Ravenloft's New Artists - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Ravenloft's New Artists

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Sep 17, 2005 15:46:08 If the rumors are true that WotC is intending to put out a few Ravenloft products, they'll need horror artists for the theme behind the setting.
Back when TSR did RL, the art was less scary. Most of it was generic and only conveyed so much horror.
Today, WotC has some of the best artists ever. In my opinion, Ravenloft could come back with a bang with artists like W. England, W. Reynolds, J. Wayshak, D. Ormston, and F. Irving.
This is just my opinion, but what do you think?
#2
zombiegleemax
Sep 17, 2005 20:07:36 Au contraire; Stephen Fabian's vision of Ravenloft (his style) is still unmatched, and we're talkin' TALENT since...
#3
zombiegleemax
Sep 17, 2005 20:12:36
If the rumors are true that WotC is intending to put out a few Ravenloft products,...

What rumors are those? I've heard nothing of the sort, beyond the yearly January Dragon magazine tribute to discontinued settings.
#4
RunningWilder
Sep 17, 2005 20:39:24 It's the rumor that Wizards took back the rights in order to do something with it, which is false. There's also a guy on the White Wolf Ravenloft forum that claims he's going to try to go into negotiations to bring the line back into production, but I doubt anything is going to come of it. If he asks on a public forum how much the old company paid for the rights (something they obviously aren't going to tell) just to be told to talk to WotC directly (something that apparently hadn't occured to him) then I doubt he has the business accumen to actually make a go of it.

Other than those rumors, there's nothing.
#5
zombiegleemax
Sep 17, 2005 21:26:32
It's the rumor that Wizards took back the rights in order to do something with it, which is false. There's also a guy on the White Wolf Ravenloft forum that claims he's going to try to go into negotiations to bring the line back into production, but I doubt anything is going to come of it. If he asks on a public forum how much the old company paid for the rights (something they obviously aren't going to tell) just to be told to talk to WotC directly (something that apparently hadn't occured to him) then I doubt he has the business accumen to actually make a go of it.

Other than those rumors, there's nothing.

It's only a rumor?
Hmm...seemed too good to be true.
(By the way, your quote in your sig sounds familiar. I'm wondering if you're part of my D&D group...)
#6
RunningWilder
Sep 17, 2005 21:46:33
It's only a rumor?
Hmm...seemed too good to be true.
(By the way, your quote in your sig sounds familiar. I'm wondering if you're part of my D&D group...)

Wish that it were true, but it isn't.

(As I haven't played in many DnD games (more of a DM than a player)I doubt that you're in my group. Sounds like my kind of game though, ;))
#7
zombiegleemax
Sep 19, 2005 4:14:44 I myself was, and still am...a great fan of Stephen Fabian's work. I feel that his art matches the mood of Ravenloft perfectly.
#8
zombiegleemax
Sep 19, 2005 7:11:30 Fabian was an excellent artist, but sometimes when it came to gnarlier creatures and monsters, his style looked... well, too soft. Compare his drawings of flesh golems and the Three Hags of Tepest with, say, Kevin McCann's: Fabian's tend to look like melting wax or clay, even if they're not supposed to be made of such.

Personally, if WotC was going to do any new Ravenloft stuff they could do worse than to re-hire McCann (who IIRC did an illustration for Monster Manual II that showed he's still got the right stuff) and Todd Lockwood, who not only did some of the best illustrations for the Player's Handbook but also did the excellent cover for Ravenloft's Carnival.
#9
zombiegleemax
Sep 19, 2005 15:22:09 Okay, let me refraise my statement.

Fabian's art was terrific and I wont argue at all there, but I just think that some of the artists I mentioned can add a little more horror than he did.
(Their styles just seem different.)
#10
zombiegleemax
Sep 19, 2005 17:30:37 Depending on what form of horror, yes. All bias aside.

And because horror is so, uhmm, baseless(?), a menagerie of artists should've always been THE focus of Ravenloft's art direction. It seems that this was never the case. First they were focused on Fabian, then Talon.

