D&D General Art in D&D

[Zardnaar]

I find 5E looks very good overall.

You just don't have those draw dropping pieces from say 85-95.

That timeframe covers the Dragonlance art, 2E settings, Dragon covers etc.

 

[S'mon]

I like the bland inoffensiveness of 5e D&D art. It feels very generic-fantasy, and never offends anyone, especially newbies. I generally disliked 3e-era art, especially the stiff poses. 4e is a bit odd - the art in Worlds & Monsters is great but it generally felt downhill from there, with few sweeping vistas evoking adventure.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

Yeah, I'd agree with you except for the leering gargoyle looking thing on the right hand side of the pic that makes it just so blatantly obvious that this is cheesecake.

Now, I'm not really sure that CGI is the criticism of 5e. 5e tends to look far more washed out than that. More watercolor than digital art. If you want CGI, then Paizo (which also has FANTASTIC ART) is probably a better place to look.

That leering gargoyle is just shocked at the devil horns symbol she's making with her right hand.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

Some 5th edition art is horribly bad at portraying lifelike anatomy. There's definitely some weird johny bravo, steven universe, and other weird anatomy types of things happening in some entries. Most of the art isnt quite that level of bad but also most of it is at least not great in the anatomical structure department. And in all cases the pieces are far more life like than the examples i used due to detail. But anatomically they are sometimes that far off without any exaggeration. Looks real weird.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

Yes that's cheesecake, beefcake is the male version and it has some other undertones in the 80s.


Cheesecake- well done but still.
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You may call that cheesecake but i think that might actually be more skillful than anything ive seen in 5e. Or at least anything that comes to mind.

 

[Zardnaar]

You may call that cheesecake but i think that might actually be more skillful than anything ive seen in 5e. Or at least anything that comes to mind.

Yeah some of the old cheesecake pieces you could put some more clothes in the and change the hairstyle and have more interesting art.

I think the difference is hand drawn.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Love me some Caldwell. I've met Elmore and Easley, but hope to shake his and Otis' hands one day and tell them thanks for the artwork that spurred my imagination so much. Get a signed piece for the gaming room wall. Sadly KP is gone.

5e art is competent but doesn't really inspire me, though I do like the DMG cover quite a bit. But I'm a sucker for Beholders.

 

[The Glen]

That leering gargoyle is just shocked at the devil horns symbol she's making with her right hand.

That's because closet Maiden fans are surprised by how numerous we actually are. Up the irons

 

[Hussar]

You may call that cheesecake but i think that might actually be more skillful than anything ive seen in 5e. Or at least anything that comes to mind.

Wow. Really?

What is this piece trying to say? We have this nice gothic architecture under a full moon - very Dracula looking. Then, we plonk down a blond, blue eyed woman dressed in virtually nothing, doing... magic? on the balcony while some little imp critter gapes at here open mouthed, practically drooling.

And, you see nothing wrong with this? I mean, what exactly in D&D is this depicting? From the background, I'd say that would be one seriously chilly woman. But, again, why is this woman dressed like a whorehouse slave girl? In that pose? It's utterly ridiculous. I really can't see any redeeming qualities of that picture.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

Wow. Really?

What is this piece trying to say? We have this nice gothic architecture under a full moon - very Dracula looking. Then, we plonk down a blond, blue eyed woman dressed in virtually nothing, doing... magic? on the balcony while some little imp critter gapes at here open mouthed, practically drooling.

And, you see nothing wrong with this? I mean, what exactly in D&D is this depicting? From the background, I'd say that would be one seriously chilly woman. But, again, why is this woman dressed like a whorehouse slave girl? In that pose? It's utterly ridiculous. I really can't see any redeeming qualities of that picture.

Yeah there is a lot of artistic talent wasted in that picture. Which is a shame...