Draconomicon art gallery

[Gez]

Oh yeah, another thing that confused me. Dragonnel. It's a weird dracogiraffantelop.

Before, it looked rather like a pteranodon. What gives?

 

[Olive]

I actually am not that fussed aboutt he art, except for the sketched heads that go with the discussions of the specific dragon types. Overall I'm a wee bit disappointed, given the way it was being promoted. But I'm not disapointed with the book as a whole at all!

 

[Psion]

I like the dragon type/growth pages by Sardinha and Spencer.

I really miss Swekel for the chapter-header pages though. The new artists they have tapped for the task just don't cut it.

 

[Psion]

Overall, the art is amazing, but... Who's that Dennis Crabapple guy? Is he Dennis Cramer renamed ? It sure looks a whole like Cramer's job.

Google reveals:
Dennis Crabapple McClain is well known as an illustrator, artist and writer. Under the name of Dennis Cramer, he created his popular series about Mara, a powerful and lusty Celtic beauty.

Incidentally, this Mara looks like BoEF fodder if you look at the covers. I am unsurprised this comes from the person who was crying about how repressed he was with criticism was raised over the infamous "gory halfling" pic.

And I don't like Cramer's style.

Nor do I. Get Swekel back. Kick Cramer to the curb.

 

[Desdichado]

Hm I was hoping for more Lockwood/Sam Wood art as well. As it is, Lockwood only gets a handful of art pieces and Sam Wood... he's not even in it. Now even though I'd like the book to be art just by them, since that wasn't going to happen, I'd at least like to see a good amount of the art done by them.
However, the art still looks good, Ron Spencer, Richard Sardhina, and Lars Grant West really pull out some good pieces.

Sam Wood is in it. They repeat one or two of his Monsters of Faerun pieces, and he drew about half of the pencil drawings during the "dragon by type" section near the beginning. Lockwood drew the other half.

 

[Gez]

I really miss Swekel for the chapter-header pages though. The new artists they have tapped for the task just don't cut it.

Me too. I liked the overwhelming majority of his chapterhead. When I saw the chapterheads of the BOED, it was a real laydown. For once, I was happy they were partly hidden by text and low contrast.

Those in the Draconomicon are not as poor as the BOED's ones, but only the first (with the blue dragon and the copist monk) is really good.

 

[Pants]

Sam Wood is in it. They repeat one or two of his Monsters of Faerun pieces, and he drew about half of the pencil drawings during the "dragon by type" section near the beginning. Lockwood drew the other half.

Really? I didn't see his name in the art gallery so I just assumed the worst...

I think it really sucks that Swekel is getting kicked to the curb as it were. I always thought of him as the staple 3e artist.

 

[Desdichado]

Yeah, for whatever reason those pencil drawings aren't in the art gallery. They include, IMO, some of the best art in the book, though.

And I like Spencer's Red and Gold dragons tremendously as well. I've been a Ron Spencer fan ever since my Werewolf days, though.

 

[Piratecat]

This is fun to see! From his web site:

 

[Ferret]

I don't like his art either, I didn't like his art in Savage specises either.

I love the other work, the pyroclastic is the best one I reckon, but all the rest is very good.