Whereas Tika is boring-as-hell static pose, with a very crap face (what is she even supposed to be emoting, blankness? Jeez), and bog-standard posture (hilariously matching with a description of someone trying - and failing - to look menacing from Gene Wolfe's The Citadel of the Autarch), plus bonus sexism.
I love these art threads, because no one ever sees the same thing. I read equal parts terror and detemrination in Tika's face; her posture makes logical sense for someone lacking in experience who is about to enter combat with a one-handed sword; and frankly Caramon is showing more skin.
As a whole the piece makes them look like they're a third-rate (I mean seriously third-rate!) hair metal band trying to look cool for their self-published vanity album cover.
Yeah, see, that just screams high fantasy to me. Maybe I was born early enough to get the aesthetic but too late to earn the cynicism.
I don't know why you're trying a lack of cleavage to the first piece's failure, though. It seems like that has zero to do with anything, and really begs the question as to why you're even saying it.
I like boobs? And a nice set of pecs, come to that? I've gone on record before as saying that I don't think the answer to eliminating sexism in fantasy art is to wrap everyone in burlap. Looking good naked is a big part of being a hero!
But no, it has nothing to do with the piece's failure, although the attempt to enforce some femininity on the image with the bare shoulders does add a sense of desperation to the composition it would not otherwise have. My tongue-in-cheek point was only that if artists feel like design like this is the only way to add interest to images of fully clothed women, maybe we'd better have the skin back.
Actually, the art style reminds me a little of the style present in the cover. Wonder if it's the same guy. Wonder if it's an artist-specific thing with broken backs on flying mages? *shrug*
I'm still not bothered by the woman on the cover of the PHB. If you jump with all your might, your lumbar spine contracts; that's a thing.
The anatomy isn't bad. But because of the accursed white space in the elven wizardess picture I don't even know for sure that she's jumping. Her right foot could still be on the ground.
Which is really the source of my problem with the anatomy, come to think of it -- the butt thing is gross, but honestly what bothers me more is that her weight looks like it's on her right foot but she's twisting her waist to the right and projecting her left arm forward. She's in motion -- I get that -- but in which direction?
Aside from the pose, though, I like the piece. Good color. All elegant clothes and stuff. Nice.
...KM, it's the color of lawn refuse.