3e WOTC Color Artwork

[MoogleEmpMog]

Ugh, I couldn't disagree more. 2e's art was its sole saving grace compared to other versions of D&D, but it was superb. 3e's, on the other hand, is some of the weakest in the d20 community. It's technically better than most 1e and original/basic art, but comparatively lifeless.

Without even having to glance at my books, I would easily rank five companies today ahead of Wizards:

Privateer
Sword & Sorcery (though I'm only thinking of the gorgeous Warcraft line)
Malhavoc
AEG (thinking of Rokugan)
Mongoose

Those five easily top Wizards in my eyes; Mongoose and AEG even produce a lot of full-color interior work.

 

[DeadlyUematsu]

I actually like Dennis Cramer's work.

 

[Gothmog]

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

Damn straight. Nothing compares to the FFG books for artwork. I especially love David Griffith and the detail in his work and the character's facial expressions.

 

[Impeesa]

Sword & Sorcery (though I'm only thinking of the gorgeous Warcraft line)

A good portion of that comes from Samwise Didier, one of Blizzard's staff artists (and one of my favorite fantasy artists in general). Good stuff.

--Impeesa--

 

[A'koss]

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.

He really made Planescape his own and most of his stuff rocked with the exception of one area - Fiends should not be cute and cuddly...

While WAR and Lockwood have been faves since day one, I would like to give the nod to Sam Wood as the most improved staff artist, especially with the 3rd edition. If you look at his Greyhawk work... you'd swear it was done by a different guy.

A couple of guys I really miss though are Tony Szculdo(sp?) and Arnie Swekel (his monster illos in 2nd ed rocked).


Cheers!

 

[Krieg]

2e's art was its sole saving grace compared to other versions of D&D, but it was superb.

I just wish they hadn't recycled so much of it.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

A good portion of that comes from Samwise Didier, one of Blizzard's staff artists (and one of my favorite fantasy artists in general). Good stuff.

Indeed. His work is mostly what I'm talking about. Although the Warcraft line does a great job of emulating that same style when other artists work on, keeping it both coherent and gorgeous.

I just wish they hadn't recycled so much of it.

Agreed. But I'd rather see the superb cover of a 2e book repeated as a plate in a dozen others than the inferior work that's been done for most of Wizards' 3e offerings.

 

[Krieg]

Agreed. But I'd rather see the superb cover of a 2e book repeated as a plate in a dozen others than the inferior work that's been done for most of Wizards' 3e offerings.

3E seems to have a much flatter level of quality. The poorer pieces arel far better than the worst art from previous editions while the best of the current crop can't hold a candle to the creme de la creme of the old school work.

 

[Steel_Wind]

While there is room to dissent in terms of the quality of the artwork from piece to piece (I too miss Prakinson and Elmore a lot), I think this is a very different point than the overall art direction and graphic design of 3E books.

The overall consistency of presentatation and layout of the physical product is vastly superior to anything produced in any other version of D&D - or by any other publisher. There is, accordingly, a pride of ownership of 3.x books I have not ever felt before - and I've been gaming since the late 70s.

 

[Krieg]

The overall consistency of presentatation and layout of the physical product is vastly superior to anything produced in any other version of D&D - or by any other publisher.

Hard to argue that point.