Art Gallery for RoF

[Eosin the Red]

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Great Googly Moogly

That is some bad stuff, well a good portion of it is bad. I might consider changing my name if I were you, Mr Yuan Ti. At least have the decency to slither away in shame.

I guess they really did get rid of their in-house art staff.

 

[Bran Blackbyrd]

I think people throw around the terms like "anime style" a bit too often. It seems like people are planting that label on absolutely everything that looks the least bit different these days.

Anyway. I was really looking forward to this book, the art has me quite disappointed. I know, I know; it's supposed to be all about the crunchy bits, but I'm spoiled on the quality of books like the FRCS and MoF. I'd include Faiths and Pantheons in with those, except that it had some art that stood out as rather 'craptastic'. I just don't feel like this is up to snuff.
Matthew Wilson, why have you forsaken me?
The Planetouched weren't too bad though. Vinod Rams' stuff in the WoT RPG fell in the middle between the stuff that rocked and the stuff that sucked. He's not bad, and in this book he's sharing the top with Jim Pavelec.
[Whine, Moan] Aasimar and Tieflings haven't looked like anything more than humans since TD drew them for Planescape. That red Fey'ri looks more like a Tiefling than the Tieflings do. [/Whine, Moan]

Sigh.

Note: Not that I could do any better...

 

[Oni]

I think people throw around the terms like "anime style" a bit too often. It seems like people are planting that label on absolutely everything that looks the least bit different these days.

Note: Not that I could do any better...

This is probably true, but I don't think it's far off the mark in this particular case. I think you would be hardpressed to argue that a few of the Vinod Rams pictures don't show strong anime influences. The air genasi, fire genasi and the tieflings all use a lot of the conventions I personally associate with anime style artwork. Lanky forms, and sharp features, the hairstyles certainly. The facial expressions also, in particular the tiefling on the left, looks like it could have come right out of come out cowboy bebop or hellsing (the disproportionately small iris emphasizing the bulging eyes). The costuming also carries the look, I don't really know how to explain it, but it is anime costuming in a very unmistakeable way.

Personally i think this is some of his best stuff, and I would love to see more from him done like this.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hi Pants!

Top avatar by the way, Hellsing is simply amazing.

Man, they really need to get rid of Dennis Cramer. I have nothing against the guy, but his art is godawful. Also, his art style does not mesh well with the style of the rest of the art.

I am inclined to agree with you.

That said, I think he is getting better (This work looks among some of his best). If they converted his colour illustrations to black and white I think they would have something worthwhile.

But, where are WAR and Lockwood?

Presumably they don't 'waste' WAR on FR stuff?

Lockwood was 'let go' by WotC and is now working freelance. Which is amazing considering Cramer has seemingly been retained. Maybe hes less expensive?

 

[Gez]

The svirf is well made, but the hooded guy don't look like anything (is that a drow ? It's not a drow face).


Cool.


Broodguard (aka histachii) and tainted-ones ? Poor quality work.


Poor quality here as well -- and I thought gnome had a woody beige-brown skin.



Nice pic this one.


This wemic is definitely better than the one in the MC, however I still prefer the ones in the FRCS.


She seems to want the landbound to peek under her dress, but otherwise it's well made.


The half-sea elf seems to be looking with contempt at the sea elf's cleavage, the half-moon elf has a freakishly wide mouth. Poor quality.


They looks more like halflings than elves IMHO. This has a "wooded Shire" aspect IMO.


Elfa-Cola, the carbonated soft drink that makes you belch light on monoliths. This product contains no alcohol.


Man, I didn't knew Aasimar looked like humans with proportions throwed out the window. Freaky. The air genasi are nice. The earth genasi, especially the big orange one, is awful. Attack of the Mutant Manga continue with the fey'ri, the fire genasi are really ridiculous, the tanarruk are IMO exaggeratedly beastial (look at how they're built ! Absurd !), the tiefling are awful, especially the trisomic-looking one, and their dressing... Compared to them, the water genasi are OK.


Comparing to the FRCS hurts:


On the dwarves:
The jaw of the arctic bear is the only problem of the picture. What the hell does a shield dwarf in full plate in a jungle ? It's a +20 Con they would need, not a mere +2, for this kind of trick. Or magic. And finally, the pseudo-19th-century prussian uniform of the griffonrider is really hurting. Beside, he's supposed to be a golden dwarf, since the class if from the Great Rift.

 

[Yuan-Ti]

To Quote

That is some bad stuff, well a good portion of it is bad. I might consider changing my name if I were you, Mr Yuan Ti. At least have the decency to slither away in shame.

Yeah, I forgot entirely about the Histachi. In my defense, it is because I read about them once in a book I don't own -- thought it was a dumb idea and never used it. To me the Yuan-Ti are demon-worshipping snakemen who dabble in all kinds of gruesome stuff but I never liked the idea of the Histachi. So I forgot.

 

[Enceladus]

Normally I'm not one to pay too much attention to the artwork but this to me seems a decline in the quality. Very few illustrations are up to snuff compared to the last few pulications.

Savage Species IMHO was done very well.

 

[Drkfathr1]

I try not to be a critic when it comes to artwork since I can't really draw or paint worth a darn myself, but I have to say that I don't like the cartoony look of some of these illustrations. Sometimes that style works, but I tend to agree that the FR products should have a more serious look.

