Arcane Power Art Gallery: Welcome back, old friends

[alleynbard]

I don't mind some recycled artwork, but this one just annoys me. Its the same picture from the 3.0 PHB and recycled in the 3.5 PHB. So its re-recycled artwork. Almost 10 years old and is one of the most recognizible pictures of the game.

I thought Gimble didn't show up until 3.5, when they changed the gnomes' favored class. I could be wrong. Of course, even if I am right it doesn't change your point. The image is highly recognizable and has been around for many years.

 

[Klaus]

I don't mind some recycled artwork, but this one just annoys me. Its the same picture from the 3.0 PHB and recycled in the 3.5 PHB. So its re-recycled artwork. Almost 10 years old and is one of the most recognizible pictures of the game.

Er... No.

That picture of Gimble first appeared on the 3.5 PHB, when Bard became the gnome's favored class. Prior to that it was the Illusionist.

And if you check WAR's sig, it says '03. So it is about 6 years old.

 

[Klaus]

Whose the pimp with the keys?

IIRC, Gatecrasher Prestige Class from the Manual of the Planes.

 

[Ktulu]

That dude did a ton of the art from the Wheel of Time RPG. Always liked his style.

 

[Nai_Calus]

Yeah, Gimble was a total 'wait what' moment, heh. Though I actually kind of like that picture. I preferred Devis for 3.x Bards, but Gimble looks more 4e-ish than Devis does.

I like most of the art, including the reused pieces, and it's nice to see some people who aren't white, reused or not. Fewer pieces that made me cringe than usual, and several pictures I really like.

Let's see.

http://wizards.com/dnd/images/APower/17.jpg
I like this one a lot.

http://wizards.com/dnd/images/APower/57.jpg
This one too.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/APower/34.jpg
This one is awesome.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/APower/19.jpg
The only picture of a 4e Tiefling I've ever liked.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/APower/32.jpg
Not bad overall, nice to see a really creepy-looking Eladrin, but how does that dagger on his calf not fall out of its sheath since it's upside down, and further, how does he plan to use it since, well, it's upside down?

I think I'm more concerned with 'does it look good' than 'is it reused' (Also 'does it fit', but I don't have AP yet so I can't judge that yet). I hated the Srinshee and Champion of Corellon Larethian pics in PHB2 because they were both bad and unsuited to the PPs they were supposed to be illustrating.

Also it's nice to finally see more Eladrin instead of endless Dragonborn. Still endless tieflings, but yay Eladrin.

 

[Quickleaf]

Why not replace those recycled art pieces with more rules content or fluff? Everybody wins.

Stupendous idea! And equaninimous too! You took the words right out of my mouth. You're one quick leaf, you.

 

[Merlin the Tuna]

Madly in love with 10, 22, and 26.

And I have to agree with a couple people before me that the recycling itself isn't a huge annoyance, but I wasn't fond of most of the reused ones when I saw them years ago.

 

[Wormwood]

In this economy, it is a cost cutting measure. And I would prefer they use this particular cost cutting measure than any number of other ones.

This right here.

 

[Scribble]

What I wonder is how come no one seems to do backgrounds anymore?

I mean even the couple of pieces that show any kind of background in that collection have the background just kind of "haze" out... Backgrounds kind of pull the whole scene together for me.

 

[resistor]

I'll take a stand against reused art.

For me, part of the purpose of art in a D&D product is to be evocative of what's being described in the text, be it a class, an item, a setting, an encounter, whatever.

Problem is that I remember pictures in the context in which they first appeared. I see the Gatecrasher picture and it evokes "Gatecrasher" for me. If they later try to use it for something else, it completely falls flat because it doesn't make think of "FooClass", but of "Gatecrasher."

The only time I would consider reusing art reasonable would be for direct ports of class/items/settings/encounters.