D&D 4E FRCG 4E Cover Art

[TarionzCousin]

What is going on here? Who is this? Where is this? Did I miss a memo?

It looks cool and I have been wondering if this is reflecting an actual place/person/event in the 4E book.

 

[Klaus]

Here's the art description posted by WotC Art Director Jon Schindehette:

The front cover illo is a dynamic forced-perspective piece:
The front cover depicts a bird's-eye view of a FEMALE SHADE KNIGHT
riding on the back of a SHADOW DRAGON IN FLIGHT. Both of them are made
of translucent shadow (i.e., you can see through them), and it's very
important that we find an artist capable of doing this sort of
transparent effect. The dragon is wearing a black bridle, and the shade
knight is wearing a cloak over her armor. She grips the bridle with one
hand and holds aloft a gleaming longsword in the other. They are racing
up toward us, and the dragon's jaws are agape.
Behind the shade knight and its mount, we see the TOP of the CITY OF
SHADE, as if we're high in the sky looking down at it. The city is
built atop a gigantic floating rock, suspended above a dark sea. The
city's dark towers angle toward us, but they should still be relegated
to the background; consequently, most of the city can be hazy or
half-hidden by clouds. Also, the city and clouds should be lit in some
color, like orange, because the creatures in the foreground are dark.

 

[TarionzCousin]

I know the main characters in the image are dark, but I never would have guessed they were shades. Now I can see that the dragon's wing is somewhat translucent, but that's about it.

However, it is still a very cool work.

Thanks, Klaus.

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

I know the main characters in the image are dark, but I never would have guessed they were shades. Now I can see that the dragon's wing is somewhat translucent, but that's about it.

Looking at the printed cover, the shade's cloak and the dragon's tail are translucent, and the bridle and the dragon's neck and right arm are at least partially translucent. I had to look closely to see this, though. (Michael Komarck's art rocks, IMO.)

 

[jbear]

Yes this is a beautiful piece of art.

 

[Momeeche]

I like his art and his art style, but I think this is one of his weaker images. This may come from my dislike of FR4E, but this one simply does not work for me. The city of shade looks like a castle (so smaller, less threatening and less interesting - and here it looks uninhabited), the dragon is only partly transparent, and given the position of the viewer (well above city and above the dragon and rider) I don't get a feeling of menace from them.

 

[TarionzCousin]

The shade knight and rider are formatted as that shiny overlay like some of the 4E books. Looking at my hardcover, I think that detracts from the intended transparency of them.