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

[Darth Shoju]

I really wish they'd stop using Thomas Baxa. Not that I want him out of work, but I really hate the scrawlwork he calls artwork.

Ugh seconded. I didn't like him in 2ed and I don't like him now. His work in Dark Sun somewhat distracted from the mastery of Brom. Somewhat...


[sblock]

[/sblock]

 

[Darth Shoju]

Thank you Darth! I appreciate the support.

LOL kinda thought I was supporting Claudio...but whatever floats yer boat.

 

[Darth Shoju]

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

Agreed. Although Mialee looks decent when Todd Lockwood illustrates her.

 

[Darth Shoju]

It's been downhill ever since Erol Otus and Dave Trampier stopped illustrating the D&D books.



Umm ... what? :\

I'd take 1e illustrations like 'Emirikol the Chaotic' or 'Paladin in Hell' over the static 'poses' that afflicts many 3e books anyday.

I've never understood these claims myself. There are plenty of dynamic pictures in 3ed. Pretty much everything WAR does has a fantastic sense of motion to it. Sure the character class illos are all poses but I think that it is appropriate there.

 

[Darth Shoju]

I remember when I first came to ENworld (before 3E was officially released); there was some FANTASTIC artwork leaked out by Eric Noah that was supposed to have been in the original PH (but apparently didn't make the cut). It was more "old school" in attitude then most 2E era art, and didn't have any of the cheeky odd posing or spikey armor that came to characterize 3E. One, I remember, was of a bad a$$ monk. Another I think was a really cool ranger. Both were by the same artist and I think they were sketched (or at least not colored). Does anyone remember those images or who the artist(s) was (I think there were half a dozen PCs illustrated). Anyone here remember what I'm talking about.

I always felt those early images (and the WOTC return to old school 1E hype) were released to attract the pre-2E crowd and build buzz amongst it (kind of a bait and switch). I guess it worked. I know I wouldn't have checked it out (as a hard core 1Eer) if I hadn't seen those pics here and read all the 1E buzz floating around. When I saw those images, they confirmed to me, this new game wasn't 2E it was the return of 1E (but improved)man, I could hardly wait. Yet it didn't take long to figure out the game was a completely new thing.

I believe they were Lockwood pieces. Does this look familiar?

 

[Darth Shoju]

I find I enjoy the art of all the editions; they each evoke a different mood for me and they all have their strengths and weaknesses. 3ed has combined some of the best traits of both previous editions while managing a style of its own, one that seems uniquely D&D rather than derivative of real-world history with fantasy elements tacked on (although I enjoy that at times as well). Wayne Reynolds, Todd Lockwood and William O'Connor have produced some of my favourite fantasy art of all time.


[sblock]

[/sblock]


[sblock]

[/sblock]


[sblock]

[/sblock]

[sblock]

[/sblock]

 

[Nightfall]

Darth,

yeah well Claudio isn't posting on this thread is he?

Still some nice finds. Not sure those are the artists (you've chosen) best work but certainly good pieces.

*Agrees Brom was the best for Dark Sun*

 

[Darth Shoju]

Darth,

yeah well Claudio isn't posting on this thread is he?

Well then I'd say Galactus himself couldn't have chosen a better herald.

Still some nice finds. Not sure those are the artists (you've chosen) best work but certainly good pieces.

*Agrees Brom was the best for Dark Sun*

Yeah, but IMO their best work isn't 3ed stuff (at least for O'Connor and Lockwood) and I wanted to keep the examples germane to the thread topic.

 

[Nightfall]

Darth,

Yeah I agree with that (that Lockwood's best work is certainly not 3.5 or 3.0) But still doesn't mean they can't be useful in a 3.0 context. Well usually. (I mean look at what they did to poor Strahd!?)

*is proud to herald a lot of things* Good art being one of them.

 

[Michael Tree]

I adore the architectural pieces from Eberron and other books. I don't especially like the portraits, and the action scenes vary greatly, but the pictures depicting buildings, cityscapes, ancient ruins, building interiors, the lightning rail, Lyrandar airships, and so on are spectacular. They make the world seem fantastical and real, not just a place for adventurers with buckle fetishes.