Troll Lord Games

I hate to say it, but the latest art from WotC just doesn't wow me any more. I don't know what it is, but I can't get into it. It doesn't seem as good to me as what I remember.

I love the styles of people like Elmore, Easley, Caldwell, and Parkinson. To me, they made not only Dragonlance, but D&D. Some of what I see today is bad computer art, or stuff that is just dark. I want something vibrant that speaks of adventure.

Luckily, with my work with Sovereign Press, I get to see some of the best art out there, such as Jason Engle's and Jennifer Meyer's. They're fantastic. I like Peter Bradley's work too. It's got its own feel, and is definitely old-school. Beyond them, though, I can't think of too many modern-day artists I really enjoy.

So rather than sounding negative, I'm wondering where you guys look for old-school art.
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Trampas Whiteman
---DragonHelm--->
Dragonlance Nexus

I miss Elmore most of all. His work had so much personality, it was just crazy. I love Peter Bradley's work, too. I can't quite put my finger on what it is that I don't like about WOTC's artwork, but I just can't seem to force myself to like them as much.

However, there are quite alot of up and coming artists on Deviantart that I watch regularly. I'd love to see their works alongside Peter's in C&C books someday! Check them out (some are for mature audiences):
http://ironshod.deviantart.com/gallery/
http://jarling-art.deviantart.com/gallery/
http://nebezial.deviantart.com/gallery/
http://vyrl.deviantart.com/gallery/
http://wen-m.deviantart.com/gallery/

Ink
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Check out Inkpot's C&C Downloads: http://www.cncplayer.net/inkpot/index.htm

C&C: Blissfully devoid of gestalt neko-hin rogue/fighter/mages!!

I'm not too big a fan of WotC's art either. I dunno, the charatcers look too...I dunno, chunky? I'll proportioned? I cant quite put my finger on it, but most of their pieces just don't "wow" me like Elmore's did.

I used to have a website bookmarked that had HUGE galleries of Elmore, Parkinson and many other fanstasy artists. But...my 5 year old got to erasing bookmarks one day and I cant find that darn site again. Was the best collection I've seen at one site.

Well, in addition to Peter Bradley, TLG has some great artists that have done and continue to do fantastic stuff for their modules and books:

Jason Walton

Danielle Bigliardo

Erik Wilson

[Have I missed anyone else for the Trolls?]

Also, Rob Kuntz's new Pied Piper Publishing modules have attracted some new interesting artists to compliment the renowned Jim Holloway who did the Cairn of the Skeleton King cover.

They are Jason Braun and Eric Bergeron.

Lots of artistic goodness out there and I'm glad to see it being used for new modules.
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Count Rhuveinus - Lejendary Keeper of Castle Franqueforte

"Enjoy a 'world' where the fantastic is fact and magic really works!" ~ Gary Gygax

"By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes:" - Macbeth

Quote:
I used to have a website bookmarked that had HUGE galleries of Elmore, Parkinson and many other fanstasy artists.

Could it be this site? It got loads of Elmore-grade fantasy art in it. 8) It's by far the best RPG-related art gallery I have ever found online.
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"Abandon the search for Truth; settle for a good fantasy." author unknown
My C&C Page
My House Rules v8

Clyde Caldwell lives (or lived it's been a few years) near my neck of the woods.

His art and Jim Holloway define what D&D meant (and C&C means to me).

Later
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Greg Volz
www.naturaltwenty.com

Trampas metioned two of my favorite current artist, Peter and Jason Engle (my avatar is one of Jason's work).

R-
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Rigon o' the Lakelands, Baron of The Castles & Crusades Society
The Book of the Mind

Rigon wrote:
Trampus...

Trampas, without the "u" please.
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Trampas Whiteman
---DragonHelm--->
Dragonlance Nexus

Dragonhelm wrote:
Trampas, without the "u" please.

Sorry
Fixed.
R-
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Rigon o' the Lakelands, Baron of The Castles & Crusades Society
The Book of the Mind

Dragonhelm wrote:
... I love the styles of people like Elmore, Easley, Caldwell, and Parkinson....

Wow. To me these artists are not 'old school'.
For me, 'old school' is best represented by Trampier (his classic cover of the 1e AD&D PHB; his illustration 'Emrikol the Chaotic' in the DMG; his many illustrations in the 1e MM; his Wormy comic); Otus (his cover for the Moldvay Basic Set and the Cook Expert Set; the cover for 1e AD&D Dieties & Demigods; his module and Dragon covers); Dee (his illustrations within the Basic and Expert D&D rules; his module work); Sutherland (his cover for the 1e AD&D DMG, his 'Paladin in Hell' illustration in the PHB); Roslof (for his classic cover of B2); and so forth.

Erol Otus is probably my all-time favourite, with Trampier a close second. It's great to see that Otus, Jeff Dee, and Roslof are doing work for Goodman Games' 'Dungeon Crawl Classics'.

