Post your Top 20 D&D Illustrations of All Time!

[Upper_Krust]

Hey Russ!

This thread has made it clear to me that I definitely prefer the art to depict normal looking people rather than superheroes with 12-ft swords.

Isn't that basically a textbook difference between say an Heroic Tier and an Epic Tier though?

For me the exaggerated style of someone like Wayne Reynolds is the perfect fit for epic campaigns whereas Jeff Easley at his bombastic best fits the Paragon tier while perhaps Larry Elmore's approach is perfect for a Heroic Tier illustration.

Incidently I'm compiling my own list but I'm only on 12 so far.

 

[Scribble]

Hey Russ!



Isn't that basically a textbook difference between say an Heroic Tier and an Epic Tier though?

For me the exaggerated style of someone like Wayne Reynolds is the perfect fit for epic campaigns whereas Jeff Easley at his bombastic best fits the Paragon tier while perhaps Larry Elmore's approach is perfect for a Heroic Tier illustration.

Incidently I'm compiling my own list but I'm only on 12 so far.

I don't know if I agree... I think it's possible to portray "god like" abilities without it feeling hyper exaggerated.

 

[Scribble]

How can you be a teenage boy and NOT like this painting by Caldwell?

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hey there Scribble!

I don't know if I agree... I think it's possible to portray "god like" abilities without it feeling hyper exaggerated.

I agree with you that its possible (albeit tricky). I'm simply stating that the hyper-exaggerated style suits epic level play better than it suits lower level play.

For me, the most godlike portrayal within D&D happened on the cover of 1st Edition Legends & Lore. There was nothing exaggerated about that painting of Odin but it was intrinsically 'godly'.

 

[JohnSnow]

Full disclosure, I tend to favor Elmore and the older stuff over more recent. But I've liked some of WR's work a lot.

My list:

1. Elmore's Dragonslayers

2. Elmore's Deadlock

3. Elmore's Avalyne the Lifegiver

4. Emirikol the Chaotic (1e DMG)
5. A Paladin in Hell (1e PHB)
6. Komarck's The Caves of Chaos

7. Wayne Reynolds' City of Sharn

8. It was a Green Ronin piece, but I loved Reynolds' Freeport

9. Elmore's Dwarven Kingdoms of Krynn

10. Darkwalker on Moonshae

11. Strahd. 'nuff said.
12. Foster's Lidda

13. This one, although I don't know the artist.

14. My favorite Jeff Easley piece

15. My second favorite of his:

16. The cover for Monster Manual II
17. Elmore's Dragon from the Red Box.
18. Cities of Mystery: another Elmore piece...

19. The elf and dwarf in the tavern, from the 2e PHB.
20. And of course the 1e PHB cover.

And a couple that aren't from D&D, but which I like nonetheless.

 

[KesselZero]

Say what you want about the man, Wayne Reynolds does the BEST gnolls. The ones on the updated 4e DM's screen make me feel all tingly.

 

[Invisible Stalker]

In no order....

rust monster

DMG

papers and paychecks

backscratcher

Players Handbook cover

Paladin visits New Jersey

Basic box

MINE!

Acererak is going down!

maybe not...

and the Invisible Stalker

 

[I'm A Banana]

Aasimar (she looks ready for adventure!):

Factol Darius (love the folds of that robe!):

Taking a short breath:

Something weird about her:

Is...is it alive?

<3 spikey armor:

A simple image of smoggy rooftops:

Wouldn't want to meet her in a dark alley:

She's so calm when she's crafting instruments of execution:

Sigil Style

A little scared, a little confused, but ready nonetheless!

"How do I get dressed in the morning? With magic, you simpleton."

"I am the wrath of nature."

I generally like the scenes better than the individual characters, but I do like these individual characters.

 

[ExploderWizard]

13. This one, although I don't know the artist.

This a classic Dragon Magazine cover from the great Daniel R. Horne.
I love his stuff.

 

[Scribble]

[MENTION=32164]JohnSnow[/MENTION] get out of my head man! I think the majority of what you posted is on my top 20!

I guess it doesn't hurt that I am also an Elmore fan...

I think this one in particular has always been one of my top favorites. It's an example of what I like in my D&D art. It's so simply, yet it gets my mind rolling about what's going on.

Who are the kids? What happens next... Do they fall for the trick, like naive kids, or are they smart enough to avoid him? Is this their first trip to the big city? Are they destined to end up dead or penniless on their first day in town? What's the city around them sound like? Where does that road lead?