FWIW, In the old OLD days of the Dragon, we had the cover art framed by solid yellow (or some other color). The quality didn't match today's art (or maybe I just have a crappy issue!), Phil Foglio's painted covers being a definite exception.
I like the new Dragon look, since I prefer having an indication of a magazine's contents on it's cover. I think it sets the magazine's tone as playful and fun. Thumbs up.
To be fair, I love the art direction of 3e in general.