MeepoTheMighty
First Post
Furn_Darkside said:
Art is necessary in creating a mood for a book, a feeling that makes you *want* to read it. I've got plenty of appliance manuals, I'd rather not play a GAME that reminds me of one.
[ELH] Is the art in this book utter crap?
- Thread starter gfunk
- Start date
Art is necessary in creating a mood for a book, a feeling that makes you *want* to read it. I've got plenty of appliance manuals, I'd rather not play a GAME that reminds me of one.
Furn_Darkside
First Post
MeepoTheMighty said:
heh, I have this type of argument with an artist buddy of mine.
The writing sets the mood.
That is why the novels I read and treasure don't need pictures.
FD
Last edited:
ColonelHardisson
What? Me Worry?
The Sigil said:The thing that bugs me about 3e art is the preponderance of spikes...
Dang, I'm about two years too late on that one.
--The Sigil
Yeah, it's deja vu all over again, man!
ColonelHardisson
What? Me Worry?
Furn_Darkside said:
I agree with you to some extent. I do think that there is way too much art in current RPG books. The fact that color is used - while very nice - simply makes the books more expensive. I do like some art, but I like actual usable content more. While I can use pictures in my game, too often the art is not appropriate to what I would need it for. But, many others love having art, and seem to find use for it, so I can live with it.
MeepoTheMighty
First Post
Furn_Darkside said:
Aye, but an RPG book is a much different creature than a novel. You can't devote hundreds of pages to character development and plot intricacies in a game manual, it just doesn't work.
Maybe I'm not old-fashioned enough, but I'd be sorely disappointed if I bought a game book and it didn't have any artwork. I was disappointed that the PHB didn't have MORE artwork, I really miss some of the full-page color paintings that used to grace the pages of the older materials.
Furn_Darkside
First Post
MeepoTheMighty said:
*chuckle* I guess we both can be grateful that it is the way it is- instead of to the other's extreme. haha.
I wonder how much concern the publishers put into the decision.
FD
reiella
Explorer
I didn't like the art in the ELH for the most part.
The Monsters were generally ok (Paragon Mindflayer was a bit eeh).
Mialee really looked alot better in the 'high level' picture of her in the DMG than the ELH rendition.
Tordek looks great though, the Improved Whirlwind is actually my favorite art in there, since it's about the only thing to give a nice 'over the top' rendition of a whirlwind.
The Monsters were generally ok (Paragon Mindflayer was a bit eeh).
Mialee really looked alot better in the 'high level' picture of her in the DMG than the ELH rendition.
Tordek looks great though, the Improved Whirlwind is actually my favorite art in there, since it's about the only thing to give a nice 'over the top' rendition of a whirlwind.
Now that I've returned home and leafed through the ELH again, here are some pictures I find particularly bad:
1) Arcane Archer (p. 11) -- blehhh . . . it just looks so . . . yellow
2) Paladin on horse (p. 43) -- shouldn't there be a Wringling Brothers sign on the horse?
3) Giant-thingie being pelted with arrows (p. 70) -- what the hell is this? Could anyone please tell me what this picture has to do with anything? Other than being crappy, I mean...
4) Primal Fire and Earth elementals (p. 188) -- hmmm . . . looks the artist wasn't trying too hard with these. Esp. the fire elemntal (he could've at least given it eyes!)
1) Arcane Archer (p. 11) -- blehhh . . . it just looks so . . . yellow
2) Paladin on horse (p. 43) -- shouldn't there be a Wringling Brothers sign on the horse?
3) Giant-thingie being pelted with arrows (p. 70) -- what the hell is this? Could anyone please tell me what this picture has to do with anything? Other than being crappy, I mean...
4) Primal Fire and Earth elementals (p. 188) -- hmmm . . . looks the artist wasn't trying too hard with these. Esp. the fire elemntal (he could've at least given it eyes!)
Anabstercorian
First Post
This is what I imagine what the Epic Assasin should have looked like.
A massive warrior, holding a bastard sword glowing with arcane fire and a shield ensconced with runes. He's raising his sword for a killing blow, the light gleaming off of his shimmering reflective plate mail, the only visible chink a razor thin eyeslit.
The epic assassin is standing in front of him, wearing a cloak woven of shadow and a mask of darkness, casually shoving a red stilletto through that eyeslit. Poison drips from the blade.
This is what I imagine the Epic Loremaster should look like.
A Solar, armed with a weapon forged by the hands of the Eldest Good, girded in armor drawn from the heart of the sun, eyes blazing with knowledge incalculable.
He is borrowing a tome from the Loremaster, who sits, calm, fat, and unimaginably wise, in the midst of her Demiplane of Books.
This is what I imagine the Paragon Illithid should look like.
A warrior of the dwarves, proud and strong, a defender of his people against the horrors of the underdark, prepared to strike down any foe, no matter how potent - So strong is his defense. Epic Tordek, basically.
The Illithid, wearing substare plate armor, is calmly eating his brains as the dwarf lolls helpless against the cave wall. It's messy.
A massive warrior, holding a bastard sword glowing with arcane fire and a shield ensconced with runes. He's raising his sword for a killing blow, the light gleaming off of his shimmering reflective plate mail, the only visible chink a razor thin eyeslit.
The epic assassin is standing in front of him, wearing a cloak woven of shadow and a mask of darkness, casually shoving a red stilletto through that eyeslit. Poison drips from the blade.
This is what I imagine the Epic Loremaster should look like.
A Solar, armed with a weapon forged by the hands of the Eldest Good, girded in armor drawn from the heart of the sun, eyes blazing with knowledge incalculable.
He is borrowing a tome from the Loremaster, who sits, calm, fat, and unimaginably wise, in the midst of her Demiplane of Books.
This is what I imagine the Paragon Illithid should look like.
A warrior of the dwarves, proud and strong, a defender of his people against the horrors of the underdark, prepared to strike down any foe, no matter how potent - So strong is his defense. Epic Tordek, basically.
The Illithid, wearing substare plate armor, is calmly eating his brains as the dwarf lolls helpless against the cave wall. It's messy.
rackabello
First Post
I like Hennet's look if not his outfit. I just can't understand how he got so buff. I mean, he's pretty ripped for a guy with 8 Str.Flexor the Mighty! said:
I have to disagree here. Love the ring of slaughtered Vrocks, but i don't get the sense of motion the artist (Wayne Reynolds, was it?) is trying for. It'd like to see Tordek at the very end of his swing, a figure of deadly calm, having slain a half dozen foes before the first has even hit the ground.reiella said:
I'm probably the odd one out here, but I miss Errol Otus. He was no great shakes at drawing the human(oid) form, but if ever there was dripping ichor or strange cave fungus to be drawn, Errol was your man. I hated him when I was young, but I've come to really like his instantly recognizable style.SamB said:
As for the topic of the thread, some of the ELH is brilliant, some is lousy. and aside from a few fairly obvious duds (Epic Standing on a Horse While Waving a Sword) what's lousy and what's brilliant is probably different for each of us.
I'm just bummed that there's no illustration for the Epic Escape Artist: "You can pass through spaces smaller than your head..."
