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D&D 5E Toward a new D&D aesthetics

What is your feeling about the changes in aesthetics of D&D illustrations?

  • I really enjoy those changes. The illustrations resemble well my ideal setting!

  • I'm ok with those changes, even if my ideal setting has a different aesthetics.

  • I'm uncertain about those changes

  • I'm not ok with those changes because it impairs my immersion in the game.

  • I hate those changes, I do not recognize D&D anymore

  • The art doesn't really matter to me either way. I don't buy/play the game for the art.

  • Change in aesthetics? Where? What?


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Undrave

Legend
I suspect the pinks, purples, and blues are being used to represent otherworldliness, in the same way Erol Otus used those colors:

I would hope that the other poster isn't objecting to the color palette with a hidden motivation of not liking bisexuals! lol (to be clear, I genuinely don't think that's the case, it just kinda made me laugh to think of. Us dang bisexuals, ruining DnD!)

But yeah the "bisexual" color palette is great.

modern fantasy art likes those colors, but just as much loves bright reds and greens.
Yeah...

To me, Purple (and midnight blue too) is the color of arcane magic. I'm not sure why but when think of generic arcane magic, a certain amount of purple is involved and I'll take out my purple dice when playing arcane characters. Pink, blue and purple make for a nice palette of complementary color.
 

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doctorbadwolf

Heretic of The Seventh Circle
Books with, for exemple, only one artist also have their charm. It often make for a more intimate experience. When there is multiple artists it feel like we're catching glimpses of multiple campaign run by different groups, but if there is only one it feels like it's the same DM from start to finish.
The first edition The One Ring books are gorgeous, and a great example of using digital tools to evoke hand painted images.
No, but its a humorous reach. I do think they have dug up for me what it is though.

I associate the pallet with 'not fantasy'.

One of my favorite youtube channels for example.

You associate it with "not fantasy". Okay. I'm not sure what to say to that.

But like...that image looks like a fantasy cityscape!

I think that maybe what is happening is that (western mainstream) fantasy has broadened quite a bit since the 70's. I hope we never return to a DnD that is even primarily centered on a modern miss-imagining of medieval Europe, much less one that is only about that focus.
 

Undrave

Legend
No, but its a humorous reach. I do think they have dug up for me what it is though.

I associate the pallet with 'not fantasy'.
Oh yeah, purple and pink feel VERY 80's neon as well, especially when the pink is super bright on a dark background. I can totally get why you get that vibe.
 



doctorbadwolf

Heretic of The Seventh Circle
Theres only 3 with the colour scheme I'm thinking of, but hopefully my prior post here explains what I'm feeling.
I definitely understand it more now. I just don't think that it's actually a thing that is taking over dnd art or anything.
Yeah...

To me, Purple (and midnight blue too) is the color of arcane magic. I'm not sure why but when think of generic arcane magic, a certain amount of purple is involved and I'll take out my purple dice when playing arcane characters. Pink, blue and purple make for a nice palette of complementary color.
Makes sense to me. I mean, i think it's an unspoken thing in the actual 5e books, as well. The Warlock (and especially Eldritch Blast) is purple. Full stop. Magic Missile is blue. Pink is a really good tertiary note when combining purples and blues.

Also I do the same thing. My Forest Gnome Wizard is always played using my semi-transparent blue-green dice, because he's naturey and arcane.
Oh yeah, purple and pink feel VERY 80's neon as well, especially when the pink is super bright on a dark background. I can totally get why you get that vibe.
I really wish there were more fantasy futurism stuff out there, in that sort of aesthetic. Give me magic Tron.
 

Scribe

Legend
I hope we never return to a DnD that is even primarily centered on a modern miss-imagining of medieval Europe, much less one that is only about that focus.
And thats fine but thats kind of what I want. A clear difference between genres.

Theres a place for that futuristic, 80's neon style. I just dont think its Fantasy. Certainly not what I want Fantasy to look like, because...yes. I want it to be more evocative of a DIFFERENT type of Fantasy.

I'm not saying you cannot have a neon planar Fantasy. Thats exactly what I would think of, but there's also a different more grounded Fantasy that doesnt really sit in the same place.

Like to go back to the Forest. There is the one I like, and then we have from Kamigawa.


Forest3.JPG


Sure, its a 'Forest' but is it anywhere in the same ballpark as the first one? Not for my money. :)
 

Undrave

Legend
But just curious. How many pictures would have been sufficient to demonstrate a trend?...

Honestly, it is a pretty big claim, so it'd require some effort to establish it.

Also, there's degrees of demonstration - do you want to prove to us that you are clearly correct, or do you want to prove to us that you've thought it through enough that we'd see you might have a point, but still disagree? The latter is far easier.

But first, since we don't all have a shared art language, you'd probably need to better establish what esthetic you're talking about - three to five pieces that all share the elements you don't like. Preferably, these would be from different publications, or at least different artists. Then, if you wanted us to not think you're just not happy with one or two recent pieces, you'd want to take several more, from other works. If you want to really establish a trend, you'd need enough for us to feel you've got a solid sample of WotC art, in general, and WotC uses a lot of art...

And, you'd want to be prepared for counter arguments, like noting that a lot of people would feel that art from Dragon Magazine, including, say, Trampier's "Wormy" and Phil Foglio's "What's New with Phil and Dixie" are solidly part of the "classic" aesthetic.
And, not to put to fine a point on it, you'd want a better definition of what you dislike than calling it 'disneyfied' and reference a movie from 20 years ago, made in a style Disney themselves don't use anymore... (don't call it CalArts either, that never goes well...)
 



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