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Post by tdenmark on Sept 7, 2023 12:44:41 GMT -6
the Dark Fantasy/DungeonPunk look for FR during the 3.0 period Ugh, the DungeonPunk aesthetic was terrible. That was the influence of Wayne Reynolds, a truly remarkable and amazing artist, but people trying to emulate him created that awful DungeonPunk look. The WotC art directors encouraged it, unfortunately. So glad that era is over. |
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Parzival
Level 6 Magician
Is a little Stir Crazy this year...
Posts: 401
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Post by Parzival on Sept 7, 2023 13:56:09 GMT -6
the Dark Fantasy/DungeonPunk look for FR during the 3.0 period Ugh, the DungeonPunk aesthetic was terrible. That was the influence of Wayne Reynolds, a truly remarkable and amazing artist, but people trying to emulate him created that awful DungeonPunk look. The WotC art directors encouraged it, unfortunately. So glad that era is over. Yegads, I hated that stuff. The “leather armor” wound up looking like S&M bondage gear. There was one image with a female thief (I think) holding some sort of elliptical stick that had apparently blown up in her face, covering it with soot. I gathered it was supposed to be funny, but it looked like she’d taken a puff from the wrong end of a giant joint. In any case, it was bad art— turned me off from ever taking 3e seriously. 5e is only marginally better. The absurd “pop idol” look is still all over the 5e PHB. Characters play and carry lutes like they’re rock guitars. Several images look like the subject is posing for a snapshot. And the armor remains ridiculous— overdone, overblown, and quite frankly probably impossible to move in if actually constructed and worn. By all the Immortals, WotC art sucks. Gimme Tramp any day of the week over that carp. [/rant] I feel much better now… |
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Post by tkdco2 on Sept 7, 2023 14:56:45 GMT -6
I also hated the d20 art. Everything looked so impractical and over the top. Did the artists have a fetish for belt buckles?
That said, the 3e Forgotten Realms Sourcebook is a great product. Not a fan of 3e, but I would use that book after a few conversions to AD&D.
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Post by jeffb on Sept 7, 2023 19:11:16 GMT -6
the Dark Fantasy/DungeonPunk look for FR during the 3.0 period Ugh, the DungeonPunk aesthetic was terrible. That was the influence of Wayne Reynolds, a truly remarkable and amazing artist, but people trying to emulate him created that awful DungeonPunk look. The WotC art directors encouraged it, unfortunately. So glad that era is over. Lockwood and Sam Wood were the big names I guess for the core books (and early FR products) and neither were my cup of tea really. Wayne had his moments- I think a fair amount of his B&W art in the 3.0 DMG was simple but enjoyable (he also did some good B&W work in the late 2E "rebirth" GH products). I didn't care for much of his work as he became more prolific circa 2K2 and beyond. |
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Post by tdenmark on Sept 7, 2023 21:01:40 GMT -6
Lockwood and Sam Wood were the big names I guess for the core books (and early FR products) and neither were my cup of tea really. Wayne had his moments- I think a fair amount of his B&W art in the 3.0 DMG was simple but enjoyable (he also did some good B&W work in the late 2E "rebirth" GH products). I didn't care for much of his work as he became more prolific circa 2K2 and beyond. Todd Lockwood is an excellent artist, it is strange that the art for 3.0 was so bad. I don't think he is to blame for the DungeonPunk look. |
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Post by jeffb on Sept 8, 2023 3:53:39 GMT -6
Lockwood and Sam Wood were the big names I guess for the core books (and early FR products) and neither were my cup of tea really. Wayne had his moments- I think a fair amount of his B&W art in the 3.0 DMG was simple but enjoyable (he also did some good B&W work in the late 2E "rebirth" GH products). I didn't care for much of his work as he became more prolific circa 2K2 and beyond. Todd Lockwood is an excellent artist, it is strange that the art for 3.0 was so bad. I don't think he is to blame for the DungeonPunk look. No of course not. They were given a direction to go in. I'm certainly not blaming any of the artists in particular, just stating my dislike (being nice here) for said "direction". |
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Post by machfront on Sept 8, 2023 7:35:29 GMT -6
I dunno. I’m ambivalent. I kinda like the idea that ‘random fantasy world’ armor/aesthetics won’t exactly mirror our own. I strongly dislike it if it and weapons are outrageously bizarre, but if they’re not outrageous and still being nigh analogs, I’m okay with.
Having said that, when I saw the illios of 3rd, I liked a few….but…the problem I had was that they ALL were of that nature. I’d have rather a mix of that and…well…whatever else, too.
I certainly have never seen nor heard anyone take Erol Otus, or Russ Nicholson, to name only two, to task over their representations of weapons and armor. Ya know?
🤷♂️
Also….goodness. I cannot believe I’m kinda sorta having to defend 3rd ed. art. Haha!
You’d never have made me believe that before! 😁
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Post by geoffrey on Sept 8, 2023 8:34:48 GMT -6
The Great Ones: Russ Nicholson Erol Otus Dave Sutherland Dave Trampier Thom Wham  |
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Post by tdenmark on Sept 8, 2023 18:26:05 GMT -6
The Great Ones: Russ Nicholson Erol Otus Dave Sutherland Dave Trampier Thom Wham Yes, we all agree. Not in that specific order, but we all agree. |
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skars
Level 6 Magician
Posts: 407
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Post by skars on Sept 8, 2023 22:26:15 GMT -6
The Great Ones: Russ Nicholson Erol Otus Dave Sutherland Dave Trampier Thom Wham Yes, we all agree. Not in that specific order, but we all agree. I think I'd toss a couple of the "Oldhammer johns" (John Sibbick & John Blanche) and probably Tony Ackland into the mix for my great list. I'm glad we have these publications available again in pdf. |
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Post by tdenmark on Sept 9, 2023 0:52:08 GMT -6
Yes, we all agree. Not in that specific order, but we all agree. I think I'd toss a couple of the "Oldhammer johns" (John Sibbick & John Blanche) and probably Tony Ackland into the mix for my great list. I'm glad we have these publications available again in pdf. Bill Willingham is underrated.  |
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Post by jeffb on Sept 9, 2023 6:02:10 GMT -6
Before I found D&D in the late 70s, my fantasy fix was S&S comics (and I read all kinds of war comics and some supers too). DCS and Tramp, Erol and Darlene (and Bell, if I'm honest) are great, but Willingham, Roslof, and Dee were my absolute favorites of the classic TSR artists and loved the S&S comic style art they brought to D&D ..as well as Gamma World, Top Secret, the minigames, etc. The late 79 to 82-ish era of TSR products just resonate the most with me, aesthetically.
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Post by machfront on Sept 9, 2023 6:36:22 GMT -6
Never see him mentioned, but I really love Pillsbury’s more serious art.
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Post by geoffrey on Sept 9, 2023 11:18:14 GMT -6
The Great Ones: Russ Nicholson Erol Otus Dave Sutherland Dave Trampier Thom Wham Yes, we all agree. Not in that specific order, but we all agree. Yeah, I put them in alphabetical order rather than trying to rank them.  Let's see: I like Sutherland and Trampier best for AD&D. I like Nicholson best for the undead. I like Otus best for weird fantasy (such as module S3). I like Wham best for OD&D. |
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