Find the Anime Challenge

[Lonely Tylenol]

Part of me feels the opposite challenge would be met with similar silliness. Find me an image that has NO anime influence what so ever in any 3e product. I think just about every image could be argued has _some_ anime influence. Even some tiny part. The sword is too big, the armor spikes, something.
And as I'd be the judge, I'll be right.
-cpd

Only, the burden of proof would still be on you, because you're the one making the positive claim.

 

[TwinBahamut]

I'm not sure where your impression about the "posing" comes from...the lack of "movement lines"? Those are paintings, not computer-colored and enhanced drawings, so they do have different components in their make-up. The companions in the first picture (the Gandalf-clone is Elminster, if I got that correctly) are staring at the first-ever mentioned Spellfire wielder slugging the dracolich with eldritch fire. The "horned fighter" (I think that's supposed to be a young Sturm Brightblade) seems to be staring at the axe of his opponent, at least that's how it looks to me. And the only one who's looking at the viewer is Goldmoon in the "White Dragon attack" picture, probably because the viewer is supposed to feel like he's part of the action, not an outside viewer...like, you know, being a character in the adventure this scene is taken from.

Just my opinion, of course...with artwork, that's always so difficult to agree on.

What I mean is that the guy in the horned helmet looks like he is in a wide-armed dancing pose (my brother compared it to a broadway musical pose), as if the bard in the background had cast Otto's Irresistable Dance upon him, and he is looking of to the side, begging the unseen party mage to dispell it before the big guy's axe hit its mark. Either that, or he can't decide whether he want's to block or attack, and instead just kinda prepares to do both while letting the axe guy get a free hit in.

The dracolich picture has the fighter staring off to the left, making a "cool stance" pose, in a way which seems completely unrelated to the battle against the dracolich. He is neither helping his allies, nor interacting with the dragon. He is behind the wizard, just standing in the center of the image trying to look cool. Don't get me started on how much I hate that overdone wierd "double pointy finger" spellcasting pose...

Half the people in the ice dragon image look like they are just going to fall flat on their faces in the next few seconds.

The "minotaurs and magic spears" image has all kinds of oddities, and certainly doesn't seem like the character is fighting, but is instead just standing there.

The "sword vs. staff" just has two people in poses which are slightly off, so much so that I can't figure out what is going on between them. The intention is that it looks lik their weapons are clashing, but in reality they are just kinda posing with their weapons touching, with no indication that either one is putting any force into thier weapons.

The oriental image is particularly problematic, because it is a "ride by attack" image in which neither character is actually beginning an attack at the other. The samurai is in a classic ready posture, not actually attacking, and he isn't even geared to attack the side the ninja is on. It looks like the two are content to pose at each other while the samurai just rides by.

As a whole, the artist seems to rely too much on photographs of static poses as his models for his paintings, and merely splices together an action sequence out of a bunch of unrelated static poses. There is no real attempt to actually study or portray the motion or collision of people in actual conflict. That is pretty sloppy and lazy, which is a shame, since otherwise the artist's technical aptitude is pretty good.

 

[Geron Raveneye]

What I mean is that the guy in the horned helmet looks like he is in a wide-armed dancing pose (my brother compared it to a broadway musical pose), as if the bard in the background had cast Otto's Irresistable Dance upon him, and he is looking of to the side, begging the unseen party mage to dispell it before the big guy's axe hit its mark. Either that, or he can't decide whether he want's to block or attack, and instead just kinda prepares to do both while letting the axe guy get a free hit in.

The dracolich picture has the fighter staring off to the left, making a "cool stance" pose, in a way which seems completely unrelated to the battle against the dracolich. He is neither helping his allies, nor interacting with the dragon. He is behind the wizard, just standing in the center of the image trying to look cool. Don't get me started on how much I hate that overdone wierd "double pointy finger" spellcasting pose...

Half the people in the ice dragon image look like they are just going to fall flat on their faces in the next few seconds.

The "minotaurs and magic spears" image has all kinds of oddities, and certainly doesn't seem like the character is fighting, but is instead just standing there.

The "sword vs. staff" just has two people in poses which are slightly off, so much so that I can't figure out what is going on between them. The intention is that it looks lik their weapons are clashing, but in reality they are just kinda posing with their weapons touching, with no indication that either one is putting any force into thier weapons.

The oriental image is particularly problematic, because it is a "ride by attack" image in which neither character is actually beginning an attack at the other. The samurai is in a classic ready posture, not actually attacking, and he isn't even geared to attack the side the ninja is on. It looks like the two are content to pose at each other while the samurai just rides by.

As a whole, the artist seems to rely too much on photographs of static poses as his models for his paintings, and merely splices together an action sequence out of a bunch of unrelated static poses. There is no real attempt to actually study or portray the motion or collision of people in actual conflict. That is pretty sloppy and lazy, which is a shame, since otherwise the artist's technical aptitude is pretty good.

Heh...you just broadhandedly rolled three different artists into one, and called them all sloppy and lazy. Funny...I'm curious now, did, or did you not, recognize you're dealing with three different artistic styles there?

I'm afraid I was hijacking Hussar's thread, so I apologize and stop continuing this topic here. Sorry if I derailed it too much.

 

[TwinBahamut]

Heh...you just broadhandedly rolled three different artists into one, and called them all sloppy and lazy. Funny...I'm curious now, did, or did you not, recognize you're dealing with three different artistic styles there?

