D&D 5E (2014) About the artwork...
- Thread starter Horwath
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DND_Reborn
The High Aldwin
I actually like both pictures. 
Horwath
Legend
a blond elven Shang Tsung painted by 12 year old?I actually like both pictures.
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The Mirrorball Man
Aventurier
It’s fine.a blond elven Shang Tsung painted by 12 year old?
DND_Reborn
The High Aldwin
a blond elven Shang Tsung painted by 12 year old?
Yep, it is actually one of the art pieces I like more than the overly clean art like the Tasha image.
oreofox
Explorer
Different commissioned artists have different art styles. I enjoy the first image of Tasha, while the (I assume) elven ranger I find not very pleasing to my eyes despite it being rather well done. However, I also cannot stand the vast majority of the monster art in the Monster Manual done by the Conceptopolis people. Again, their skill is definitely visible, but holy crap do they not look good aesthetically (to me).
Of course, I am an outlier on these boards in that I enjoy much of Wayne Reynolds's art pieces (except for his goblins in Pathfinder, and Pathfinder2e's kobolds). There have been artists in previous editions that I really enjoyed and some that I absolutely loathed and thought the product was ruined with their inclusion.
For me, Paizo commissions artists with art styles I prefer while WotC seems to prefer artists with styles I cannot stand for the most part. Art like Tasha, that is clean, is miles better than art like the elven ranger, which looks like someone trying to recreate the look of "classical" artists oil paintings.
Of course, I am an outlier on these boards in that I enjoy much of Wayne Reynolds's art pieces (except for his goblins in Pathfinder, and Pathfinder2e's kobolds). There have been artists in previous editions that I really enjoyed and some that I absolutely loathed and thought the product was ruined with their inclusion.
For me, Paizo commissions artists with art styles I prefer while WotC seems to prefer artists with styles I cannot stand for the most part. Art like Tasha, that is clean, is miles better than art like the elven ranger, which looks like someone trying to recreate the look of "classical" artists oil paintings.
Horwath
Legend
I guess to each it's own, I personally like Tasha's artwork as I mostly like almost photo-like portraits of people.
Warpiglet-7
Hero
I liked lockwood’s style in 3e (but not the dungeon punk aesthetic). I like the clean tashas artwork and the warlcok’s style in the phb.
I think the grainy or impressionistic stuff is just jarring in comparison. I know diversity of style is probably intentional but it is sort of distracting.
the half orc in the phb? Not good for example.
Contrast that with Bruenor in the front of the phb....
I think the grainy or impressionistic stuff is just jarring in comparison. I know diversity of style is probably intentional but it is sort of distracting.
the half orc in the phb? Not good for example.
Contrast that with Bruenor in the front of the phb....
Crimson Longinus
Legend
Both Lockwood and Reyonlds are great! They have very strong distinctive art styles and are visually innovative rather than merely derivative. A lot of 5e art is technically good, but it is rather forgettable and generic. The both art pieces in the OP are kinda like that, though the wizard pic has powerful composition. And whilst I appreciate certain amount of realism in artwork, I don't rank photorealism super highly in art. It was a big deal before photography was invented, but now if you want a photo you can just take one! In a painting or a drawing I want to see some stylisation, flair and flavour!
DND_Reborn
The High Aldwin
Yep, to each their own. I like artwork that actually looks like art/paintings/etc. not digital work. shrug
That is also why I love a lot of the older fantasy art by Elmore, Caldwell, Parkinson, etc. done in oils and acrylics, and such from the 80's and 90's.
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