Discussion of Art in D&D

[roguerouge]

I'll say this much: I do understand why art work is an important part of the dnd imaginative experience. I definitely like that dnd has evolved into its own world, as a previous poster put it. But two subgenres of art work within that world that annoy me: the incredibly embarrassing Larry Elmore subgenre (a style that makes introducing adults to dnd that much harder) and this genre:

Divine Crusader: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/cd_gallery/81344.jpg
Rainbow Servant: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/cd_gallery/81353.jpg
Vadania's Menagerie: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/cd_gallery/82295.jpg
Frenzied Berzerker: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/cw_ag/75409.jpg

Evidently, I just dislike Ron Spencer's work. Is it a neo-southwestern thing?

Can we have someone defend this stuff? 'Cause I don't get it. These kinds of illustrations actually make me not want to play the class that they depict...

 

[roguerouge]

To be clear, while I don't like the Spencer illustrations I posted, I definitely DO want to be educated as to what OTHER people like about this style. What does it do for you?

 

[roguerouge]

Oh, and if you want art that purely records actuality, I suggest that you hire a photographer. And even then, you're going to have issues. Artists re-imagine the actual in light of the possible.

 

[johnnype]

Can we have someone defend this stuff?

Defend Ron Spencer? No. Sorry, can't do it. Never been a fan myself. I do know that he has his backers specially among the Werewolf: the Apocalypse fans. I guess he's liked for his depictions of blood and gore. I think it's all garbage but what do I know.

 

[Asmor]

I don't really care for the faces in those pictures you posted. I think Ron Spencer should probably stick to Goblins.

I do rather like the rainbow servant other than the face, and the only one I think is totally terrible is menagerie, but I'd say that's more because I just think the subject of the painting (druid with a bunch of animals) is totally boring.

One thing I have to wonder, since the difference between subject and style has been brought up... How much of this can actually be attributed to the artists' choices, as opposed to them having to work within the constraints of a style guide? I know that for example Magic: the Gathering has a very thorough style guide for all their artwork that tells you exactly what the generic white soldier's armor in this set is supposed to look like, and which side Johnny Hero parts his hair on.

 

[Jhaelen]

Art is hard! Every discussion of one or the other's favorite or least favorite artist is pretty futile, since it's really just a matter of personal preference. And that's even bound to change over time!

E.g. I've absolutely loved Brom's art for Darksun and Tony DiTerlizzi's for Planescape at the time.
Currently Daarken is one of my favorites, mainly because his (her?) style is very different from the majority of the D&D 3rd.ed. artists. I find myself liking Eva Widerman's work more and more. Howard Lyon's pieces are always very well done. There's lots of others that are consistently good.

And because it bears repeating: I think there's no other rpg out there that can currently compete with the quality of the D&D 3rd.ed. art in general.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

Ron Spencer's black-and-white (or, at least, two-tone, sometimes it's sepia-and-white) artwork for White Wolf is much better than the colour work he's been doing for Wizards of the Coast.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

ah, i love this subject. While art is always going to be subjective that doesen't mean all art is the same quality and skill. I think good art draws from the masters. This could be the figure, color, a symmetrical balance, line quality, texture, weather its realistic or just pleasing.

I'm not a big fan of Ron and Waynes work. Mostly i have a big issues with how they make their faces. Faces have always been the center. Its what we look at first, and i think the faces should be the BEST part of the art piece. thier are some drawings of Ron and Sayne that really turn me off before I have had a chance to fully explore their painting.

They know their anatomy more or less, but i'm just really put off by their work. I'm a big anime but also a big fan of classic fantasy artwork. I wouldn't call their work anime. I really don't know what to call it.

Waynes coloring is very unrealistic. Not that he tried for realistic and failed, but i find the way he uses very dark shading with very light shading, with both having hard edges that clash with the majority of the color. Its very difficult on the eyes. it breaks the flow. I commend him though for trying a very different style.

Ron also has a non realistic paint style, and given some more work could be really cool, but I think it has too much color isolation, and could use more environmental influence. I think color isolation can work, but its hard to control and really the color isolation has to be controlled and used adventitiously.

i think his druid picture is pretty nice though, but i think the colors could still stand to speak more to echother. I wish the wolf was more sleek

I realize that art is subjective and everyone is entitled to their opinion, and that with each generation of art, their will be many that reject its changes, so it my opinion may just be thus.

their are many non realistic styles that i do like however. I'm sure their must be people that like Wayne and Rons styles, or else they wouldn't be featured so much.

I would really like to see their under drawings. I wonder if i would like them and if its only how they are colored that influences my taste.

I'm a big sap for some of the older styles of fantasy art.


yeah sorry for the long unnecessary post. I may clean it up later.

*edit*

mhacdebhandia, do you have a link to any of rons sepia art?

 

[Doug McCrae]

I love the picture of the Thayan Knight, one of my fave WARs. It's not armor. It's a dream of armor.

I used to like Elmore but he looks too samey to me now. Very 80s, and not in a good way. Tats and piercings are in, leg warmers and big hair are out. Elmore and BROM both suffer from sticking too close to their models. BROM's dark angel looked like she was wearing lycra, which seems kind of wrong in a fantasy setting.

The menagerie is the best Ron Spencer pic. The animals' eyes look so demented, like they're rabid. A strange, very non-fluffy image of druidry.

 

[Caliban]

Because you know it's true: