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Post by geoffrey on Aug 31, 2010 8:42:32 GMT -6
It occurred to me yesterday that what mostly happens is that we writers turn in articles, then the artists illustrate them. What if we sometimes turn that around?
In its early days, The Dragon would have an illustration of a monster, and then writers would write a D&D description of the monster based on the illustration. Wouldn't it be cool for artists to have a thread here in which they post illustrations, and if a writer were inspired by it, he could write a description, module, or whatnot based on the illustration?
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Post by coffee on Aug 31, 2010 9:52:43 GMT -6
I say go for it! Inspiration, from whatever source, is always a good thing.
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Post by tavis on Aug 31, 2010 9:56:26 GMT -6
I have an essay I've been meaning to write for FO! that would go well with this very cool idea. The gist of the essay is using illustrations to improv tricks & traps during a session, where normally you have a pre-defined trap, for example a falling block behind a secret door, but as players interact with it you have to make up on the fly all the details about what it looks like - how the secret door is hidden, how it opens, what the mechanism for the block is, etc.
The technique I've used at some convention games is to bring illustrations that do the opposite - they pre-define the details of what it looks like, and as players interact with the visual scene you show them with the illustration, you improv the hidden workings of what's going on behind the scene.
What a DM using this technique does seems similar to me to what writers do in creating to an illustrations, and it relates interestingly to howandwhy99's thesis that D&D is a game of uncovering information that starts out hidden to the players but known to the DM; does it matter which kernel of pre-planned info the DM uses to extrapolate the rest?
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Post by kelvingreen on Aug 31, 2010 11:21:13 GMT -6
Excellent ideas! I'll have a think.
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Post by calithena on Aug 31, 2010 12:48:41 GMT -6
I work on Fight On! magazine, and I endorse this idea.
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Post by littlewars on Sept 1, 2010 0:58:45 GMT -6
With Calithena's endorsement, here you go Geoffrey; let's see some stats ;D  |
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jensen
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 111
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Post by jensen on Sept 1, 2010 2:52:52 GMT -6
It occurred to me yesterday that what mostly happens is that we writers turn in articles, then the artists illustrate them. What if we sometimes turn that around? In its early days, The Dragon would have an illustration of a monster, and then writers would write a D&D description of the monster based on the illustration. Wouldn't it be cool for artists to have a thread here in which they post illustrations, and if a writer were inspired by it, he could write a description, module, or whatnot based on the illustration? Ahem... I believe that this idea has been aired in the past, with little success...  Let's hope it catches on this time! Here's a portrait I made of a Halfling Wizard character in an existing game, complete with weasel familiar.  If someone comes up with a clever idea to use the drawing for, feel free to send it to calithena.  EDIT: Oh, and littlewars? GREAT drawing, btw!  |
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Post by kesher on Sept 1, 2010 9:42:08 GMT -6
Oh, this is toooooo cool. And also, huh, I don't think I ever saw that other thread!
So, yeah, let's keep it going----I'll dig through my sketchbooks tonight...
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jasons
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 111
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Post by jasons on Sept 1, 2010 14:02:24 GMT -6
In a related note, I think writers and publishers would be better served offering up manuscripts to artists (which they will of course dutifully read!) and then ask the artists to draw whatever they find most intriguing. This method allows the artist to work toward his or her strengths and with real inspiration, as opposed to trying to interpret someone else's notion of what makes a good picture. You'd get better work, I'd wager. Big companies could probably never operate in this fashion, but in the realm of DIY projects people should give this a shot. Writers often have ideas for visuals, and this is cool too, but giving an artist free reign to go with their gut might just make everyone happier, especially with volunteer/low pay work. Just a thought....
I'd like to participate in this experiment as well. I'll see if I can come up with anything to post.
jensen: Despite his seemingly sunny disposition, my psychic powers tell me that hobbit wizard is actually quite an ass.
littlewars: Being a cartoonist myself, I like to imagine that I have a decent eye for styles. Have I seen your work in comics? Very nice stuff.
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Post by kelvingreen on Sept 7, 2010 14:56:39 GMT -6
I've taken a different approach, and mine's not a monster as such. I don't know what's going on in this picture; perhaps one of our writers does?  (This is a screen resolution image; if it makes it into the magazine, I can provide a version more suited to printing.) |
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Post by greengoat on Sept 30, 2010 15:49:30 GMT -6
Hello FIGHT ONers, My name is Greengoat, and I am a member of the New York Redbox in NYC. redbox.wikidot.com/Several of my friends that I play with there have published material in FO in the past and they encouraged me to submit artwork for use in a Fight On publication. They generally enjoy the doodles that I make at the play table and I thought it would be fun to start having some work published. Although I am a long-time artist, I am also a very inexperienced illustrator with only a couple pieces ready in the portfolio that could work in print publication. So I thought it would be best to introduce myself here in the art-first/writing-second thread instead of volunteering in the submission thread right away. Attached is an overview of a pig-centric fantasy town that I named Pigdivot when I was drawing it. But I will leave the exact name and story up to any writer who wants to use it. Or it can just be used as a random freebie map in a future issue of FO. Higher quality scan available, thanks for your time, and sorry for the large image.  |
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Post by kelvingreen on Sept 30, 2010 16:12:04 GMT -6
Welcome, Greengoat!