Elmore, Easley, et al., just don't do it for, I'm afraid, and definitely do not fit with my definition of 'old school'. Personally, I've never really liked Elmore's style -- his people always seem strangely 'plastic' and 'static' looking. Obviously, this opinion is not shared by others here.
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While it is unlikely to interest most of you, here is my 'cunning' blog: http://dailyakrasia.blogspot.com/

naturaltwenty wrote:
Clyde Caldwell lives (or lived it's been a few years) near my neck of the woods.

His art and Jim Holloway define what D&D meant (and C&C means to me).

Later

I really liked Caldwell's covers for the D&D Gazetteer series.
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While it is unlikely to interest most of you, here is my 'cunning' blog: http://dailyakrasia.blogspot.com/

I suppose art is entirely what one is used too? When I started in OD&D back in the late 70's I really didn't pay much attention to the art. I'd been aware of the game before then, since all my family's reenactor buddies were playing it. My folks bought me into it when they found out I had friends of my own age down the street who were into it. So there I was with a couple of boxed sets which I thought were for kids, since many of my classmates were drawing work of similar look.

But I also grew up with an artistic family. So even at an early age I was exposed to what generally is refered too as 'master' artists. Michaelangelo, David, Titian, DaVinci and others of similar characteristic. So art for me had a recognizable craft standards. My own grandad was a master etcher and engraver.

The first rpg stuff I ever bought, with my own pocket money, were the Mentzer boxed sets. Now those caught my attention since I was viewing what I had grown up to recognize as a certain quality of art. And certainly the work resembled more of what was going on in my head than earlier pieces.

I spose I didn't have the attachment that many seem to have to the art in particular. It was more about hanging out with friends and what was going on in my own head, which no art, even my own, has yet to reproduce.
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"We'll go out through the kitchen!" Tanis Half-Elven

Peter Bradley

Elmore = Gawd

I have his work on my wall...well for more than one reason. heh. I'm still suprised the woman hasn't made me take it down yet.

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Big Iron Vault Your friendly neighbourhood gaming magazine. Check out our new webcomic, The Heindrich Project!

Rigon wrote:
Sorry
Fixed.
R-

Thanks, man. Sorry, had a lot of grief with my name in my time, so I'm a bit sensitive about it.
I don't know what classification people like Elmore, Easley, etc. should have (old school or what have you), but these guys really jazzed me about AD&D back in the day, especially with Dragonlance. It was fantastic art that sold me on Spelljammer, and the unique style of Brom that grabbed my attention with Dark Sun.

When I look at their styles, I can say, "That's D&D!" When I look at what's in a WotC book these days, I generally just scratch my head. It doesn't draw me in, for the most part.

Now I will say that Wayne Reynolds does good in defining Eberron's style. It really works. But in your average D&D book these days, the art just seems sub-par, even compared to the AD&D counterparts.

Just my opinion, of course.
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Trampas Whiteman
---DragonHelm--->
Dragonlance Nexus

Whenever I want to look at "old school" art, I do a Google Image search for Munch, Bosch, Dali (in a weird way), Rousseau, and Picasso. Then, I've had my fix, and I'm done.

angelius wrote:
Elmore = Gawd

*drools*

You have my sincerest envy, sir.

Ink
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C&C: Blissfully devoid of gestalt neko-hin rogue/fighter/mages!!

It's just a reproduction, but it sure looks real. The detail on it for a reproduction of a sketch nonetheless is incredible. Also its signed by Larry too...which kicks ass and it's #30 of 500 printed I think.

I was hesitant at first to get it, but then when I got it, I'm now trying to break the habit of getting more. Reproduction technology these days are incredible.

ME want big time http://www.larryelmore.com/popups/color/co157.htm

Thing is that one is not signed by Larry unlike the one I already have.
www.larryelmore.com
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Big Iron Vault Your friendly neighbourhood gaming magazine. Check out our new webcomic, The Heindrich Project!

Larry's a hoot to hang out with at GenCon as well. He and I gave each other a bad time the whole 4 days.

Course he keeps calling my dad a Scotsman, which really sets my dad's yourkshire wit a burning.
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"We'll go out through the kitchen!" Tanis Half-Elven

Peter Bradley

I'll add that I just recently got Dark Chateau, and though I didn't cheat and read through it I did flip through and look at the pictures (I'm going to be a player on it, so I didn't really feel I should read through it).

I bring this up because I'd say the art in THAT is some of the best I've seen in a while. The art in that is phenomenal. Truthfully, this is a compliment, it was (in my opinion) awesome.

Elmore is great, I admit, but the resident C&C artist is well on his way to matching up if he keeps up this progression from what I saw in DC! (Once again in my opinion, seriously, the art about floored me, it was really good).

gideon_thorne wrote:
Larry's a hoot to hang out with at GenCon as well. He and I gave each other a bad time the whole 4 days.

Course he keeps calling my dad a Scotsman, which really sets my dad's yourkshire wit a burning.

A fellow Yorskshireman? Independence for Yorkshire! Up the revolution. We'll be issuing passports shortly...
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They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

- Benjamin Franklin

The thing I miss most is Holloway's stuff.

