Who is the quintessential D&D artist?

[ART!]

I took the time to remind myself what kind of art all those folks did, and I narrowed my vote down to Dave Trampier, Jeff Easley, and Jason Rainville. Apparently I'm a fan of 1st edition and 5th edition art, and especially disliked the 4th edition art.

 

[Ulfgeir]

For me it was Larry Elmore, Clyde Caldwell, Keith Parkinsson. I do confess that there are a number of other artists that I do not recognize their names, so I will go and have a closer look at them later.

 

[Mark Hope]

Another I liked was

Bill Willingham​

View attachment 133529

Willingham is my favourite of the old-school artists. Some his monsters are just sublime.

 

[BronzeDragon]

Well, here's a sample from each artist.

Greg Bell

Tracy Lesch

Dave Sutherland

Erol Otus

Dave Trampier

Darlene

Jeff Dee

Jeff Easley

Larry Elmore

Clyde Caldwell

Keith Parkinson

Daniel Horne

Fred Fields

Brom

Tony DiTerlizzi

Robh Ruppel

Jennell Jaquays

​

Tony Szczudlo

Todd Lockwood

Sam Wood

Arnie Swekel

Glenn Angus

Wayne Reynolds

Ralph Horsley

Raymond Swanland

Tyler Jacobson

Michael Komarck

Jason Rainville

Hope this helps.

 

[delericho]

Elmore for me.

Also, I hadn't realised that Jaquays was an artist was well as writer. She's even more talented than I thought.

 

[innerdude]

I voted Elmore 1, Easley 2, Otus 3.

This is probably because, like many, my initial exposure to D&D was through the "2nd wave" of the 1980s boxed sets + Dragonlance.

If your first exposure was through the '77-'78 DMG or PHB, then Otus or one of the others is probably more salient.

But for many of us "2nd wave" adoptees, my earliest memories of D&D can be comprised in two images:

1. The cover of the 1985 Red Box (Elmore).
2. The book cover of Dragons of Autumn Twilight (also Elmore).

Hands down, the artist I most associate with D&D is Larry Elmore.

*Edit --- It's actually quite amazing how visceral the reactions for me have been looking at all of the art. There's so many memories tied together with those images. That picture of Laurana standing over Sturm's body still gives me chills.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

The Greyhawk map is an amazing work as evocative as a painting.

Darleen and her Greyhawk map is quintessential. Only female artist, which is an acheivement.

Picking just three was tough. I went with Trampier, Elmore, and Easley. But that could've easily been expanded to include Parkinson, Darlene, and Otus. Horne's work is masterful, but appeared relatively infrequently.

Also, no Jack Fred?

 

[BronzeDragon]

Also, no Jack Fred?

Well, considering Elmore, Easley and maybe others used that one....Jack is well represented!

 

[Uta-napishti]

If I had a 4th vote, would vote Parkinson... He did the mounted Tuigan warrior on the Forgotten Realms grey box cover, and Lord Soth's charge in Dragonlance. The king of the hyperrealists in 2nd ed.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Heh, true!

I think my "favorite" Jack Fred piece is the cover to CM8 The Endless Stair. It looks fine, if a bit dull, at first, but the more you look at it, the more off it gets. For example, the placement of the guy's head on the right!

Well, considering Elmore, Easley and maybe others used that one....Jack is well represented!