D&D (2024) Here's The New 2024 Player's Handbook Wizard Art

 

[Timespike]

I mean, for a while the stereotypical wizard garb was dark-colored robes with stars on them, so I think evoking the night sky (and probably astrology) may be part of it?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

But I'm really intrigued about how the colour Blue has become associated with magic

Purely down to Disney’s Sword in the Stone IMO.

 

[Chaosmancer]

this is quite intriguing to me, especially as it relates to art symbolism and 'class' motif. I can certainly understand where our real world association of the colour white with light and divinity comes in, so can see how it invokes Cleric in ones mind (though I do note that Saruman the white exists*)

But I'm really intrigued about how the colour Blue has become associated with magic, a lot of wizard robes I recall have been blue (or purple as a variation). I wonder if its due to dark blues easily blending to black (putting them in diametric opposition to white clerical robes) or is it something else? the blending to black also works for Grey or that might be a Gandalf thing.

* (Gandalf the white is definitely invoking his angelic side however, so again Clerical white)

If I had to make a guess, it is because of Blue's association with intelligence and wisdom. Blue is the open sky and the deep ocean, so it has connections to deep thoughts and the idea of openness.

Additionally, the other "scholar" colors tend to get snapped up. Black goes to evil, green to nature, purple to royalty, white to pure divinity, gold to wealth and status. So blue ends up as kind of a middle ground.

 

[TwoSix]

If I had to make a guess, it is because of Blue's association with intelligence and wisdom. Blue is the open sky and the deep ocean, so it has connections to deep thoughts and the idea of openness.

Additionally, the other "scholar" colors tend to get snapped up. Black goes to evil, green to nature, purple to royalty, white to pure divinity, gold to wealth and status. So blue ends up as kind of a middle ground.

I think that's it. If white is goodness and purity, then black tends to get associated to opposition to that (see M:tG). Dark blue is near black, so it seems somewhat oppositional to white, like the arcane/divine divide is, but not directly antagonistic.

Plus red tends to default to passion and bloodlust, so calm reason, another cornerstone of the arcane archetype, would also tend to be associated to blue, which is red's opposite.

 

[CreamCloud0]

So, a question for anyone who found the thread image lacking in its representation of a ‘wizard’, how would you change this image, in as few ways as possible, to make it adequately present the concept of a wizard for your standards?

For myself I would take them out the air, have them be standing/walking in the library, engrossed in a book in one hand, in the other shrink down that spell bubble so it’s just surrounding their staff’s head(staff held in hand), make it look like they’re actually intentionally levitating the books rather than them being blown away or getting caught up in the spell or whatever, show that they have full control of them even as they’re doing the task absentmindedly, and yes, I would change the colour of their robes to a more classic blue.

I might try to patch together a vague representation of this tomorrow

 

[ezo]

how would you change this image, in as few ways as possible, to make it adequately present the concept of a wizard for your standards?

I posted in the AI thread here: D&D General - DALL·E 3 does amazing D&D art

Here is a screenshot of the results. I even kept the glasses, but tried to make them obviously magical, so any light in the eyes is due to the glasses. I tried to add some context to each. The later ones I removed the classes. And FYI, the one with the pointy hat as something I didn't even ask for LOL! Also, I never prompted anything as far as her body type goes, so we have some that are more robust and some that are less so.

I think this one might be my favorite one, but I like quite a few of them:

She looks sort of "ageless" to me. Like she might be younger or older, it is hard to tell. The setting, robes, colors, style feel more like wizard to me than sorcerer or warlock. The "spellbook", wand, and "controlled" spell effect also seem more like wizrd.

I think this image shows intelligence, wonder, elegance, gracefulness, control, and powerful potential. The use of lighting and shadows adds to the effect of mystery.

If it lacks anything particular to me, it is a "gritty factor" and borders on too clean.

 

[Tonguez]

I think that's it. If white is goodness and purity, then black tends to get associated to opposition to that (see M:tG). Dark blue is near black, so it seems somewhat oppositional to white, like the arcane/divine divide is, but not directly antagonistic.

Plus red tends to default to passion and bloodlust, so calm reason, another cornerstone of the arcane archetype, would also tend to be associated to blue, which is red's opposite.

I do think that's an excellent thesis, though it is ironic that in some traditions blues association with calm and tranquility would make it a Healing colour!

My culture would likely associate magic with Fire, thus making reds/yellow the go to colour for power displays.

But yep knowledge being of the endless sky and deep blue sea makes sense to me

 

[Tonguez]

I posted in the AI thread here: D&D General - DALL·E 3 does amazing D&D art

Here is a screenshot of the results. I even kept the glasses, but tried to make them obviously magical, so any light in the eyes is due to the glasses. I tried to add some context to each. The later ones I removed the classes. And FYI, the one with the pointy hat as something I didn't even ask for LOL! Also, I never prompted anything as far as her body type goes, so we have some that are more robust and some that are less so.

View attachment 356796

I think this one might be my favorite one, but I like quite a few of them:
View attachment 356797
She looks sort of "ageless" to me. Like she might be younger or older, it is hard to tell. The setting, robes, colors, style feel more like wizard to me than sorcerer or warlock. The "spellbook", wand, and "controlled" spell effect also seem more like wizrd.

I think this image shows intelligence, wonder, elegance, gracefulness, control, and powerful potential. The use of lighting and shadows adds to the effect of mystery.

If it lacks anything particular to me, it is a "gritty factor" and borders on too clean.

These are cool, although the 3rd one looks too much like Whoopi Goldburg lol

 

[Chaosmancer]

I posted in the AI thread here: D&D General - DALL·E 3 does amazing D&D art

Here is a screenshot of the results. I even kept the glasses, but tried to make them obviously magical, so any light in the eyes is due to the glasses. I tried to add some context to each. The later ones I removed the classes. And FYI, the one with the pointy hat as something I didn't even ask for LOL! Also, I never prompted anything as far as her body type goes, so we have some that are more robust and some that are less so.

View attachment 356796

I think this one might be my favorite one, but I like quite a few of them:
View attachment 356797
She looks sort of "ageless" to me. Like she might be younger or older, it is hard to tell. The setting, robes, colors, style feel more like wizard to me than sorcerer or warlock. The "spellbook", wand, and "controlled" spell effect also seem more like wizrd.

I think this image shows intelligence, wonder, elegance, gracefulness, control, and powerful potential. The use of lighting and shadows adds to the effect of mystery.

If it lacks anything particular to me, it is a "gritty factor" and borders on too clean.

A lot of the ones from your dump pic look bad to me, they might look better enlarged, but many of them are poorly laid out.

The one you picked as a favorite is fine though. She looks like a student to me, giving the image a sense of curiosity and discovery. That wand looks like it is growing out of her hand though, limitations of AI art. The issue with her face might be an AI art thing too, she looks... bored? Apathetic? It is just such an incredibly neutral facial expression, it kind of drains any potential energy from the picture. All of the energy of the entire picture is caught up in that swirl of magic, and nowhere else. But the library does give a sense of wizard and scholar to her.

 

[Jahydin]

I posted in the AI thread here: D&D General - DALL·E 3 does amazing D&D art

Honestly like these more...