3e WOTC Color Artwork

[Endur]

The various WOTC books have had great artwork lately. A significant improvement over 1e and 2e.

Presentation has really improved. Everything from creative dungeons (RTTOE, COSQ) to really nice artwork in the books (Complete X series, core books). And the Draconomicon has awesome Dragon artwork.

 

[Zappo]

The average quality is better now IMO. The artwork of previous editions was worse on average, but it also had many beautiful images which have yet to be met by 3E artists. Besides, I just can't love DiTerlizzi's Planescape art enough.

 

[Darrin Drader]

Agreed, the art is incredible overall. I do miss Elmore though.

 

[francisca]

Clearly, it's in the eye of the beholder. I prefer the old stuff, meaning 1E. I do like some of the 3E stuff, and like much of the 2E stuff least.

 

[DaveMage]

In addition to what's been mentioned, I also really like the art in the Forgotten Realms books. Great stuff.

I don't really care for the comic-style art in Eberron products, though.

 

[Belen]

WOTC cannot hold a candle to the artwork in Fantasy Flight Games products. FFG has the best art I have seen in any edition.

 

[Desdichado]

The various WOTC books have had great artwork lately. A significant improvement over 1e and 2e.

Presentation has really improved. Everything from creative dungeons (RTTOE, COSQ) to really nice artwork in the books (Complete X series, core books). And the Draconomicon has awesome Dragon artwork.

I think a lot of the art is hit or miss, personally. There's some great stuff there; the best the game's ever seen, but there's some real crap too. I'm particularly not fond of anything by Baxa or Crabapple; and there's a lot of stuff from both those guys. Almost anything by Sam Wood, Todd Lockwood or a few other guys are brilliant though.

I really like the Iron Kingdoms artwork, personally. I think it's the most consistently good art in the industry.

 

[Desdichado]

WOTC cannot hold a candle to the artwork in Fantasy Flight Games products. FFG has the best art I have seen in any edition.

They do have some good stuff. A lot of it seems "old skool style, but better execution."

 

[Turjan]

WOTC cannot hold a candle to the artwork in Fantasy Flight Games products. FFG has the best art I have seen in any edition.

The FFG books are a good example for the fact that you can have great looking books with black & white illustrations. They have a very nice style.

 

[Pants]

WotC > 1e, 2e art. IMO.

Some 3rd party art is good, FFG is pretty good generally, although some of their b&w illustrations have a tendency to look terribly 'bland.'

Brian Snoddy and Matt Wilson's art in the Iron Kingdom's books is top-notch tough. Too dark in spots, but good nonetheless. However, my favorite b&w artist would have to be Richard Thomas. He manages to catch a nice amount of mood and detail in his pictures. His Orcus in the Tome of Horrors is utterly badass.