Vote for your Favorite D&D Artist [World Championship Edition] LOCKWOOD vs. ELMORE!!!

ForceUser · Mar 21, 2003

Lockwood amazes me. Elmore bores me. Easley I simply detest.

To me, this is D&D:

S'mon · Mar 21, 2003

I voted Elmore because I don't think much at all of Lockwood's art in the PHB & MM, whereas Elmore's product art always looked fine to me. However now that I've seen the great pieces of Lockwood art posted to this thread (S&M mind flayers?!) I'd like to change my vote...

The Serge · Mar 21, 2003

ForceUser said:
Lockwood amazes me. Elmore bores me. Easley I simply detest.

To me, this is D&D:

YES!!!!

I am not discounting Elmore. As I've said before, I was with the man from the red box. I remember the picture of the doomed cleric holding her lantern before the foreboding entrance of the dungeon.

I remember being introduced to 2ed with the picture of the various PCs posing before the dead green dragon. It was great. I still like that picture.

But, neither image captures the sheer drama, danger, magic, and fantasy as the link above! This image is full of energy, risk, and heroism. Where are they? Why are they there? What the hell is that huge monstrosity looming above them? Will they make it out alive? Oh my god!

Agnostic Paladin · Mar 22, 2003

kenjib, those three images are © 1990, 1993, and 1993. That doesn't qualify as recent, and certainly doesn't qualify as "since the mid 90's".

In general, I'm bored with Elmore. I've been seeing the same paintings for 10 to 20 years; Lockwood's more contemporary, and while he's got some weak works, his best is far above Elmore's best. Nostalgia doesn't beat skill. Besides, the gratuitous beefcake is offensive.

The only Elmore work that I really like is the pen & ink stuff from the Red box. And that's damn near pure nostalgia.

Oh, and as I said back when 3e hadn't yet hit the street, I like the anachronistic dungeon punk look. If I can run a campaign with a (n intentional) western flavour and dark * matter inspired secret societies vying for control of a standard issue war-torn fantasy setting, then my pcs and npcs can have a look that isn't plain and simple. And besides, what's so much better about Elmore's style of clothing? It's not like dragonlord armor and chainmail bikinis are more realistic than Hennet's belt fetish.

Olive · Mar 22, 2003

Gez said:
Why Lockwood sucks:

From http://www.toddlockwood.com/SilverDragonMain.htm
I would love an opportunity to paint a portrait like this of all six of D&D's 3rd Edition dragons

countign aside, that image is why lockwood is amazing. and why i love silver dragons so much.

Chauzu · Mar 22, 2003

Come one people.

ELMORE!

As in... MORE Lockwood!!!

Mwhahahahah!

The_lurkeR · Mar 22, 2003

Agnostic Paladin

Well here are some more recent Elmores which aren't too shabby...

The_lurkeR · Mar 22, 2003

kenjib · Mar 22, 2003

Agnostic Paladin said:
kenjib, those three images are © 1990, 1993, and 1993. That doesn't qualify as recent, and certainly doesn't qualify as "since the mid 90's".

Oops! I missed that. My apologies.

Gez · Mar 22, 2003

While we're speaking about anachronism, do you realize D&D is full of that ?

Mindflayers, Beholders, Neogi, Grells, are creatures with a strong pulp sci-fi feel.
The displacer beast's look is copied on Van Vogt's Couerl. The Xill is copied on the Ixtl from the same author.
Is there a need to mention the UFO from, IIRC, In Search of the Unknow ? And the technomagical ruins of Blackmoor ?
Iron Golems have often be depicted more like robots than like animated armors or statues. There also is a large number of clockwork creatures, not all of them coming from SpellJammer.

And of course, there are psionics

D&D is not medieval Europe. It don't looks like, and it requires work to be made in the semblance of it. So, why would people look like medieval Europeans ? Especially adventurers, who are frequently flashy guys and gals.

As long as they don't look like comicbook superheroes, I'm fine with it.