What do you find most Magical about 3E/3.5 art?

[Prince of Happiness]

What are the things that you like best about 3E art?

The monsters, there's no doubt. As a 99% DM, the new art has really jump-started my descriptions and ideas about how the beasties act. As comparison, I like when WotC does the Alumni articles and puts old art next to their new versions, really shows how far the game's ascetics have come.

As for Mialee, I like her. A little 'off'? Here and there I suppose, but I felt it was to envoke the fact she wasn't just a human in elf-ear makeup. And different artists do her different levels of justice. This pic is really cool IMO!

-DM Jeff

Ehh...She still looks human enough, but still "off" regardless. I think it's the mannish broad forehead and the pug nose.

 

[Turjan]

Mialee isn't beautiful, IMO. Really, I think her head is shaped weird.

Be careful what you say. She might hear it and knock you out!

 

[Pants]

Different perspective here, but.... maybe Mialee isn't supposed to be pretty, maybe she's supposed to be butt-ugly. I guess that doesn't help the pics where she looks like a mutant, but w/e.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I am not a fan of 3e art, for the most part.

Some of the character designs are very detailed and elaborate, but more often than not, that's all you get. Just a person (or monster) floating in the text. It lacks context and therefore real action. However on the almost exact opposite side, I find myself really liking the art that just shows the scenery, like in a lot of the Eberron books and the Fiendish Codex I.

I do love the charcoal-shaded work that Necromancer Games often uses.

On the whole, I miss the works of Elmore, Easley, Caldwell, and the like. The art itself could inspire and tell a story.

 

[Gentlegamer]

Be careful what you say. She might hear it and knock you out!

That's not a woman! That's a man, baby!

 

[Dragonhelm]

That's not a woman! That's a man, baby!

She does have quite the Adam's apple!

 

[Nyaricus]

She does have quite the Adam's apple!

Is that a Wanye England piece? He and Mialee are the two things wrong with 3.0 artwork, imo.

 

[Xyanthon]

As a lot of folks have already said, I think Wayne Reynolds stuff is fantastic. There is some other astounding stuff that artists are putting out right now. There is a lot of stuff that does not appeal to me about 3e art, however. I'm not too fond of the oversized and stragne weapons, spikey and unrealistic armor, oversized musculature, etc. Most people have called it dungeonpunk or accused it of being too "videogamey". I'm not sure why it stikes me thus because certainly Mr. Reynolds does have art that is all about the crazy spikes and whatnot.

I find that I'm liking games like Pendragon and the like that use more traditional themes to be more my taste. However, that's just me. I'm certainly aware that tastes have changed since I first started playing over 20 years ago.

 

[Hussar]

*snip*

The difference is that nowadays, I can expect to see evocative art in nearly every book I buy.

Early 3e has some sucky art, but the two artists that pained me to see the most seem to have tarried on...

Y'know, that's a good point. It has gotten to the point where the audience of D&D books now expects high quality art. Before, it was great if you got it, but, if you didn't, oh well, it was another D&D book. Cartography really points this out to me. Going from those old blue and white maps to the new stuff just shows how much more effort is put into the presentation of books.

 

[caudor]

I'm touched by the grinning half-orc in the PHB.