Vote for your Favorite D&D Artist [World Championship Edition] LOCKWOOD vs. ELMORE!!!

[Mercule]

Don't forget that Todd Lockwood defined the art style of third edition.

Which is the best reason I can think of to _not_ vote for him.

 

[Mercule]

As for who is D&D... I would say Swekel. The chapterheads are my favorite illos in the WotC hardcover, and when they get Arnie to create "regular" illos, they are gorgeous.

Absolutely agree. The chapterheads are about the only art in 3E that gets me to stop and say, "Wow!" The feel just matches the whole "tome" look so perfectly.

And the picture of Alhandra on the cover of the ELH is the only picture I've seen of her that doesn't completely turn me off. I'm not sure if it's Swekel -- it's not signed -- but it's the same style. I don't know why, but my normal reaction to Alhandra is about as negative as most people are to Hennet -- I think it's the Grace Jones hair.

 

[Tiefling]

The chapter heads would have been a lot better if WotC hadn't made the artist put in all those random circles and lines. Otherwise they're certainly very good, but my favorite is Richard Sardinha. Out of these two, though, I voted for Lockwood.

 

[Vrylakos]

No doubt Lockwood is good. But Elmore is D&D. Elmore's pictures sets my imagination going and makes me want to play D&D. Lockwood's doesn't - good as they are.

Really, all the arguing about artists is a bit pointless as taste is taste, but I wanted to note that your feelings above are mine exactly, but with the artist's names reversed.

I respect Elmore's work, but Lockwood just seemed much more fresh. Elmore's work would not have gotten me back into D&D.

Vrylakos

 

[beta-ray]

Sadly there is no third choice, which is neither. Both artists are good, but neither are my FAVORITE. I did vote for Lockwood because for the most part a lot of his work looks more finished, and I really don't like Elmore's palette.

 

[D'karr]

The only thing that I don't like about Elmore's art is that a great number of the women he draws all look the same.

It reminds me of some of the miniatures sculpted by Sandra Garrity. It looks like there are 10 interchangeable heads, which mostly look the same.

Both Lockwood and Elmore are great artists. This is a tough decision but I went with Lockwood.

 

[kenjib]

However, I think that Lockwood's images are far more flexible and powerful than Elmore's (more the case since I think Elmore's works have deteriorated drastically since the mid 90s).

You really think he's deteriorated? Take a look at these recent works for Sovereign Stone. IMO they are much, much, better than the samples posted earlier in this thread.

http://www.larryelmore.com/LarryElmore/ZGallery/Color/zzPages/CrimsonDawn.html
http://www.larryelmore.com/LarryElmore/ZGallery/Color/zzPages/CloseCombat.html
http://www.larryelmore.com/LarryElmore/ZGallery/Color/zzPages/ShadamehrEnountersBaak.html

The way that horse is skittering across the dusty ground in the first one is just great. The color also comes across much better on the cover of the Sov Stone campaign setting so I'm not sure what happened in the scan.

I think Lockwood has better technique, but I really don't like his particular anachronisms. Elmore has them too (80's hair) but it doesn't bother me as much. I also don't like how Elmore's women's eyes are too big. In the end, though, I'm so incredibly sick of regurgitated "X-treme Gen X" marketting tactics (and I'm pretty much spot-on in the target demographic) that Lockwood gets on my nerves.

Hehe - neither one is my favorite artist, but Elmore is the lesser of evils for me.

The chapter heads would have been a lot better if WotC hadn't made the artist put in all those random circles and lines. Otherwise they're certainly very good, but my favorite is Richard Sardinha. Out of these two, though, I voted for Lockwood.

Woo hoo! Finally someone else likes Sardinha. All of the best pics in the monster manual are the ones he did.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

Lockwood....

I dig the harsh and gritty. Lockwood also seems to have a much better grasp of light.

 

[Ranger REG]

Lockwood, Reynolds, Stawicki may define 3e...

But Elmore, Parkinson, Caldwell, Brom... these artists define Dungeons & Dragons for all time.

 

[Bagpuss]

I find generally Elmore's picture really flat, all of them seem to be shot in prefect lighting conditions. That one with the blue dragon and three figures (from Dragonlance) really shows this up, its such a boring composition, and uninteresting positioned figures. Look at the lighting, they have long shadows so the sun is obviously far off to the left and yet the right side of the armoured figure is hardly in shadow at all.

Saying that it not a great example of his work but it does demonstrate what I don't like about a lot of his pictures.

My votes for Lockwood because he generally has good composition, dramatic poses for the characters and better handling of light.