I'm afraid I was hijacking Hussar's thread, so I apologize and stop continuing this topic here. Sorry if I derailed it too much.

Well, yes, I had assumed they were all from the same artist. They seemed similar enough in style. I am not familiar with those artists, and those pieces of art came from earlier versions of D&D than what I played.

My criticisms still stand. I guess it is just a complaint about a more widespread problem than just the flaws of a single artist's style, then. Poor choice of models/references and flawed combination of poses is an easy trap to fall prey to as an artist, after all. I've seen better artists make worse choices.

I'm also sorry for the derail. I guess I just needed a brief outlet for talking about D&D art other than the endless anime-influence debate...

 

[Rangoric]

Just something I noticed.

Just because its cell shaded does not make it anime. I saw a few pictures above called definitly anime that are only called so because they are (sometimes partially) cell shaded.

 

[Aus_Snow]

I've yet to see any undeniable evidence of an anime influence in 3e art.

And, for the record, I am neither a fan of anime (at all) nor a devoted fan of 3e art (generally). I'm not so keen on the Reynolds stuff, usually. There are certain artists whose work I loath. And so on.

So, sure, it would've been kinda neat if there was evidence like that, from which I could launch/join some fully justified crusade. But no. I'm **** outta luck. Ah well.

 

[Maggan]

Of course, they are not quite as "in your face" as the Reynolds action shots

What brought me to D&D in the first place was Larry Elmore's classic from the Red Basic Set.

It was the "in your face attitude" of the piece that made me get all excited about D&D, and I rank it higher than any other D&D piece of art.

http://www.acaeum.com/ddindexes/setpages/setscans/basic12th.html

/M

 

[Geron Raveneye]

What brought me to D&D in the first place was Larry Elmore's classic from the Red Basic Set.

It was the "in your face attitude" of the piece that made me get all excited about D&D, and I rank it higher than any other D&D piece of art.

http://www.acaeum.com/ddindexes/setpages/setscans/basic12th.html

/M

Incidentally, I wonder if one could make a case for the gold dragon design to be influenced by anime.

But I'm with you there on that cover...even though I don't really feel it's so much in MY face and rather in the fighter's face. In "my face" is something like this...

...where I don't feel like I'm supposed to be the hero in the picture, but rather the victim.

 

[Relique du Madde]

...where I don't feel like I'm supposed to be the hero in the picture, but rather the victim.

Unless that rogue rolled high initiative, chances are he'll fall to his death before he can make a point blank shot.

 

[Klaus]

What I mean is that the guy in the horned helmet looks like he is in a wide-armed dancing pose (my brother compared it to a broadway musical pose), as if the bard in the background had cast Otto's Irresistable Dance upon him, and he is looking of to the side, begging the unseen party mage to dispell it before the big guy's axe hit its mark. Either that, or he can't decide whether he want's to block or attack, and instead just kinda prepares to do both while letting the axe guy get a free hit in.

The dracolich picture has the fighter staring off to the left, making a "cool stance" pose, in a way which seems completely unrelated to the battle against the dracolich. He is neither helping his allies, nor interacting with the dragon. He is behind the wizard, just standing in the center of the image trying to look cool. Don't get me started on how much I hate that overdone wierd "double pointy finger" spellcasting pose...

Half the people in the ice dragon image look like they are just going to fall flat on their faces in the next few seconds.

The "minotaurs and magic spears" image has all kinds of oddities, and certainly doesn't seem like the character is fighting, but is instead just standing there.

The "sword vs. staff" just has two people in poses which are slightly off, so much so that I can't figure out what is going on between them. The intention is that it looks lik their weapons are clashing, but in reality they are just kinda posing with their weapons touching, with no indication that either one is putting any force into thier weapons.

The oriental image is particularly problematic, because it is a "ride by attack" image in which neither character is actually beginning an attack at the other. The samurai is in a classic ready posture, not actually attacking, and he isn't even geared to attack the side the ninja is on. It looks like the two are content to pose at each other while the samurai just rides by.

As a whole, the artist seems to rely too much on photographs of static poses as his models for his paintings, and merely splices together an action sequence out of a bunch of unrelated static poses. There is no real attempt to actually study or portray the motion or collision of people in actual conflict. That is pretty sloppy and lazy, which is a shame, since otherwise the artist's technical aptitude is pretty good.

Your criticisms would be valid if they weren't SO wrong.

The fighter in the first image is turned a bit more than sideways, and his eyeballs indicate that he's looking at the elf magic-user. He is "behind the wizard"? You can judge by the wizard's reaction that everyone (except the elf) were surprised by the dracolich, so the fighter was actually at the front of the party. And "overdone wierd "double pointy finger" spellcasting pose"? You do realize we have somatic components to represent exactly this kind of thing, right?

In the "ice dragon image", you do realize the people "about to fall" are on a boat skimming over ice at high speed, and that said boat was just hit by a gargantuan white dragon. The "about to fall" poses are reactions to the impact.

The "minotaurs and magic spears" (actually, a staff): standing there? Can't you see the lines of magic energy surging up from the staff and crashing down on the front minotaur's shield like a wave? And the back minotaur is warily (and angrily) circling the wizard to find an opening.

In "sword vs. staff", the snow and hair of the fighter are indicative of his movement. If you take a picture of two people clashing their weapons, you'd end up with a picture of two people with their weapons touching. It's not an animated gif.