D&D General Art in D&D

[pukunui]

I like the 5e art, but I wished they also used black and white line art.

There is some of that in the 5e core books at least. Like the drawings for the conditions.

I started with 2e, so I think that the art styles of Elmore and Caldwell, et al, will always be my favourite.

However, I’d say 5e art is overall the best of WotC D&D art. As much as I dislike Dragon Heist as an adventure, I think it has some of the best art I’ve ever seen in D&D books. There’s some absolutely stunningly gorgeous art in there, particularly the two-page spreads of the urchins.

I also like that 5e art is better at portraying diverse cultures and (mostly) doesn’t portray women as pin-up eye candy for randy young men like Elmore and Caldwell always did. (Is that what people mean by “cheesecake”?)

 

[Zardnaar]

Yes that's cheesecake, beefcake is the male version and it has some other undertones in the 80s.


Cheesecake- well done but still.

 

[Enrico Poli1]

I love cheesecake. I'm a man.

 

[Zardnaar]

I love cheesecake. I'm a man.

Depends how it's done for me. You can over do it. I find it a bit boring if anything but in an interesting scene done well I don't mind it. Boris Vallejo was notorious for it an he did some Dragon covers iirc.

 

[Tallifer]

My favourite fantasy art was some of the more flavourful stuff from 1st edition Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. Renaissance woodcuts for the win.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I love cheesecake. I'm a man.

Those two things aren't necessarily concordant to each other.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I quite like 5e's art. The inclusive depictions and practical armor are important for so many people to see. And I adore the ultra-stylish Hydro74 covers.

It's also hard to argue with the Four Horseman of 1e and 2e. I could stare at Elmore's skies and rolling scenery all day. And the Otus/DCS/Trampier era is absolutely evocative in its black and white moodiness.

But, I also love this horrid bit of art from the earliest days:

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

My favorite artist of D&D is probably Erol Otis with his weird drawings and crazy hats. But most editions have something cool. Though I didn't like the straps, buckles, and spikes 3e aesthetic and I skipped 4e. The trifecta of Elmore, Parkinson, and Caldwell are hard to top as well. The 5e stuff is mostly good though I hate the modern halfling.

 

[Tallifer]

4E did have the occasional very evocative piece of art.

 

[dave2008]

You saw the same thing earlier in Planescape where DiTerlizzi was it, or with Eberron's featuring of Wayne Reynolds, etc. Modern D&D has very professional and curated "style."

I do think of DiTerlizzi and Planescape, WR & Eberron, and Brohm & Darksun, but those are setting - not D&D as a whole.