Artists Wizards of the Coast should use (use more)

[JoeGKushner]

Well, over at RPG.net, they mentioned how P.D. Breeding and Ron Spencer were on board to help with the art chores of the new Talislanta. Now those two are fantastic artists and I've enjoyed Ron's work on some of the recent WoTC books.

I think that WoTC needs to push their artwork a little more. Most of it is good, but they still have some really bland illustrations that if it weren't for the color, would look weak, especially compared to some of the other artists out there.

I'd love to see some full color Scott Purdity work for example or some Toern MackAtkison (sorry about the misspelling) work or Kent Burles. Heck, pick up a Green Ronin or Malhavoc book for a listing of great artists. That's one of the things' the does surprise me when Soverign Press books look as good if not sometimes better thanks to UDON as a WoTC book.

Other options?

 

[Gothmog]

I've really been impressed with David Griffith, who has done a lot of work in the past for FFG Legends and Lairs series, Hammer and Helm, and now has some great stuff in Players Guide to Arcanis and Frostburn. I acutally like his B&W stuff better, and he puts such incredible work into facial detail on his people.

Prople to lose: Dennis Crabapple- bleh, very cartoony looking. Baxa, while stylistically different, only ever seemed fitting for Dark Sun to me. And I know this last one will be unpopular, but lose Wayne Reynolds. His stuff, while technically well done, is just the height of blandness and dull, and hits me as eye candy with no substance.

One big gripe I have with WotC art (and other companies who have followed their lead) is that they use posed characters or monsters to the exclusion of interesting scenes. Bleh- very boring. The frost giant painting in Frostburn is a notable exception, but why not use scenes that can inspire the imagination rather than sterile depictions of a character on a white background? For its faults, 1e and 2e (especially the 2e reprinted PHB) had some incredible full parge artwork that made me think of a whole scenario just by looking at it. None of the 3e/3.5 artwork has even come close to that.

 

[diaglo]

www.tomwham.com

 

[Davelozzi]

Prople to lose: Dennis Crabapple- bleh, very cartoony looking. Baxa, while stylistically different, only ever seemed fitting for Dark Sun to me. And I know this last one will be unpopular, but lose Wayne Reynolds. His stuff, while technically well done, is just the height of blandness and dull, and hits me as eye candy with no substance.

I like Baxa, but agree that his work was more appopriate for Dark Sun. I'm totally behind you on Crabapple & Reynolds, and on posed characters vs. interesting scenes. Though people have mixed feelings on Elmore in general (he does have a tendency to have all his women look the same), his covers of the Frank Mentzer editions of Basic/Expert/Companion D&D rules are all excellent examples of the kind of action scene a D&D cover should be.

 

[JoeGKushner]

David Griffith! yes, I agree 100% with that. First time I saw his art was in a Slayer's Handbook, maybe Duergar, and I was like, "Whoa, you mean Mongoose has a really talented artists doing a Slayer's Guide that's not cheesecake like the Amazon one? Fantastic."

I agree it was a big plus seeing his work in the Arcanis book and Frostburn, really helped push those books in thumbs up artistic directions.

 

[Gez]

Sam Wood
Todd Lockwood
Tony DiTerlizzi
Arnie Swekel
Daren Bader
Mark Cavotta
Emily Fiegenschuh
Steve Prescott
Mark Tedin
Martina Pilcerova

And whomever made all those cosmology diagrams in the Manual of the Planes.

(Some people will shout because I left out "WAR", but frankly, I don't think the guy could be used more by WotC.)

 

[Psion]

Prople to lose: Dennis Crabapple- bleh, very cartoony looking.

Agreed.

Baxa, while stylistically different, only ever seemed fitting for Dark Sun to me.

Agreed.

And I know this last one will be unpopular, but lose Wayne Reynolds. His stuff, while technically well done, is just the height of blandness and dull, and hits me as eye candy with no substance.

You're right. It will be unpopular.

WAR rocks. His pictures are nicely detailed and his characters look active instead of looking like they are waiting for a bus.

Of artists that appear frequently in d20 works that would be nice for WotC to hire on, I'll say Andy Brase, Scott Purdy, Talon Dunning, Richard Thomas, James Ryman, and RK Post. And the UDON crew.

 

[The_Universe]

I've never seen a WAR pic I didn't like. There's better stuff out there, but all of his stuff is good. Interestingly enought, I learned at Gen Con that his pic of the Ettercap in the 3.5 MM is the illustration he hates least! Weird!

But, since WAR is being used to his full ability, I say lose Crabapple (never seen a pic of his that I *did* like), and bring on more from Sam Wood and Todd Lockwood!!

 

[Gez]

WAR rocks. His pictures are nicely detailed and his characters look active instead of looking like they are waiting for a bus.

Yeah. But they have feet shaped like the Pyramids of Gizeh, arms that are each twice as big as both of their legs, and clenched fists that are bigger than their head. Also, they're always lurching and shambling like some decayed zombie. While it is fitting for a decayed zombie, it isn't for, say, Osiris.

There's only a handful of pics by Wayne Reynolds I liked. On the top of my head, Hathor in Deities & Demigods and Gimble in the Revised Player's Handbook.

 

[Psion]

But, since WAR is being used to his full ability, I say lose Crabapple (never seen a pic of his that I *did* like)

You can keep him on for symbols. Those seem to work okay.

His stuff in Frostburn wasn't too bad (but Mitch Cotie and the new-to-me Dan Scott seemed better). But generally, I don't like his style. His deva pictures absolutely made me wince -- it's like he forgot he wasn't illustrating his "lusty celtic wench" comics. And don't get me started on the gory halfling.