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Art direction and 5th edition
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<blockquote data-quote="Upper_Krust" data-source="post: 5775283" data-attributes="member: 326"><p>Thanks for starting such an interesting thread. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite6" alt=":cool:" title="Cool :cool:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":cool:" /></p><p></p><p>Wayne Reynolds is my favourite contemporary fantasy artist BUT I would probably downsize his responsibility with any new edition (that may well be a moot point if he is tied to Pathfinder of course).</p><p></p><p>Here are my general thoughts.</p><p></p><p><strong>1. Stop Reusing Art from previous editions:</strong> I don't mind if a piece of art from this edition just happens to show up in an adventure from this edition, but it always grates to see artwork reused from past editions.</p><p></p><p><strong>2. Improved Layout Design:</strong> I recently (at Xmas) picked up Warhammer's Storm of Magic book. I no longer play Warhammer, I just got the book because the layout and art are both fantastic. I don't mind paying a few extra gold pieces if a book is gorgeous. By comparison the interior of the Monster Manual is sterile.</p><p></p><p><strong>3. BIG Art! </strong>Time after time WotC books like the Monster Manual (in particular) the art is squashed into a 3x3 inch 'cubby-hole'. Tarrasque, Balor, Pit Fiend etc. Solo Monsters should get full page art, Elite Monsters half a page.</p><p></p><p><strong>4. Identity:</strong> How about different artists working on different types of monsters? Or working on different tiers? Or on different planes or campaign settings? Give certain places, monsters and styles of play their own artistic identity.</p><p></p><p>A book on the Far Realm should have a weird design (remember the D20 Call of Cthulhu book), a book on the Shadowfell should have a dark and sombre design, but all the 4E books really look the same. Grrr!</p><p></p><p><strong>5. Sense of Scale:</strong> Illustrations of monsters that are not medium size need a reference to some type of object or character for scale.</p><p></p><p><strong>6. Covers:</strong> Wayne Reynolds Orcus cover for the 4E Monster Manual is fantastic and one of the few iconic 4E pieces. So many other covers were utterly rubbish by comparison (Open Grave for instance, great book, terrible cover). For me, the best fantasy covers give a location and an encounter in progress with the protagonists put in peril!</p><p></p><p>Check out the difference between the 1st Edition (Iconic) Manual of the Planes cover, and the 4th Edition (Homage) Manual of the Planes cover.</p><p></p><p>I compared the covers when I reviewed the 4E Manual of the Planes recently.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://eternitypublishing.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/review-manual-of-the-planes-4e/" target="_blank">Review: Manual of the Planes 4E Eternity Publishing</a></p><p></p><p><strong>7. Location, Location, Location:</strong> Anyone remember the 4E preview book Worlds & Monsters? The art in that book was magnificent! Full page art! Even DOUBLE PAGE ART! Panoramic scenes that cross the page. Even the pencil sketches were great and provided a nice contrast. Black and white art can be beautiful too! </p><p></p><p><strong>No 4E book was as well illustrated as Worlds & Monsters.</strong> How sad is that? <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite3" alt=":(" title="Frown :(" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":(" /></p><p></p><p><strong>8. Stat-blocks.</strong> I really like the functionality of the 4E monster stat-block. BUT, they really need to do something to jazz it up a bit, more colour for one thing.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Upper_Krust, post: 5775283, member: 326"] Thanks for starting such an interesting thread. :cool: Wayne Reynolds is my favourite contemporary fantasy artist BUT I would probably downsize his responsibility with any new edition (that may well be a moot point if he is tied to Pathfinder of course). Here are my general thoughts. [B]1. Stop Reusing Art from previous editions:[/B] I don't mind if a piece of art from this edition just happens to show up in an adventure from this edition, but it always grates to see artwork reused from past editions. [B]2. Improved Layout Design:[/B] I recently (at Xmas) picked up Warhammer's Storm of Magic book. I no longer play Warhammer, I just got the book because the layout and art are both fantastic. I don't mind paying a few extra gold pieces if a book is gorgeous. By comparison the interior of the Monster Manual is sterile. [B]3. BIG Art! [/B]Time after time WotC books like the Monster Manual (in particular) the art is squashed into a 3x3 inch 'cubby-hole'. Tarrasque, Balor, Pit Fiend etc. Solo Monsters should get full page art, Elite Monsters half a page. [B]4. Identity:[/B] How about different artists working on different types of monsters? Or working on different tiers? Or on different planes or campaign settings? Give certain places, monsters and styles of play their own artistic identity. A book on the Far Realm should have a weird design (remember the D20 Call of Cthulhu book), a book on the Shadowfell should have a dark and sombre design, but all the 4E books really look the same. Grrr! [B]5. Sense of Scale:[/B] Illustrations of monsters that are not medium size need a reference to some type of object or character for scale. [B]6. Covers:[/B] Wayne Reynolds Orcus cover for the 4E Monster Manual is fantastic and one of the few iconic 4E pieces. So many other covers were utterly rubbish by comparison (Open Grave for instance, great book, terrible cover). For me, the best fantasy covers give a location and an encounter in progress with the protagonists put in peril! Check out the difference between the 1st Edition (Iconic) Manual of the Planes cover, and the 4th Edition (Homage) Manual of the Planes cover. I compared the covers when I reviewed the 4E Manual of the Planes recently. [url=http://eternitypublishing.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/review-manual-of-the-planes-4e/]Review: Manual of the Planes 4E Eternity Publishing[/url] [B]7. Location, Location, Location:[/B] Anyone remember the 4E preview book Worlds & Monsters? The art in that book was magnificent! Full page art! Even DOUBLE PAGE ART! Panoramic scenes that cross the page. Even the pencil sketches were great and provided a nice contrast. Black and white art can be beautiful too! [B]No 4E book was as well illustrated as Worlds & Monsters.[/B] How sad is that? :( [B]8. Stat-blocks.[/B] I really like the functionality of the 4E monster stat-block. BUT, they really need to do something to jazz it up a bit, more colour for one thing. [/QUOTE]
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