WoTC Site Art...

[Scribble]

Is it just me, or does it seem like they've been using a number of different art styles as of late on the site?

I'm kind of digging that.

 

[wlmartin]

Is it just me, or does it seem like they've been using a number of different art styles as of late on the site?

I'm kind of digging that.

... call me a cynic in this case but my head is full of the ideas that they have oodles of Art Staff on the payroll, no real book releases coming out and are having them pay their way by producing lots of Art content. So before it might have been that 1 or 2 guys were on the task of updating the site with Artwork but now there are a dozen of them sitting around and they are taking turns

 

[Pour]

Big fan of their art department. I mean if they would showcase the Dungeon and Dragon covers a little more prominently, I think many casual visitors would be awed. Most of their artists are mind-blowing (as are the Magic the Gathering artists) in any case, and even in their most recent articles' cartography has taken a huge leap (see Daggerdale today).

My only complaint is much of the art is too low res, and is slightly distorted when placed in articles. The low res map offerings at the end of each month are also largely unusable to me as a digital DM.

 

[Dice4Hire]

... call me a cynic in this case but my head is full of the ideas that they have oodles of Art Staff on the payroll, no real book releases coming out and are having them pay their way by producing lots of Art content. So before it might have been that 1 or 2 guys were on the task of updating the site with Artwork but now there are a dozen of them sitting around and they are taking turns

Way to head stright for the most negative interpretation!!!!

 

[Argyle King]

Since I'm sure somebody will say this anyway, I'm going to go ahead and play the part of the devil's advocate.


Maybe they're trying a few different styles because they're still not sure what art style they want to go with for the upcoming 5E books yet.

 

[Dannager]

They put out a nifty little beholder art set a month or two back featuring the same scene redrawn and reimagined by 10 (?) different artists. It was pretty great.

 

[wlmartin]

Way to head straight for the most negative interpretation!!!!

I know

I'm a wewy nawty bwoy

Some of the Artwork, especially in Dungeon & Dragon Magazine is Stella!
I am not a fan of the Mike Kraluik (Penny Arcade Fame) style Art that appeared in the Players Strategy Guide. I am a big fan of Mike, his Penny Arcade Strip and the D&D pod / youtube casts they did but D&D Art needs to remain elegant and magical... not an episode of the Simpsons

Sometimes I am tempted to copy the Art, blow it up and put it on my Wall.
My wife may have something to do say about that however

 

[Dedekind]

Is it just me, or does it seem like they've been using a number of different art styles as of late on the site?

I'm kind of digging that.

I noticed it, too. The Daggerdale Art was particularly good and (even if you didn't like the style) useful. I'm glad to see it. The WotC Art Director has an interesting blog/community website at http://theartorder.com/ . The Lord of the Rings contest he did awhile back produced some awesome art.

You know what I would like to see? A new art theme for the WotC website every month to match the Dragon "cover." It would be slick and better tie the site to the magazine.

 

[Dedekind]

Side note:

Seriously, a 5e comment and a "death of D&D" comment in a thread about Dragon art? Has Enworld fallen so far?

 

[Incenjucar]

I'm very glad they're trying a variety of art styles, and actually expressed my desire that they do so when 4E first came out. There are a lot of people who are going to connect better with one art style than another, and mixing art styles up gives more people a chance to discover that D&D is a game they will enjoy.

Hopefully we'll even see some (non-generic) anime-style art pop up once in awhile to capture that audience's attention again, or something that feels like Hellboy.