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jasons
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 111
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Post by jasons on Sept 30, 2010 16:40:19 GMT -6
A good post for this topic, greengoat. How can one look at your pic and not start thinking of rationales? Are the swine sacred like cows in India, or do the gentle pigskin tunic-wearing folk of Hogtown dine on nothing but pig-products? And what terrible forces seek to grind bacon production to a halt?
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Post by coffee on Sept 30, 2010 21:29:03 GMT -6
Who could come up with a better name than Pigdivot! That's awesome! As awesome as the drawing.
Welcome aboard!
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Post by greengoat on Oct 1, 2010 9:19:29 GMT -6
Thanks for the welcome folks.
I guess when I was drawing it, I was thinking of a model of the most backwater town imaginable that specializes in a lowly economy that would also be the base town for exploration of near-by ruins. But, like I said, this the is a writer's court now if they can handle the bronze pig statue in the center of town.
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Post by crusssdaddy on Oct 1, 2010 12:41:21 GMT -6
I'd love to take a crack at putting something together for this, if no one has claimed it already. The upriver Pig-Haves vs. the downstream Pig-Haven'ts seems like fertile ground to explore...
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Post by retriever on Oct 1, 2010 15:32:59 GMT -6
I, too, think that map is awesome. Reminds me of a Carcassonne game in progress.
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Post by calithena on Oct 1, 2010 16:02:14 GMT -6
Pigdivot is awesome. Welcome, greengoat!
All the pictures in this thread are articles waiting to happen. I may even write some of them myself, but I wouldn't at all mind getting beaten to it...
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ant
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 243
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Post by ant on Oct 2, 2010 0:34:57 GMT -6
Yoink! Map already borrowed to use in my next D&D game! I love it, greengoat. Very cool. |
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Post by greengoat on Oct 2, 2010 9:38:41 GMT -6
Yoink! Map already borrowed to use in my next D&D game!
Excellent.
Thanks again for the welcome and the positive feedback everybody.
Someone claim it so I can be vain and say I have been published. ;D
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Post by crusssdaddy on Oct 3, 2010 8:27:24 GMT -6
Thanks again for the welcome and the positive feedback everybody. Someone claim it so I can be vain and say I have been published. ;D Consider it claimed, if you don't mind. I already sent Cal an email about statting up the town for issue #11. |
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Post by greengoat on Oct 3, 2010 9:49:51 GMT -6
Cool, looking forward to it.
Let me know if you want me to key up any locations with numbers and I will work the photoshop dark arts upon it.
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Post by crusssdaddy on Oct 4, 2010 13:07:09 GMT -6
Cool, looking forward to it. Let me know if you want me to key up any locations with numbers and I will work the photoshop dark arts upon it. That would be great. Once I have an outline of the key, I'll let you know - can I email you at the address on your profile? |
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Post by greengoat on Oct 5, 2010 13:23:26 GMT -6
That would be great. Once I have an outline of the key, I'll let you know - can I email you at the address on your profile? Sure, that would be great. |
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Post by crusssdaddy on Jan 17, 2011 14:31:35 GMT -6
In a comments thread on Zak Sabbath's blog, this idea was declared to have "fizzled." I would like to point out that the first article born from this 'Art first/writing second' thread - regarding the curious village of Pigdivot - will be a part of the forthcoming issue of Fight On!
So, while this thread has been tucked onto page two for a little while, I think the declaration that it has fizzled is a bit precipitous.
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Post by kelvingreen on Jan 17, 2011 15:05:26 GMT -6
My mistake. To my shame, I had forgotten about Pigdivot. Still, we can do better than one article, can't we? |
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Post by calithena on Jan 17, 2011 20:18:10 GMT -6
As Crussdaddy says, Pigdivot approacheth. Plus, we can do it again any time. It has been a little quiet around here lately. But we never stop fighting on.....
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jasons
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 111
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Post by jasons on Jan 19, 2011 12:25:03 GMT -6
This fellow may be the high priest of a sasquatch UFO death cult...then again perhaps not...it's up to you, the writer.  |
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Post by vito on Jan 19, 2011 14:32:27 GMT -6
I'd like to see what monsters and traps would populate this tower  |
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Post by calithena on Jan 19, 2011 14:35:49 GMT -6
I've taken a different approach, and mine's not a monster as such. I don't know what's going on in this picture; perhaps one of our writers does? (This is a screen resolution image; if it makes it into the magazine, I can provide a version more suited to printing.) This seems like a great image to inspire a short spells/magic article, if anyone's game.... oh, also, those last two images rock! Someone should take those up for issue 12! |
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Let's hope it catches on this time! 
If someone comes up with a clever idea to use the drawing for, feel free to send it to calithena.
