Eberron Art Gallery

[MDSnowman]

I talk quite a bit of trash about the comic style openings to the chapters but even I adore two of them.

Is it a bad sign that they're both by the same artist? :\

 

[Michael Tree]

The comic book art is growing on me. Seeing them posted here helped me appreciate them more, and I think I've figured out why: They're not scaled right to be full-page illustrations. Virtually all illustraion is drawn larger and then reduced in size before printing, and IMO these pictures weren't reduced enough. As a result, the artwork looks rougher and sketchier than it is, and some of the dynamism is lost.

It's all about flavour, and a monochrome sepia photograph oozes more flavour than the latest high-resolution digital sterescopic life imaging (um, super colour photo, if you will) in the right place.

While I agree about the flavor of sepia, IMO the main reason why so many of the sepia sketches look better than the color final product is that the color was done badly, not that they were color. For example, the airship, the Sharn tower, and the Aernal city of the dead are all gorgeous, but the cathedral of the silver flame picture isn't as nice. Not because it's in color, but because the coloration was (IMO) crudely done, and obscured the detail in the original sketch.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I talk quite a bit of trash about the comic style openings to the chapters but even I adore two of them.

<pictures snipped>

Is it a bad sign that they're both by the same artist? :\

That's funny. Those are the exact same two comic spreads that I liked more than the others as well. Again, probably because they're not the Mignola style.

Incidentally, I've found myself wishing I had one of those programs that rotates wallpaper on your desktop. I've got several pics from Eberron expanded to full-screen size, and I can't decide which to go with!

 

[clark411]

Have to say that's some pretty stuff. I don't know if I could run a game in Eberron (don't have the book for starters), but as a previously ambivalent-yet-still-potential-customer, I gotta say there seems to be a lot of brain candy to be yoinked.

I can see entire campaigns set in the "train city," and some of the enormous monuments like the head in the mountain range, and the dragon busts coming out of the water definitely are inspiring.

 

[Oni]

For the most part I was very impressed with art that went into this book. I think it's the best that's come from WotC in quite some time.

Personally I think the comic style work is nice, especially the Mignola-esqe stuff. I don't think some of the people commenting on the quality realize the amount of effort goes into a comic page, it's not just something an artist knocks off in hour or two.

Not everybody likes the same things and for some people the comic book style artwork isn't their cup of tea, but acting like it's subpar or an injustice to other artists to have to be shown with it just isn't right.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Anyone else reminded of the Klingon Homeworld when they look at the City of the Dead?

AAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!! African Elven Aztec Klingons from Beyond the Grave!!!

 

[Ibram]

I realy did enjoy the art when I flipped through the book last week. This is the best illustrated book produced by WotC (the style is 10x better then the "buckle madness" usualy used by WotC). And I loved the comic book pannels (Big Hellboy and manga fan).

Still not going to buy it though, despite the good art and writting the campaign setting is just to far removed from what I enjoy running for me to shell out 40$.

 

[Olorin]

This is my favorite:

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/eb_gallery/82131.jpg

It just evokes emptiness, mystery, wonder. I love it.

 

[Oni]

In my little mini rant I forgot to talk about which pieces really stood out for me.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/eb_gallery/82079.jpg

This was my favorite piece in the entire gallery, I think the use of blacks is absolutely marvelous and I think it does one of the most important things in a successful illustration better than any other image in the gallery, that is it conveys a story. I was very impressed with Tomm Coker's work overall.

I love the look and finish of Steve Prescott's work, his character and costume design is quite excellent. All of his characters have just that, character. I only wish his work here was more situational instead of just figures.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/eb_gallery/82166.jpg

This one also gets special mention just because I just love the energy and design of it. Of all the critters in the gallery this is the one that really made me go "oh crap, that thing looks scary." It's not that it's the most grotesque or frightning looking creature there, but the artist did a great job of getting across the message that this thing is about to barrel into something or someone and rip and pound it to pieces. In short it's got something that a lot of the MM style pics are missing, action.

 

[Kai Lord]

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/eb_gallery/82166.jpg

This one also gets special mention just because I just love the energy and design of it. Of all the critters in the gallery this is the one that really made me go "oh crap, that thing looks scary."

Wow you aren't kidding. Too bad it didn't end up in the final book! That and the Ninja Scroll drow picture (which also didn't make the cut) are just awesome.