Artists Wizards of the Coast should use (use more)

[jgbrowning]

I'm rather fond of Steven Belledin http://www.stevenbelledin.com/ and I wish they'll continue to use him and use him more if possible.

I also dislike WAR. He's very talented, but completely not my style. His work seems like an illustration. When looking at it I don't ever think for a minute that he's showing me something that's real. It's hard for me to discribe. When I look at it all I see is the art, not the subject. It's like the difference between a "fine art" painting an a cartoon. There's a second when looking at "fine art" when you're looking at the subject and not thinking about the art, while in a cartoon you're always looking at the art.

The above may rile some people up with my word choices; don't be. I lack the proper vocabulary to critique art in a way that doesn't require semi-offensive word choices like "fine" and "cartoon."


joe b.

 

[Sorren]

Need More:
WAR
Lockwood
Jason Engle

Need Less:
Steve Prescott
Steven Belledin
Their art looks simply lifeless to me.

 

[Psion]

/me weeps over the WAR hate.

I just don't understand how anyone can think that way... (sobs)

(wails)

 

[Gez]

See there for a detailed explanation.

 

[Psion]

See there for a detailed explanation.

I read the post. It just made as much sense to me as "2+2=5".

 

[JoeGKushner]

Jason Engle... yes! Another artists whose talents are underused. He's inspired a whole line of miniatures from Magnificent Ego. I just wish the d20 books Bastion did that used his art were up to standard mechanically. Well illustrated though! Some of his work in Dragon has really been top notch as well.

 

[Arcane Runes Press]

I like WAR's art - it's dynamic, and yes, it's rather "comic/cartoony", but that just means it exemplifies 3.0 and 3.5.

And no, I don't think that's a negative thing, in case you were wondering.


As to others:

Michael Whelan - if you want photorealistic fantasy art, hire the best. Michael Whelen is the BEST. His covers for Stephen King's Gunslinger are fantasy art at its most evocative, and having met him and listened to him talk about his work, the man knows how to incorporate the mythic into his work and make it seamless and beautiful. Look for yourself

And going older school D&D, I think they should bring back DiTerlizzi and get him to illustrate something. The man's art is genius.

Patrick Y.

 

[BOZ]

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?

At gencon 2003 I went to a seminar led by Tony Diterlizzi. He said that when he first submitted his art to TSR’s art department, he was rejected over and over again. Eventually the art director broke down and wrote him back, saying essentially “We really like your drawing style, but you need to draw more than just posed characters on white backgrounds.”

BEST SUGGESTION EVAR.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hi all!

WAR is probably the best artist involved in 3.0/3.5 and certainly the most consistent. He never has a bad day at the office. His art is always interesting, always dynamic, always the most detailed. To suggest he should be dropped is utter blasphemy.

Baxa's art is probably the most stylised (and inherantly fantastical) in 3.0/3.5, great for the likes of Outsiders and Undead, though probably less suitable for natural elements.

I am still waiting for WotC (or someone else) to release a book of Wayne Reynolds art.

 

[diaglo]

I read the post. It just made as much sense to me as "2+2=5".

now i understand why he (WAR) draws for the newer editions.