D&D Races and Creatures concept sketches.

[Tallifer]

Excellent art. But you need a Warforged.

 

[Klaus]

Since when gnomes got tiny noses? I always though about them having bulbous noses...
As for the halfings, they look o.k. Unlike the gnomes, if it weren't for the caption on the bottom right of the picture wizard I would have had a hard time telling them apart from a couple of regular humans. I think that this picture drive home what Jon was saying in his last column.

The gnomes were influenced a lot by the works of Charles Vess and Arthur Rackham, and also by my own take on the buckawn and brownie (from Fiery Dragon's Counter Collections). Of course, the brown skin and white hair is straight out of the 1e/2e description.

For the halflings, I gave them the proportions of 6-year-olds, but also made sure their clothing had no small elements (buckles are large, buttons are large, clothes are generally baggy). I also wanted them to look more like farmers, with sheepskin vests and coats and tanned skin.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Since when gnomes got tiny noses? I always though about them having bulbous noses...

I think it started in 3E... but it became even more pronounced in 4E. Gnomes started way back when looking like your typical 'garden gnome' and looked/acted/lived like short dwarves. Somewhere down the line that changed, and then in 4E they turned into fey and became almost short elves. Kind of funny when you think about it.

At this point it feels like we almost need a 6th race to take the place of one of the gnome versions. Cause right now we have the pairing of tall human and short halfling... the tall dwarf and short "AD&D gnome"... and the tall elf and short "4E gnome". Maybe gnomes should go back to their AD&D routes and we should create sprites to take the place of the 4E gnomes.

 

[tuxgeo]

+1: My favorite of that bunch is the gnomes: they're awesome! WotC should do them that way.
-1: Greatest nitpick: aarakocra shouldn't have that many fingers on their hands, because the bones giving form to their wingtips are their actual finger-bones. At most, those guys should have an opposed thumb (alone) as a kind of a grasping claw at the wrist joint where all those fingers are shown.

Elves wearing boots? Just say NO. Their footwear should typically be lighter: slippers or moccasins. Personally, I would like to have their necks be a bit longer--that's part of what makes elves seem effeminate (deservedly or not) to other races that have shorter necks. (Neck proportion is a gender-cue among humans.) The elves as depicted might make good half-elves.

I like the halflings, but I don't see how that male halfling can draw his main sword easily: the scabbard is on the right side of his butt, not hanging on the left side of his baldric where he can draw it easily with his right hand.

 

[Roland55]

A well-executed piece of original artwork always interests and impresses me. Yours absolutely fit that bill.

I'm just a technical person myself, scientist and engineer. Truly creative people always make the hair stand up on the back of my neck ... but in a good way!

Keep on creating. It makes the world a much more interesting place.

 

[Garthanos]

I think it started in 3E... but it became even more pronounced in 4E. Gnomes started way back when looking like your typical 'garden gnome' and looked/acted/lived like short dwarves. Somewhere down the line that changed, and then in 4E they turned into fey and became almost short elves. Kind of funny when you think about it.

At this point it feels like we almost need a 6th race to take the place of one of the gnome versions. Cause right now we have the pairing of tall human and short halfling... the tall dwarf and short "AD&D gnome"... and the tall elf and short "4E gnome". Maybe gnomes should go back to their AD&D routes and we should create sprites to take the place of the 4E gnomes.

There are evolution over time and cultural distinctions in real world mythology... the Norse Alfar were very tall (and not in the slightest weak) rather like Tolkien Elves (or should I say the reverse) where as the elf of middle Europe being the wee folk. Differing cultural takes is probably the big difference.

 

[Garthanos]

Klaus: Now I like those halflings - thanks!! very nice.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

Wow, just...wow! Truly, these put a sizable chunk of published art to shame. I especially like the aarakocra, the dborn (though I'm not sure how he swings that weapon), the goblinoids, the orc, and the gnomes. The halflings are good too, it's just that halflings aren't, well, particularly memorable. Overall though, very evocative!

My only critique is the kobold, because he's so dark all over. It's hard to make out the details.

 

[Pour]

I love your kobolds. Now they look viciously proto-draconic, savage but not without trap-making ability, and most importantly threateningly unique. Just imagining those tiny, glistening eyes in cavernous warrens multiplying by the second gives me pause. Also really like your take on the goblinoids, each natural, distinctive, but obviously related, and taking into account the influences of the game. Very nice indeed.

 

[DonAdam]

I thought it might be cool to have kobolds that look partly draconic, partly dog-like as an homage to the change over the years and adding an element of ambiguity to their claims to be related to dragons.