Don't get me wrong, I wish I could draw/paint that well, but considering all of the artists out there, and the number that have worked so hard to create a "look" for 3E, it seems like WOTC would be happy to just throw the consistency out the window and just use a hodge podge of artwork. That was always one of 2E's weaknesses as far as I was concerned.

Some of the races have lost their "iconic" appearances. Especially the gnomes and the Yuan-Ti. I can't help but get the impression that some of the artwork was a last minute thing.

If I'm going to pay WOTC prices I expect to get high quality in all aspects of a product, not just the writing.

 

[Oni]

Wow, Gez your taste really just run completely opposite of mine.



Anyway I don't see why everyone is so down on Dennis Cramer. I curious what it is that everyone dislikes so much about Cramer's work. Really I see good strong work here. A bit quirky and whimsical. Beautiful colour, almost jewel like. And as far as everyone's complaints about the broodguard, you know you have to do what the art director tells you to, I would guess that was what he was asked to do. Personally I like the picture.


Personally I really dislike all of the Dennis Calero pieces, they are not my cup of tea so to speak. They feel really unfinished, like he ran up to the deadline and didn't have time to advance to thie final stage of the painting. If I were an Art Director I probably wouldn't give him a second chance.

I have mixed feelings about Wayne Englands stuff, but I really dig the backgrounds in the couple of pics that have them.

The Michael Dutton stuff isn't bad either.

 

[Sejs]

Dislike:
-Centaur: just looks.. wrong somehow. The horse part is fine,. just the human part really really isn't.
-Cavvekan: rabid chiuawawa?
-Headfang(spell): What the heck is that thing the snake is biting? Looks like Raver Smurf or an aenemic svirfneblin
-Strongheart Halflings: I like the action and all, but the halfling's clothes just rub me wrong. Superhero Tights. Nuh uh.
-Yuan-Ti: covered extensively. Just bad.
-Forest Gnome: You know, when I think Forest Gnome, I think David the Gnome, not an amish Bob Dylan with no shirt or shoes (and no service at 7-Eleven, dangit!)
-Calie Mail: It comes with it's own abs!! No need to work out, now.
-Breachgnome: not much effort, it seems.
-Verraketh's Shadow Crown(spell): Overall I'm kinda neutral on this one, with the exception of that red thing on her foot. What is that? A ring? A really mean bunion?
-Wood Elf and Sun Elf: this will probably offend someone, but the wood elf (leftmost), frankly, looks retarded. Like.. actually retarded. Not as a derisive term. The sun elf looks like an ugly version of Bruce Campbell with too much bronzer.
-Gristlegape and the Ankheg: Not a bad picture, would have been much better if the orog wasn't in a speedo for armor.
-Lycanthropes: Animal head on human body with fur textured skin does not equal hybrid, dangit.
-Elven High Mage: yeah. Elfa-cola.
-Hammer Fist Feat: It looks like the dwarf is making farting sounds with his hands and it's the -FUNNIEST- thing that ogre's ever heard. Really. Look at him! That's one amused ogre.
-Arctic Dwarf: bear proportion is just on crack. Talk about a trophy head!
-Wild Dwarf Guiding Shield Dwarf: not a bad pic, just not thought out about the whole full plate + jungle thing.
-Battlerager: ......ugh. Where to start, the proportion? the poor angle forshortening the already goofy limbs? the beard-caltrops? just bad all around. argueably the worst peice in the set.
-Great Rift Skyguard: looks like they jacked this guy whole-cloth from Warhammer Fantasy. Again, bad proportion, etc.


Liked:
-Lightfoot Halfling: good pic, you have to look at it a moment to get it.
-Halfings in Shielded Wagon: stuck me as funny for some reason.
-Warsling Sniper: good pic all around, though the halfling looks like Wolverine from the XMen movie somehow.
-Dragonhead: good stuff
-Nightglider: nice pic, heh, first thing that sprung to mind when I saw it was "I stole za baby!!"
-At the Ball: humans. *nod*
-Negotiations: humans. Females that ARN'T in stupid cheesecake clothing. Big thumbs up there.
-Wemic: good wemic. I'd like to see more female wemics though, or a side-by-side of the two, because you'd imagine the females wouldn't have the mane, etc.
-Warrior Skald: I like this, that's one happy lookin' skald.
-Avariels: Now I hate avariel as a race. Just hate 'em. The picture's good, however. Though the wings seem a little smallish.
-Mortal Combad Drow vs Moon Elf: Not bad, all in. My only complaint is with the scoop-top drow female's armor.
-Wild Elves Deal with Visitors: Another good one, would have been better if the wild elves didn't have branches coming out from all over on them.
-Bladesinger: Nice picture. He's gotten a bit too big for that shirt he's in, but otherwise most acceptable
-Orc Warlord: That is an orc picture I can sink my teeth into. Good orc right there. Not a characticture for a change.
-Aasimar: proportion does seem off some (mostly on the left one), but look! Females! And they're -dressed!-
-Air Genasi: two thumbs up.
-Earth Genasi: aah.. one thumb up.
-Water Genasi: one thumb up, for the female in the back.
-Grey Dwarf vs Gold Dwarf: the Gray dwarf and his spider are excusable, mainly because I really like that dwarf with the axe.

the rest I'm neutral on.
Heh, thank you for listening.

^_^