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<blockquote data-quote="johnnype" data-source="post: 3629675" data-attributes="member: 1944">I never loved the spiky look of the first 3rd edition books but I didn't hate it as much as many others did. I believe the style was quickly and dramatically toned down in follow-up books. I'm hot and cold on the individual artists. There are a few very good ones (<a href="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mmiii_gallery/82964.jpg" target="_blank">Wayne Reynolds</a>, <a href="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ue_gallery/49915.jpg" target="_blank">Raven Mimura</a>, <a href="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ue_gallery/49907.jpg" target="_blank">Matt Wilson </a> and <a href="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/rof_gallery/49758.jpg" target="_blank">Vinod Rams</a>) and many that are not so good (too many to name). My primary complaint is reserved for the art directors. With 3rd edition WotC did away with art depicting scenes focusing almost exclusively on illustrating individual people or items. For example, instead of showing a battle between a party and band of orcs we get an illustration of an Elf, or a Fighter, or a Mage, or a monster. ALONE. The subject is rarely doing anything. That's boring. Here and there we do get scenes but it's nowhere near as common as in previous editions. That doesn't inspire me. What does inspire me are scenes like the ones found in the 1st edition DMG of Emrikol the Chaotic galloping away on his horse while casting a spell at his pursuers. I want more of that. We have to remember that artists paint what they are told to paint not what they want to paint. Furthermore the art director tells the artist how to paint it, what it should look like and what style he's going for. The artists then tries his best to deliver what's been requested.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="johnnype, post: 3629675, member: 1944"] I never loved the spiky look of the first 3rd edition books but I didn't hate it as much as many others did. I believe the style was quickly and dramatically toned down in follow-up books. I'm hot and cold on the individual artists. There are a few very good ones ([URL=http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mmiii_gallery/82964.jpg]Wayne Reynolds[/URL], [URL=http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ue_gallery/49915.jpg]Raven Mimura[/URL], [URL=http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ue_gallery/49907.jpg]Matt Wilson [/URL] and [URL=http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/rof_gallery/49758.jpg]Vinod Rams[/URL]) and many that are not so good (too many to name). My primary complaint is reserved for the art directors. With 3rd edition WotC did away with art depicting [I]scenes[/I] focusing almost exclusively on illustrating individual people or items. For example, instead of showing a battle between a party and band of orcs we get an illustration of an Elf, or a Fighter, or a Mage, or a monster. ALONE. The subject is rarely [B]doing[/B] anything. That's boring. Here and there we do get scenes but it's nowhere near as common as in previous editions. That doesn't inspire me. What does inspire me are scenes like the ones found in the 1st edition DMG of Emrikol the Chaotic galloping away on his horse while casting a spell at his pursuers. I want more of that. We have to remember that artists paint what they are told to paint not what they want to paint. Furthermore the art director tells the artist how to paint it, what it should look like and what style he's going for. The artists then tries his best to deliver what's been requested. [/QUOTE]

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