D&D General Art in D&D

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Jeff Dee rules. Very comic book but great B&W line art.

 

[Salthorae]

SO I literally just stumbled across this tonight and am watching it.

I thought it was pretty apropo to this thread and discussion!

It's a fun watch and I recommend it, especially for those interested in this thread

Eye of the Beholder: The Art of Dungeons & Dragons (2019) ⭐ 7.1 | Documentary

1h 31m

www.imdb.com

Hadn't heard of it before. Different services to watch it at here

 

[Hussar]

The problem with drawing halflings is, if you don't start futzing about with the ratios, they basically look like a human. Unless there's something in the art that makes you realize the scale - human sized furniture or an actual human - how would you know that that's a halfling?

I mean, this is basically a human:

So, while I understand the distaste for wonky looking halflings, how exactly do we make them not look like humans?

 

[billd91]

Bare, hairy feet.

But it is true that without something to show scale halflings should be hard to distinguish from humans.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The problem with drawing halflings is, if you don't start futzing about with the ratios, they basically look like a human. Unless there's something in the art that makes you realize the scale - human sized furniture or an actual human - how would you know that that's a halfling?

I mean, this is basically a human:

So, while I understand the distaste for wonky looking halflings, how exactly do we make them not look like humans?

The top knot and hoopak usually gives them away tbh

 

[Hussar]

Bare, hairy feet.

But it is true that without something to show scale halflings should be hard to distinguish from humans.

Then why have halflings in the game? If they are just half scaled humans, then they serve virtually no purpose - humans already have that, they're called children. Or dwarfs. Either way.

If the only thing that distinguishes this race from humans is hairy feet, then, well, that's not a race that's particularly needed in the game. Even Dragonlance's Kender had a distinct identity. You could look at them and KNOW, hey, that's a kender. That Jeff Dee picture of halflings is a perfect example. Take out the human from that picture and those are two elves with dirty feet. Give them footwear and you'd never know that they were halflings.

True, I don't think the 5e version works either, but, there has to be SOMETHING to distinguish halflings besides hairy feet.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Then why have halflings in the game? If they are just half scaled humans, then they serve virtually no purpose - humans already have that, they're called children. Or dwarfs. Either way.

If the only thing that distinguishes this race from humans is hairy feet, then, well, that's not a race that's particularly needed in the game. Even Dragonlance's Kender had a distinct identity. You could look at them and KNOW, hey, that's a kender. That Jeff Dee picture of halflings is a perfect example. Take out the human from that picture and those are two elves with dirty feet. Give them footwear and you'd never know that they were halflings.

True, I don't think the 5e version works either, but, there has to be SOMETHING to distinguish halflings besides hairy feet.

why? What differentiates elves from humans? Pointy ears? What about dwarves? There are fat bearded humans.

In D&D, what differentiates races the most is culture and racial modifiers. That’s the identity. And halflings have that as much as elves and dwarves.

 

[Hussar]

why? What differentiates elves from humans? Pointy ears? What about dwarves? There are fat bearded humans.

In D&D, what differentiates races the most is culture and racial modifiers. That’s the identity. And halflings have that as much as elves and dwarves.

Really? You're going to look at a dwarf picture, with it's dwarven clothes and whatnot, giant honking beard, angular weapons, and think, Hrrrmmm, that might be a human?

You're going to look at an elf pic, with leaves in its hair, inhumanly thin, angular features, and whatnot, and think, yeah, that's a human.

Note, we're talking specifically about ART IN D&D. Mechanics don't enter into the picture.

Both elves and dwarves have very, very specific "looks" that immediately identify them as elves or dwarves in D&D. You don't need a human in the picture to get perspective, or anything like that. They have clear, easily identifiable appearances.

Halflings, OTOH, are like gnomes. They don't have anything that really makes them stand out. At least with gnomes you can go all clockwork with them and that gives them some identity. "Short human" isn't really a race.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Really? You're going to look at a dwarf picture, with it's dwarven clothes and whatnot, giant honking beard, angular weapons, and think, Hrrrmmm, that might be a human?

You're going to look at an elf pic, with leaves in its hair, inhumanly thin, angular features, and whatnot, and think, yeah, that's a human.

Note, we're talking specifically about ART IN D&D. Mechanics don't enter into the picture.

Both elves and dwarves have very, very specific "looks" that immediately identify them as elves or dwarves in D&D. You don't need a human in the picture to get perspective, or anything like that. They have clear, easily identifiable appearances.

Halflings, OTOH, are like gnomes. They don't have anything that really makes them stand out. At least with gnomes you can go all clockwork with them and that gives them some identity. "Short human" isn't really a race.

Are you gonna look at a picture of a halfling, with large hairy feet and bulbous facial features and a pipe and automatically think human?

Seems like your criteria is a bit of a double standard. Each race has defining physical features. If you’re gonna say we can’t count large hairy feet, then don’t count pointy ears. Suddenly an elf becomes a 90s emo gen Xer

 

[billd91]

Really? You're going to look at a dwarf picture, with it's dwarven clothes and whatnot, giant honking beard, angular weapons, and think, Hrrrmmm, that might be a human?

You're going to look at an elf pic, with leaves in its hair, inhumanly thin, angular features, and whatnot, and think, yeah, that's a human.

Note, we're talking specifically about ART IN D&D. Mechanics don't enter into the picture.

Both elves and dwarves have very, very specific "looks" that immediately identify them as elves or dwarves in D&D. You don't need a human in the picture to get perspective, or anything like that. They have clear, easily identifiable appearances.

Halflings, OTOH, are like gnomes. They don't have anything that really makes them stand out. At least with gnomes you can go all clockwork with them and that gives them some identity. "Short human" isn't really a race.

Different races aren't in D&D because they make for good art. This thread may be primarily about art, but if you're asking why a race is in D&D if they aren't as distinguishable in the art rather than in how they're portrayed by their cultural description and in play then that's a really shallow question.