG

http://www.blackgate.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/lost-caverns-pic-550.png

But you're looking for this one...and yeah, it's a great one.
http://www.williammccarthy.com/aprilsale/easleycloseup.JPG

 

[Klaus]

TONS of great images from the Lost Caverns...
http://minipainting-guild.net/eo/Image2.jpg

http://www.munchkinpress.com/cpg149/albums/userpics/10145/S4_2.JPG

http://www.blackgate.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/lost-caverns-pic-550.png

But you're looking for this one...and yeah, it's a great one.
http://www.williammccarthy.com/aprilsale/easleycloseup.JPG

She was re-used in the 2e PHB!