Assign the differing visions of horror to artists that are able to express it well. Not just "one for all". Concentrated Gothic (the Unknown), gore (the Visceral), Lovecraftian (the Unimaginable), Blake (the Religious)...mixed with art that depicts realism; for portraits, landscape and the like.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Sep 17, 2005 15:46:08	If the rumors are true that WotC is intending to put out a few Ravenloft products, they'll need horror artists for the theme behind the setting. Back when TSR did RL, the art was less scary. Most of it was generic and only conveyed so much horror. Today, WotC has some of the best artists ever. In my opinion, Ravenloft could come back with a bang with artists like W. England, W. Reynolds, J. Wayshak, D. Ormston, and F. Irving. This is just my opinion, but what do you think?
#2 zombiegleemax Sep 17, 2005 20:07:36	Au contraire; Stephen Fabian's vision of Ravenloft (his style) is still unmatched, and we're talkin' TALENT since...
#3 zombiegleemax Sep 17, 2005 20:12:36	If the rumors are true that WotC is intending to put out a few Ravenloft products,... What rumors are those? I've heard nothing of the sort, beyond the yearly January Dragon magazine tribute to discontinued settings.
#4 RunningWilder Sep 17, 2005 20:39:24	It's the rumor that Wizards took back the rights in order to do something with it, which is false. There's also a guy on the White Wolf Ravenloft forum that claims he's going to try to go into negotiations to bring the line back into production, but I doubt anything is going to come of it. If he asks on a public forum how much the old company paid for the rights (something they obviously aren't going to tell) just to be told to talk to WotC directly (something that apparently hadn't occured to him) then I doubt he has the business accumen to actually make a go of it. Other than those rumors, there's nothing.
#5 zombiegleemax Sep 17, 2005 21:26:32	It's the rumor that Wizards took back the rights in order to do something with it, which is false. There's also a guy on the White Wolf Ravenloft forum that claims he's going to try to go into negotiations to bring the line back into production, but I doubt anything is going to come of it. If he asks on a public forum how much the old company paid for the rights (something they obviously aren't going to tell) just to be told to talk to WotC directly (something that apparently hadn't occured to him) then I doubt he has the business accumen to actually make a go of it. Other than those rumors, there's nothing. It's only a rumor? Hmm...seemed too good to be true. (By the way, your quote in your sig sounds familiar. I'm wondering if you're part of my D&D group...)
#6 RunningWilder Sep 17, 2005 21:46:33	It's only a rumor? Hmm...seemed too good to be true. (By the way, your quote in your sig sounds familiar. I'm wondering if you're part of my D&D group...) Wish that it were true, but it isn't. (As I haven't played in many DnD games (more of a DM than a player)I doubt that you're in my group. Sounds like my kind of game though, ;))
#7 zombiegleemax Sep 19, 2005 4:14:44	I myself was, and still am...a great fan of Stephen Fabian's work. I feel that his art matches the mood of Ravenloft perfectly.
#8 zombiegleemax Sep 19, 2005 7:11:30	Fabian was an excellent artist, but sometimes when it came to gnarlier creatures and monsters, his style looked... well, too soft. Compare his drawings of flesh golems and the Three Hags of Tepest with, say, Kevin McCann's: Fabian's tend to look like melting wax or clay, even if they're not supposed to be made of such. Personally, if WotC was going to do any new Ravenloft stuff they could do worse than to re-hire McCann (who IIRC did an illustration for Monster Manual II that showed he's still got the right stuff) and Todd Lockwood, who not only did some of the best illustrations for the Player's Handbook but also did the excellent cover for Ravenloft's Carnival.
#9 zombiegleemax Sep 19, 2005 15:22:09	Okay, let me refraise my statement. Fabian's art was terrific and I wont argue at all there, but I just think that some of the artists I mentioned can add a little more horror than he did. (Their styles just seem different.)
#10 zombiegleemax Sep 19, 2005 17:30:37	Depending on what form of horror, yes. All bias aside. And because horror is so, uhmm, baseless(?), a menagerie of artists should've always been THE focus of Ravenloft's art direction. It seems that this was never the case. First they were focused on Fabian, then Talon. Assign the differing visions of horror to artists that are able to express it well. Not just "one for all". Concentrated Gothic (the Unknown), gore (the Visceral), Lovecraftian (the Unimaginable), Blake (the Religious)...mixed with art that depicts realism; for portraits, landscape and the like.