Author Topic: What do you feel fantasy RPG art should look like? (Read 20144 times)

Agrippa · « **on:** November 21, 2012, 01:31:44 PM »

RPG art, especially fantasy RPG art, helps to give the viewer ideas on the character or creature featured. Not just in surface appearence but also attitude, capablity and how that creature or character carries him/herself. This can be used to make said creature/character look everywhere from mythic and superheroic to mundane and ordinary. This can also be used to divide between what some people call "old school RPGs" and "new school RPGs". So tell me which do you feel is more sutable as fantasy artwork.

More new school artwork.

Chris Stevens a.k.a. chriss2d on deviantArt (along with Mark Sinclair, Kevin Yan and Espen Grundetjern)

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Kendrick Lim a.k.a kunkka on deviantArt

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Jeff Laubenstein

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Or do you prefer old school fantasy illustrations like these?

David C. Sutherland

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David A. Trampier

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Erol Otus

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Larry Elmore

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Agrippa · « **Reply #1 on:** November 21, 2012, 01:33:44 PM »

Please move to When Inspiration Strikes.

phaedrusxy · « **Reply #2 on:** November 21, 2012, 01:40:21 PM »

Definitely the first group. They are just flat superior, IMO.

InnaBinder · « **Reply #3 on:** November 21, 2012, 01:56:13 PM »

Honestly, David A. Trampier's work is the only thing in the selections that I felt was at all appropriate; everything else seems comic book inspired or plain cartoonish.

Unbeliever · « **Reply #4 on:** November 21, 2012, 02:13:39 PM »

The OP is very heavily tilted towards one direction. Old School fantasy art is probably better realized by, e.g., Larry Elmore. Not the crappy low rent stuff found in the original D&D books/modules.

I happen to like both, but I might be a bad example -- I also like anime and comic books as well. For most fantasy worlds, though, I think the Elmore-esque stuff is more appropriate. A lot of what the OP labels "new school" tends to be very over the top, which sets up unrealistic expectations and leads to a more do what is awesome Frank Franzetta universe. And, don't get me wrong, I love me some Franzetta, but it's hard to pin a coherent world around that stuff. Chris Stevens' construction crew and swashbuckler stuff fit perfectly fine, imho, though.

I get a lot of my inspiration from anime, especially the better ones. But, to say they are over the top for most fantasy purposes is a woeful understatement. Two things I do like about that source of inspiration, though, are (1) that the abilities and fights are very dynamic. The characters do neat things with their abilities and they interact in interesting ways, something that is often left out of the descriptions or game mechanics of fantasy RPGs. And, (2) characters have well-defined bailiwicks. The characters have a schtick, and one that isn't absurdly arcane to try and describe.

Nanshork · « **Reply #5 on:** November 21, 2012, 02:50:56 PM »

Old school, and by that I mean more 2E era than OD&D. Elmore and especially Brom are more the style I prefer. Brom is my favorite artist of all time and did most of the art for the 2E Dark Sun campaign settings book.

awaken_D_M_golem · « **Reply #6 on:** November 21, 2012, 03:25:36 PM »

I love the historical d&d art because
it's D&D , not because it's great art.

I like older styles when it comes to
non-cartoonish female "attributes" ...

HEAVYMETAL zine sometimes gets
the balance right between the Art first
and the Art+Story combo second.
Good Story + iffy Art happens a lot too.

Amechra · « **Reply #7 on:** November 21, 2012, 06:14:51 PM »

I've always felt good fantasy art to be closer to the good ol' pen and pencil art your DM shows you when they want you to take a look at the masks their fey wear.

Or, alternatively, woodcuts.

And anything Dreamtime inspired. That stuff is always awesome.

Concerned Ninja Citizen · « **Reply #8 on:** November 21, 2012, 07:13:04 PM »

The "new school" illustrations are both from Exalted books. Exalted is a fairly idiosyncratic setting with its own feel which is represented in its art.

I don't know why you'd want Exalted art for your D&D campaign unless it was deliberately Exalted flavored or influenced. I would also be wary of presenting Exalted as the sole representative of "new school" fantasy art.

Arturick · « **Reply #9 on:** November 21, 2012, 07:24:12 PM »

I lean towards Elmore out of those selections. Otherwise, I tend to think that the artwork in most 3.5 and Pathfinder (WotC and Paizo, not speaking for third party) is quite good and captures the feel I want.

littha · « **Reply #10 on:** November 21, 2012, 07:29:53 PM »

The second image is exactly what I feel fantasy art should look like. The first image is too cartoonish and the latter images look too grainy and out of proportions. I assume because these are before the advent of computer colouring and enhancement.

Agrippa · « **Reply #11 on:** November 21, 2012, 07:32:03 PM »

Quote from: Concerned Ninja Citizen on November 21, 2012, 07:13:04 PM

The "new school" illustrations are both from Exalted books. Exalted is a fairly idiosyncratic setting with its own feel which is represented in its art.

I don't know why you'd want Exalted art for your D&D campaign unless it was deliberately Exalted flavored or influenced. I would also be wary of presenting Exalted as the sole representative of "new school" fantasy art.

I picked Exalted illustrations for new school because I have a hard time linking Earthdawn pictures to illustrators.

FlaminCows · « **Reply #12 on:** November 22, 2012, 01:13:33 AM »

Really, "old school" and "new school" are not styles. Brom has been noted as old school, but he still draws now. Most of those "new school" artists drew back then as well, and a lot of the old school artists still draw today.

Basically, I like good art. Good art has always existed, as has bad. There was a time when most of the artists D&D could afford to hire were not that great, but "cheap art" is not a style either. You'd need to group art by something other than age if you want a good judgement of art direction.

zook1shoe · « **Reply #13 on:** November 22, 2012, 01:31:01 AM »

I like the 3e Draconomicon era type art, and it has some of the best dragons pics ever!

3e Forgotten Realms, most of the later books had good artwork. With exceptions, like Manshoon and the rebirth of Bane

Eberron was to WoW for me, and 2e wasn't fancy enough.

Agita · « **Reply #14 on:** November 22, 2012, 04:11:33 AM »

Moved as per request.

So long as the art looks good and depicts what it's supposed to depict appropriately, I don't really see the style mattering (style can matter when it sets the tone of the artwork, though). I don't like Sutherland's, Trampier's, or Otus's stuff very much, but the others are all things that fit RPGs.

Wilb · « **Reply #15 on:** November 22, 2012, 06:45:09 AM »

All of Elmore`s rpg works seem spot on for me, but the art of the 3.5 draconomicon is also fantastic.

zugschef · « **Reply #16 on:** November 22, 2012, 07:05:27 AM »

rack planescape

Pteryx · « **Reply #17 on:** January 30, 2013, 11:53:37 PM »

Depends on the campaign. The one I'm currently playing in is Disgaea-inspired, so an anime style would be appropriate. The last game I ran had a superhero flavor, so I described it as being drawn by Storn Cook. -- Pteryx

Amechra · « **Reply #18 on:** January 31, 2013, 12:01:26 AM »

I just noticed the scale on the Larry Elmore image of a stone dragon.

Holy shit is that thing massive.

ImperatorK · « **Reply #19 on:** January 31, 2013, 01:12:53 AM »

Stevens and Elmore are cool and feel very fantasy-ish.

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Author Topic: What do you feel fantasy RPG art should look like? (Read 20144 times)