| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Caladan Brood |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 08:07:54
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4dreye/20130508 |
| 28 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Pazuzu |
Posted - 16 May 2013 : 12:22:42
I also don't like the D&D art works that much. Though, I have to admint that on Thom's website there are some really nice pictures! Maybe we can get more pieces soon so that we can form our opinion. |
| xaeyruudh |
Posted - 16 May 2013 : 07:34:08
I guess in the interest of fairness I have to add another possible reason why artists vanish from the pages of D&D books... their fans just aren't vocal enough, and/or aren't in the right places at the right time to make themselves heard/understood, so WotC cans them because all they hear is the negative. Perhaps too many of us are stuck in the depressive m.o. of thundering about the stuff we don't like and never getting around to talking about the stuff we're happy with. Or, when we do praise something, we're talkin to the wrong people. 
Sounds pretty obvious when it's put that way, but I guess it seems weird to me because catering to fans on a micro scale wouldn't be my #1 priority. Seems like trying to please everyone is a recipe for failure. |
| Plaguescarred |
Posted - 16 May 2013 : 06:24:52
Lockwood's a pretty good artist |
| Ze |
Posted - 16 May 2013 : 06:13:28
quote:
Originally posted by Entreri3478
I like that style of art for the Realms. The less Lockwood the better!
  |
| Artemas Entreri |
Posted - 16 May 2013 : 02:09:47
I like that style of art for the Realms. The less Lockwood the better! |
| xaeyruudh |
Posted - 15 May 2013 : 20:01:58
I think I agree with everything here so far, even the blatantly contradictory opinions. 
I'm just hoping that the art dept listens to the opinions *here* at least as closely as the anti-Realms comments on their own site.
I agree that the artist's gallery looks better than these three images. In fact the top few winter scenes look similar and I wonder if they were rejected by WotC. If I were to take a shot in the dark (something I never do, har har) I would guess that when we see sloppy or subpar art it probably has a lot to do with deadlines and compensation. If WotC/Hasbro (1) gives the artist a very short period of time or a crappy price, or more likely both, and/or (2) isn't overly demanding as far as the realism of the painting, then we end up with a hasty painting. I have zero knowledge of how WotC operates, but that's my guess and I think it makes sense considering some of the amazing artists whose work has been featured in past WotC products but nothing recent. It appears from the outside that WotC is not good to artists. But who knows.
All of that aside, these are very decent pieces of art. Personally, I favor crisp lines over the sorta impressionist view in these three, so I might not buy the originals if they were hung in a gallery, but I'd happily pay for posters I can put up on my walls for game ambiance, rather than try to draw/paint something majestic myself.
And hopefully everybody plays nice, so that we can keep an artist or two around for a while. |
| Matt James |
Posted - 15 May 2013 : 18:43:11
I like them as well for concept art. |
| Plaguescarred |
Posted - 15 May 2013 : 07:35:38
Wow these are great scenery! Love them! They are cold, dark and rugged like mountain range they depict...
Thom Tenery's art is pretty amazing after checking his portfolio!
More please... |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 10 May 2013 : 20:19:07
The first one is a decent idea (even if reminiscent of LotR). The second isn't horrible. The last just sucks. I will give them though, they have the right idea. We've seen many pictures of orcs and gnolls or whatever up close. I'd really like to see some landscape views of the realms for certain areas. For instance, the escarpments of Thay. I'd love to see a picture of Bezantur from on high. I'd love to see a picture of Silverymoon from afar. I'd love to see pictures of Bloodstone Pass. I'd love to see some pictures of Calimport. The dark and foreboding Ironfang Keep would also make a great picture. |
| Seravin |
Posted - 10 May 2013 : 19:27:11
ZZzzz. Looks exactly like the 3rd edition art to me, only less interesting?
Oh well. Early days. I remain hopeful. After 4e and the Spellplague they have no where to go but up in my books. |
| Dennis |
Posted - 10 May 2013 : 15:51:34
I like them. They are very cinematic. Though I suppose he could have added a little more detail. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 10 May 2013 : 04:36:44
quote:
Originally posted by rjfras
umm, it even says above the pictures, "here is some concept art" concept art is usually pretty basic and not alot of color
I've seen a lot of other concept art that wasn't basic, and had more color. More important, it was more interesting. An image doesn't need to be detailed or have a lot of color to attract interest, but these pics do not accomplish that for me.
Again, I'm not saying I dislike them, they just aren't grabbing my attention in any way...