While perhaps not the most jaw-droppingly technical of artists, his ability to evoke some kind of emotion or action (mostly humorous) out of the characters in the scene is second to none.

This is one disturbing little orange dancing bear you got there Danger. I just can't stop staring at it for some reason (maybe it's attention deficit).
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"Abandon the search for Truth; settle for a good fantasy." author unknown
My C&C Page
My House Rules v8

Elmore & Easley always topped my list, though I found something very appealing and inspiring in DiTerlizzi's Planescape work. It was rough and messy, with colouring overlapping lines and skewiff proportions... but it was a unique style in d&d and really made Planescape stand out for me.

I'm also a massive Peter Bradley fan. I think his work on C&C has encapsulated everything the game is; classic, familiar but with a slightly updated feel. Makes a great product greater.

Danger wrote:
The thing I miss most is Holloway's stuff.

While perhaps not the most jaw-droppingly technical of artists, his ability to evoke some kind of emotion or action (mostly humorous) out of the characters in the scene is second to none.

Here's some new stuff from Jim, if you haven't already seen it on Rob Kuntz's latest dungeon module:

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Count Rhuveinus - Lejendary Keeper of Castle Franqueforte

"Enjoy a 'world' where the fantastic is fact and magic really works!" ~ Gary Gygax

"By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes:" - Macbeth

Art is always defined by the culture and times.

Commercial art is defined by what a publisher wants to pay for the art they need to sell the feel of their products.

For that reason I feel TLG is very lucky to have Peter in the stable, just as I feel it is important that Necromancer has built the relationship it has with Rick Sardinha.

For both product lines, these artists totally sell the feel and flavor.

I am as pleased with Rick's cover for Bard's Gate as I am with Peter's Haunted Highlands (and forthcoming Crater of Umeshti 1).

To me both artists "get it". Good foundations in fine art make better foundations for fantasy art.

My background. I am an artist. I teach elementary art for a living. I love to paint and draw but I do not technically work in the fantasy genre. There is a knack for that which I cannot paint or draw to canvas but have the ability (I hope) to write it as I see the painting I wish I could paint in my mind.

In my own art I prefer to paint, sculpt, and create jewelry that is of my own design and creation. My sculptures being perhaps most influenced by fantasy art. My paintings are influenced by the works of impressionist, and post impressionist painters, and abstract artists. Tolouse Latrec, and his Moulin Rouge works--Van Gough, Goughin, as well as classicists such as Valazquez, romanticists like Gericault or John William Waterhouse, Eugine Delacroix and madmen like Francisco de Goya. MY jewelry is influenced by nordic, and native american elements from my family heritage and background.

Fantasy art for me is Frazetta. End of story. Boris Villejo booooooores me, tho the work of some of his children is phenomenol, tho in a far different way than their famous sire.

An interesting anecdote on the choice of Frazetta covers for the Necromancer Games/Judges Guild co-production of the Wilderlands materials.

I read through hundreds and thousands of pages of JG materials and worked very closely with Bill Webb on the Wilderlands Box set, even before the players guide was in production and before it was decided to do a boxed set. During that time I had some questions over entries and had the opportunity to talk to Bob Bledsaw about the Wilderlands...more or less to get the feel first hand from the brain that concieved it.

In talking to Bob, I mentioned... "You know Bob, this has a gritty Frazetta feel..."

Bob interrupted at that point and said... "Say do you think Bill and Clark would be interested in getting Frazetta covers if I call Ellie (Frazetta) and see if we can get a deal?"

Make it so number 1!

We got lucky, and Bill/Clark/Chaney/Thomas got it rolling with Ellie and Frank Junior to make it happen (With some help from Bob having the connections).

Case

Bowbe wrote:
... Fantasy art for me is Frazetta. End of story...

Total agreement. I'm a huge fan of Frazetta's stuff. 8)
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While it is unlikely to interest most of you, here is my 'cunning' blog: http://dailyakrasia.blogspot.com/

GreyLord wrote:
I'll add that I just recently got Dark Chateau, and though I didn't cheat and read through it I did flip through and look at the pictures (I'm going to be a player on it, so I didn't really feel I should read through it).

I bring this up because I'd say the art in THAT is some of the best I've seen in a while. The art in that is phenomenal. Truthfully, this is a compliment, it was (in my opinion) awesome.

Elmore is great, I admit, but the resident C&C artist is well on his way to matching up if he keeps up this progression from what I saw in DC! (Once again in my opinion, seriously, the art about floored me, it was really good).

You do know that "Gideon Thorne" on these boards is the artist for C&C?

Peter also has some cool stuff on his website.

(Pointing up to the new Holloway cover)

Sexcellent!

Treebore wrote:
You do know that "Gideon Thorne" on these boards is the artist for C&C?

Peter also has some cool stuff on his website.

Yep.

Hopefully he reads what I wrote. I thought his art on DC was actually better than that in the PHB and M&T in my opinion (not that the others were bad by any mark, they were good too, but DC had some exceptional artwork).

I like old school (Holloway was always a favorite of mine) and new school - especially Wayne Reynolds.