tattoos, spikes, punk, and goth in D&D images?

[Olive]

I can't believe that the people who are complaining about modern 3e art being too anime are the same people who like 1e art. Look at Jeff Dee's 'Paladin' piece. That helmet is like something out of battle for the planet! And the jumpsuit!

But basically I thinkt he technical proficiency of modern artists blows away the 1e ones, which, havign looked at that thread, I find way too cartoony to be evocative in any way.

 

[buzz]

Sorry, buzz, I just can't take that seriously.

Indeed. Your smiley-fu is stronger than my own. I have brought shame upon my house...

 

[Lela]

The first thing my group does when someone tosses a new book the table is go through and look at the pictures. Usually it's just one person at a time but just about everyone does it. Eventually we all start making comments.

What we've really come down to is that there's very often a huge amount of detail left out of the images. Background, texture, equipment. It's just not there. Personally, it drives me nuts. There's so little emotion projected from those images. But when I run across a good one I know it.

Quasqueton: Take a look at Mystra in F&P. Normally, I don't care much about the spikes or basic outfit but that is definitally not how Mystra would dress. She has a personality that's been defined by multiple FR books. The books, incidentally, have described her outfits on occation. That's not it. Or anywhere close.
Now, she may one day be forced to subsume the Shaddow Weave into herself and there are several mentions of what that would do to her personality. That picture could easily represent that new her, should it ever come about.

 

[s/LaSH]

A question regarding the 'lack of background' critique:

Where are the iconic characters standing?

In front of a shining white castle that would put Disneyland to shame?

Upon the windswept wastes of a sunblighted, dying world?

By the King's Arms tavern?

In the creepy old woods, under the gaze of a thousand tiny eyes?

All of the above...?

Does lack of background stifle or stimulate imagination, and promote the creation of new worlds? And did the 3e dev team have this in mind when their ad campaign encouraged you to think outside the box?



A question regarding the assimilation of manga-inspired action and verve into illustrative style:

What do you look forward to describing in game?

Twelve days of trudging across the moors?

Ducking under a gnoll's halberd thrust, feeling it part your hair?

Standing with your back to a scenic vista, looking pretty?

Screaming defiance at the dragon?

Working late into the night in your lab, doing things that will never be used on an adventure?

Hitting the orc so hard he falls to the ground three times?

Odd-numbered options are old-school illustrations. Even-numbered options are things I tend to do in-game, and have noticed a distinct trend towards the portrayal thereof recently. Say what you will about WAR, action and energy are something I've always wanted in my campaigns.



I freely acknowledge that I'm using reducio ad absurdum here; it's my argumentative equivalent of a two-by-four with a nail in it (unsubtle and undiscriminating, but everyone takes notice). Not all my points are strictly accurate. But I do believe they're worth considering...

(And I love Caldwell's work.)

 

[Oni]

You guys might like to take a peek at this:

The Secord Files: Top 10 Greatest Pieces of 1st Edition Art
http://www.fierydragon.com/DB/DB_JUL09_2003.htm

Out of that whole list the only pics that spark any real interest in me are the Caldwell, and the Parkinson.

I'd heard so much about this Emirikol the Chaotic image, and had really built up an exciting picture in my head, and to finally see it is a real let down. It isn't at all the mysterious and exciting picture I keep hearing about. I think nostalgia is playing a large part here in the perception of quality and storytelling. Obviously this very much suits some peoples taste, but I'm very glad that the art of the game has moved away from this.

 

[rounser]

Altalazar, I sincerely hope you're not trying to argue that a picture of a frikkin' field is a better addition to a D&D book than what we have today.

Oh for goodness sake, now you're just being silly...some examples from 1E:

1) The adventurers peering greedily over a skull skirted chest in the MM next to the treasure tables.
2) The adventurers looking at a magic mouth in the PHB.
3) The troll winding up a ball of twine as it follows a hapless adventurer through a maze in the PHB.
4) The catoblepases (catoplebi? catoblepussies?) in the marsh which some adventurers are confronting in the PHB.
5) The theif mugging someone in the DMG.

What few setpieces the 3E books do have lack the atmosphere of these, and seem to be largely devoid of context and personality. YMMD.

 

[dreaded_beast]

For those of you who hate the 3E art, is there any recent artwork put out nowadays you DO like? And why all the anime bashing?

In my opinion, I think this thread is similar to the old "why my edition is better than your edition" thread. Just add "art" into the equation.

There are always going to be people who swear by the "good-ol-days" and who hate the newest thing that comes out, and vice-versa.

Live with it!

 

[kenjib]

For those of you who hate the 3E art, is there any recent artwork put out nowadays you DO like? And why all the anime bashing?

In my opinion, I think this thread is similar to the old "why my edition is better than your edition" thread. Just add "art" into the equation.

There are always going to be people who swear by the "good-ol-days" and who hate the newest thing that comes out, and vice-versa.

Live with it!

I like lots of the stuff coming from d20 publishers. It's mostly the WotC stuff that I've been addressing, really.

EDIT: And I mentioned Sardihna and Swekel from WotC as stuff I like, too.

 

[dreaded_beast]

I like lots of the stuff coming from d20 publishers. It's mostly the WotC stuff that I've been addressing, really.

EDIT: And I mentioned Sardihna and Swekel from WotC as stuff I like, too.

Cool, I'll have to check these artists out.

I could be wrong, my general feel was that many of the people who did not like the art from 3E, meant the art in general, including WoTC and other d20 publishers.

 

[SSquirrel]

Oh for goodness sake, now you're just being silly...some examples from 1E:

1) The adventurers peering greedily over a skull skirted chest in the MM next to the treasure tables.
2) The adventurers looking at a magic mouth in the PHB.
3) The troll winding up a ball of twine as it follows a hapless adventurer through a maze in the PHB.
4) The catoblepases (catoplebi? catoblepussies?) in the marsh which some adventurers are confronting in the PHB.
5) The theif mugging someone in the DMG.

What few setpieces the 3E books do have lack the atmosphere of these, and seem to be largely devoid of context and personality. YMMD.

I always did love that troll.

Well teh setpieces I see in the 3E books (don't have the 3.5) are things people have already said "oh that sucks!" like the punk orcs and elves fighting ina dungeon in the DMG. Personally I picture Lidda with the backfired magic item as having been either in combat and had it backfire or she was sneaking along an alley and needed to use it to get past someone. Granted the blown back hair and singes looks like something out of Looney Tunes, but I always loved that too so I'm kinda fine with that.

Hagen