It's like if a sneak peak from a movie showed one of the actors reading the script and sipping coffee. Yeah, it's from the set of the movie and shows one of the stars, but it doesn't do anything to make you interested in the movie. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 10 May 2013 : 04:33:21
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Oh and the top one is Minas Tirith from the LOTR movies.
-- George Krashos
That was the first thing I thought, too. |
| George Krashos |
Posted - 10 May 2013 : 01:07:39
Oh and the top one is Minas Tirith from the LOTR movies.
-- George Krashos
|
| George Krashos |
Posted - 10 May 2013 : 01:05:08
Bring back Jeff Dee and Bill Willingham!
-- George Krashos
|
| rjfras |
Posted - 10 May 2013 : 00:49:24
umm, it even says above the pictures, "here is some concept art" concept art is usually pretty basic and not alot of color |
| Dark Wizard |
Posted - 09 May 2013 : 23:51:34
I don't see any improvement. It's standard, it's neutral, even forgettable. (There's a bad pun in that one.)
Just figured they would put their best foot forward ... eventually. How about a big panoramic of a Realms city? Or some place distinct like the Underchasm amongst any of those three. Doesn't have to be all three images.
I for one would like to see more fight scenes or scenes of some activity. Many of the images from 3E era were just figures on a blank background. Even the FRCG felt a bit heavy in posed figures. Not enough action and not enough scenery.
A justification can be made for a video game to have generic scenery concept art because every place in the game has to have some concept art for the modelers to build from. The same does not apply to a print book, where each piece should be used for maximum effect (1000 words an image sort of deal). Unless these are concept scenes for a video game, then carry on. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 09 May 2013 : 07:52:44
I'm with Jeremy on this one. I must admit that to me this is a huge improvement over the standard art used. I would rather have one good landscape picture over ten fight scenes if I was looking for mental images or inspiration for an adventure. As for generic; they are mountains and landscape, of course they are to a degree generic, the Realms are not that weird.
For once I have nothing but positive things to say. Scary isn't it? |
| Jeremy Grenemyer |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 23:56:25
quote:
Originally posted by Dark Wizard
Not sure if it's a matter of too much or too little art direction, or a disconnect with the genre or setting.
Or you could be overanalyzing things.
Seriously, they're just getting started.
The art in question isn't meant to show a specific place or a known place. Just big, wide snapshots of the Realms.
In one case a barbarian campsite along the Spine of the World. In the other, a couple of examples of temples in the Realms.
FWIW I'd like more detail or close ups related to those images, but I'll save any commentary about lack of direction or setting disconnects until after I see a full art portfolio. |
| Dark Wizard |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 23:27:03
quote:
Originally posted by Ze
The best thing in those images, to me, is the old D&D logo bottom left.
Indeed, classic AD&D ampersand.
The artwork is nice but rather generic. It's stuff we've seen before in the preliminary concept art of countless video games. With the exception of the first image (which is only okay), there's not much character to it.
Contrast this with the engine test scenery or concept sketch of the mega-dungeon stretch goal from Obsidian Entertainment's Project Eternity. The big statues emphasize a sense of mystery and foreboding.
Or the different concept scenes from Numenera (both the tabletop game and the computer game).
Those try to incorporate a piece of story with the concept art. They generate a lot of ideas in one image. Here we have stark barren landscape, nice, but little is happening.
Looking at the artist they have: http://www.thomlab.com/gallery.htm
He's a professional (hollywood credentials, etc.) and obviously capable. Yet some how the FR concept work shown on the Wizard's site does not quite match up with the awesome art he created for other projects. Not sure if it's a matter of too much or too little art direction, or a disconnect with the genre or setting. |
| Ze |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 22:32:15
The best thing in those images, to me, is the old D&D logo bottom left.
|
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 21:36:24
I see them now. And I'm not impressed. I don't dislike them, I just don't see anything worth comment. |
| Jeremy Grenemyer |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 21:16:09
This is the kind of artwork I can use as a DM. For the middle piece I'd love it if it was accompanied by an interior map of the first structure, so I could fill it with monsters/encounters/etc. |
| BEAST |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 19:09:27
They loaded right up for me using IE9. I see three murky blue-scale mountainous landscapes. |
| Jeremy Grenemyer |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 16:52:11
WotC's web development team is working on it. Exciting, all the same. |
| Brimstone |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 15:23:53
Same here... |
| Dennis |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 15:04:57
Same here. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 14:06:20
I can't see the images. I just tried from IE10 and Chrome, and they're not loading. |
