D&D General Art in D&D

[Parmandur]

Everyone's tastes are different, perhaps yours is a bit off.

Well, granting for the sake of argument the proposition that there is no objective aesthetic judgement (which is not true, but beyond the scope of this discussion), the only meaningful measure becomes the commercial viability of art.

The 5E is a perennial best-seller on Amazon and at hobby stores (my FLGS keeps increasing the shelf space and presence for 5E), and us now available in Target stores after 5 years of release.

While the cover art is not the only or even a prime reason for this, it hasn't hurt, and isn't sowing confusion and dismay in the buying public.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Like, these guys fit my image of "Halfling" much better than most any previous Editions art:

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They’re fine for a dnd cartoon where everyone has odd proportions to better grab the eye and make distinctions immediately obvious in order to tell stories more efficiently using both visual and plot cues.

Doesn’t look like a real creature in a living, non-cartoon, world.

 

[Parmandur]

They’re fine for a dnd cartoon where everyone has odd proportions to better grab the eye and make distinctions immediately obvious in order to tell stories more efficiently using both visual and plot cues.

Doesn’t look like a real creature in a living, non-cartoon, world.

Personally, that's the vibe I'm looking for in D&D art.

I'm curious how they will do Halflings in the event of live action movies.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Personally, that's the vibe I'm looking for in D&D art.

I'm curious how they will do Halflings in the event of live action movies.

I’m really hoping they either simply employ some of the many very talented Little People actors, or if they won’t do that, do something like they did in the lotr movies.

If they do inhuman proportions at all, I’d rather see 3e-4e style halflings than 5e style.

And I dearly hope for no hobbit feet.

 

[gyor]

I love cheesecake. I'm a man.

There are also plenty of women that like and even love cheesecake. There is nothing wrong with cheesecake art, and I have always pushed back against the haters. Bring back Elmore and Cadwell, and artists like them. Skimpy armour and 80's hair for the win. I don't care if it's impractical (the armour or the hair), as long as it's FUN, it's a fantasy, not actual battles so who cares.

 

[gyor]

There are a few situational exceptions, but as a general rule, he isn't wrong. WotC is afraid of sex appeal.

 

[Parmandur]

There are also plenty of women that like and even love cheesecake. There is nothing wrong with cheesecake art, and I have always pushed back against the haters. Bring back Elmore and Cadwell, and artists like them. Skimpy armour and 80's hair for the win. I don't care if it's impractical (the armour or the hair), as long as it's FUN, it's a fantasy, not actual battles so who cares.

There are a few situational exceptions, but as a general rule, he isn't wrong. WotC is afraid of sex appeal.

Having good standards of decency that don't objectify people ≠ being "afraid of sex appeal".

A lot of that older art is creepy and off-putting, Caldwell more egregiously so than most. I for one am very glad that WotC is doing the right thing now.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

There are also plenty of women that like and even love cheesecake. There is nothing wrong with cheesecake art, and I have always pushed back against the haters. Bring back Elmore and Cadwell, and artists like them. Skimpy armour and 80's hair for the win. I don't care if it's impractical (the armour or the hair), as long as it's FUN, it's a fantasy, not actual battles so who cares.

I for one do not find the objectification of women "fun." And what you specifically describe is a male fantasy, and it's important for modern D&D to be easy for anyone to play and feel respected.

 

[happyhermit]

...
We are discussing 5Es art, which is what happens after the art director massacres a decent piece with bad decisions. I'm willing to bet most of the dodgier pieces in 5E have a zoomed out or uncropped version that looks somewhat better, but that's not what is actually there! That he is choosing to use an artist he is then having to rather massacre is part of the problem, note.

AFAIK there hasn't been an art director for D&D that could be referred to as "he" since 5e came out.

 

[gyor]

I for one do not find the objectification of women "fun." And what you specifically describe is a male fantasy, and it's important for modern D&D to be easy for anyone to play and feel respected.

There is nothing disrespectful in that art work and "objectification" is just made up crap to demonize men, often by hypocritics such as buzzfeed who will complain about the objectification of women and then write an article about the genitals of man athletes in the same issue.

And their are tons of male depictions of rip dudes, so until you start demanding more barbarians with beer bellies, I can't take your arguement seriously.