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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
 Posted - 30 Apr 2004 : 11:04:51
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| Oh, my website is "up" (meaning that anyone who knows the URL can get there) but I'd hardly call it running. Besides, it's just a lame Geocities account. Hardly something I can store large files on. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2004 : 11:14:41
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Nope, sorry, I am going to be shy. But I'll send it to your through your Lady's account.  |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2004 : 11:49:25
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| Both. I just sent them. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2004 : 11:50:25
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Most of Fireheart's comments are consistent with my experience. It's certainly true that authors have very little input into cover art. It's also true that artists seldom have a completed manuscript in hand before they begin work. Some of them have far less information than they'd like. On the other hand, some of them simply aren't interested in depicting the characters as they are described.
On the far side of the spectrum is a very fine artist who did the covers for Evermeet and Cormyr. I met him at GenCon, and he told me he deliberately avoids reading anything about the book and characters, as he does not want anything to interfer with his own personal vision. That attitude is certainly correct for most artistic works, but it seems to me that an illustrator ought to, well, "illustrate."
TSR/WotC usually asks for "art notes," with a description of the characters and suggestions for a scene. The artist may or may not take these into account; in fact, several years ago one of the TSR editors told me that among their artists were those who refused to read even the one-page art notes. I'm inclined to believe this. For the original cover of Daughter of the Drow, an editor called me and asked for an "iconic image" that would tie the cover painting to the book. The artist knew he needed a human male and a drow female, so he painted himself and his significant other as Fyodor and Liriel, then added her spider-in-amber necklace so there would be some reference to the story. This was NOT because he did not have a detailed description--I was asked to write one and I did, including as always my contact info in case the artist wished to discuss anything. Either the artist was not given these notes, or he elected not to read them. In marked contrast to this approach is Todd Lockwood's: he was the first artist to contact me and discuss in detail the characters and their development. Some of the WotC artists might not contact authors with question, but they obviously read the art notes. Brom's depiction of Bronwyn was very close to my description.
Regarding drow skin tones. Color is a property of light, and the ebony skin of drow will show different highlights depending upon the light source. Assuming their skin does NOT change color when they're on the surface, it will still look very different viewed by moonlight as opposed to, say, the glow of Underdark lichens.
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2004 : 11:57:37
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But . . . green?  Did the guy who did Tangled Webs think drow were pointy-eared Orions from Star Trek?  |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2004 : 12:56:04
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quote:
Originally posted by Bookwyrm
But . . . green? Did the guy who did Tangled Webs think drow were pointy-eared Orions from Star Trek?
Ah, yes, the infamous "booga-booga monster with boobs" cover.
In addition to giving Liriel olive-green skin, the artist depicted the illithid with a decidedly female form. My favorite description of this cover said it looked like "a freeze frame from a bad dance video." One wag back on the AOL board even did a filk to an old BeeGees tune, something to the effect of,
"Brain is fire, she needs an underwire,
"But she's flayin' alive, flayin' alive..." |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
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Fireheart
Learned Scribe
USA
109 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2004 : 13:48:34
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
Most of Fireheart's comments are consistent with my experience. It's certainly true that authors have very little input into cover art. It's also true that artists seldom have a completed manuscript in hand before they begin work. Some of them have far less information than they'd like. On the other hand, some of them simply aren't interested in depicting the characters as they are described.
Thank you Ms. Cunningham!
I begin to see that there are two problems...one - there is not always clear communication between editor/publisher/artist/author and two - there are artists who would rather paint what they want rather than what is described.
Based on Ms. Cunningham's descriptions of Mr. Lockwood, I'm glad WOTC has gone to using him more...I enjoy his work and now that I know he communicates with the authors, I like him even more! Perhaps his influence will spread and we'll see more accurate depictions based on the authors works.
~Fireheart |
I believe in what I see/I believe in what I hear/I believe that what I'm feeling/Changes how the world appears
-Rush "Totem" |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2004 : 02:26:10
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I talked with the friend I mentioned, Sage, and it is Axagon that he's using. It looks pretty good, I think. You'll have to give a critique after it's released, of course. (Which that person, Nat, thinks is within three weeks. His next-eldest brother and my best friend, Jon, thinks that's being overly oppimistic. Though that's the wrong word, since Nat's a pessimist by nature.  )
However, I'd like to show you sometime the way I did the map. Since this has turned into an art-related thread instead of just Drizzt art, I feel safe in asking if anyone has any requests. I'd like something small (no large regions) and no city layouts. Just a reasonable-sized FR map, that's all. Meaning it has to fit on a standard-sized screen, so you can see it all at once. If I do anything more than that, it'll take another two and a half months. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2004 : 03:59:01
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What, no one wants to make a suggestion? I'm hurt.  My art's not that bad . . . .
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Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Wood Elf Ranger
Senior Scribe
USA
627 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2004 : 04:34:54
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I'm not exactly sure what kind of maps you do like how specific and detailed. Lets see how about doing one of the High Forest? Or at least a part of the High Forest. I think that would be very cool  |
~Lee N.
"Breaktime yes?!.. Yes?.. Maybe?.. Noo, baaack to work.." -Grovel the Goblin from NWN: HotU |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2004 : 05:22:43
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| A bit plain, wouldn't you say? I don't have any TSR or WotC maps that show much detail inside the Forest. Though I could try for part of it and some surrounding land. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Wood Elf Ranger
Senior Scribe
USA
627 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2004 : 05:36:51
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That would be fine with me  Hmm how about a portion showing the Grandfather Tree? Either that or the northern border where Turlang and his treants are expanding the forest?
*added later* The northern half of the High Forest is somewhat detailed in the fold-out map from Silver Marches. If you want to use that as somewhat of a guide |
~Lee N.
"Breaktime yes?!.. Yes?.. Maybe?.. Noo, baaack to work.." -Grovel the Goblin from NWN: HotU |
Edited by - Wood Elf Ranger on 02 May 2004 05:42:17 |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2004 : 05:43:02
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What do I look like, a Master of Realmslore? Oh, wait, that's what it says on my desk. I told Alaundo I didn't feel like one.
Anyway, I'm not making any of this up. I can only put in what I already have information for. The map that came with the Silver Marches book has the Grandfather Tree marked, as well as a section called "Turlang's Wood." I can mark those as well, but I can't give you any little arrows to show treant advances. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Wood Elf Ranger
Senior Scribe
USA
627 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2004 : 05:48:42
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Aww *pouts* I wanna see little treants marching across the map 
Do what you can my friend I would love to see your work I was just giving you an idea of an area I would like to see artistically detailed more |
~Lee N.
"Breaktime yes?!.. Yes?.. Maybe?.. Noo, baaack to work.." -Grovel the Goblin from NWN: HotU |
Edited by - Wood Elf Ranger on 02 May 2004 06:19:04 |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2004 : 06:24:14
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| This is Paint we're talking about, you know. I can show you all how my maps can look, given the time to work on it. But I wouldn't lable them "artistic." |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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cover page Drizzt phenomenon
What's the url?.