Cover to Dragon #310 [wow!]

[Jody Butt]

Overall I think this is one of Larry's better pieces, but its still more of the same. I personally am surprised how long he has lasted considering his skills. Elmore's talent lies in drawing landscape and background. His figures always seem static and uninspired and he doesn't have alot of technical skill when it comes to living beings. He may win nostalgia points from some, but I am a firm believer in judging an artist by his merits, and that leads me to say that larry elmore is more than just a few paces from the front of the artistic pack. Todd Lockwood is consistently good, Sam Wodd has many good pieces, Wayne Reynolds occasionally does wonderful work and consistently does above average pieces, but overall Elmore is quite far behind in technical ability in comparison. You guys can argue style all day, but technical merit isn't really based on taste.

You're comparing the technical abilitiy of Wayne Reynolds (a comicbook hack) to Larry Elmore (classically trained in all media)?

Give me a break. You're pulling our collective chain, right?

Can Wayne even paint a human that doesn't look like a comic book character? What a joke.

You talk about techinical merit. Wayne simply doesn't have the technical ability to paint something that doesn't look like it belongs on the pages of a comic. If he does possess this ability, he hasn't shown it to the public.

When Wayne can do something like this

. . . I will retract my statement.

 

[rounser]

I didn't like WAR's work much until I saw what he did in Deep Dwarven Delve. Strong contrast inks suit his style down to the ground, IMO - really nice work. Colours...eh, but I guess the theory goes that colour sells, so colour it is - even if it doesn't really suit D&D (felt this about 2E MCs too) or WAR's style for that matter. So the problem isn't with WAR, but rather with the art direction, IMO!

Elmore does lovely ink work as well (D&D Basic Red Box for instance), but with washes rather than solid blacks. The Brothers Fraim do the most gorgeous D&D ink work of all though, IMO, even though technically it's not for D&D.

 

[Anubis the Doomseer]

Agreed. We're playing a little fantasy game called Dungeons and Dragons, not a historical simulation called Realism and Recreationists, people.

We are also not playing a game called "Horndogs and Honneys". You want to ogle someone - ogle your wife/SO.

- Ma'at

 

[Anubis the Doomseer]

Originally posted by Painfully
Elmore is a great artist.

I'm not disputing that but EVERY one of his females looks the same. Great on dragons, great landscapes, great mise-en-scene, but would it kill you to update the hair? Maybe do someone NOT in a C or D cup? And maybe, just maybe, leave them covered up?

It isn't the lack of quality I'm complaining about, it's the lack of diversity. I'm passed puberty, I hope he is too.

- Ma'at

 

[buzz]

You're comparing the technical abilitiy of Wayne Reynolds (a comicbook hack) to Larry Elmore (classically trained in all media)?

I still don't see what the nature of Larry's schooling has to do with appreciating his art.

When Wayne can do something like this (Annoying, page-widening mage snipped). . . I will retract my statement.

Another photo-realistic cheesecake model with moussed hair sitting in front of a landscape painting with the fantasy bits painted in. BFD. You're welcome to like what you want, but his stuff just bores me.

BTW, am I on your ignore list here on ENWorld as well?

 

[buzz]

He did a cover for Hackmaster D1-2...
http://www.kenzerco.com/images/rpg/hackmaster/ndeep.jpg

Sweet! I might have to pick this up when it hits the bargain bin.

 

[Artimoff]

No Jody, WAR couldn't draw anything like that because she has her mouth closed and isn't attacking anything.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

WAR should get a gig drawing Spawn or some knockoff, I think it would fit his art style more. He doesn't even rate compared to Elmore to be honest. I love Elmores oil paintings and his pen and inks are great as well.

Guys like Lockwood are great artists, but I cannot stand the whole Dungeonpunk look, and I hate his dragons. Several of the 3e era artists are great painters but I'm just put off by some of the design choices.

 

[WizarDru]

Confession time: I have a hard time keeping WAR, Lockwood and Wood straight and separate. I enjoy each of their styles at different times, such as WAR's 'Robe of Eyes' picture for example.

Elmore has done some nice work, but it all has a "sameness" to it that does little for me, unfortunately. Some of his stuff is great...but the majority of it just feels like models standing around. Michael Whelan's work is much more evocative, to me.

Twenty years ago, I found Erol Otus' style to be ugly...today, I view it as very talented. This is especially true after the mindless rush of the late 80's-90s comic industry homogeneized art to the extent that it anyone who can do something noticably different is appreciated. That art gallery only served to remind how much I consider the older artists work to be iconic for D&D. I didn't associate Trampier, Otus and Dee with the game back then...but I can't disassociate them now.

 

[PowerWordDumb]

We are also not playing a game called "Horndogs and Honneys". You want to ogle someone - ogle your wife/SO.

- Ma'at

Oh grow up. Somehow the idea of "I am not offended by unrealistic armor in a fantasy art piece" has gotten mingled in your mind with "I must see half-naked ladies, hubba hubba!"

I would be just as uncomplaining about half-naked Conan-style paintings (and no I don't swing that way) as they too fit the fantasy style. I just want the images to be compelling, whatever the content. Besides, if I want to look at half-naked women I'll buy a Playboy - I don't need Dragon to do it for me. That said, I also don't have a knee-jerk reaction of revulsion whenever a whole square inch of flesh is exposed in a fantasy art piece either. If I really thought Elmore drew nothing but cheesecake art, I'd move on, but he has done many wonderful pieces that expose no skin at all, and those that do are always compelling. Realistic art is also very cool, but variety is the spice of life.

Individual preferences and the inevitable differences are fine. But at least try to be both reasonable and adult about it instead of mewling like someone kicked your dog, and throwing insults at people who disagree.