Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Aug 27, 2003 18:37:03	Now I'm not one to criticize art often... an artist myself, I appreciate vast ranges of art styles and normally do not fault them. However, I have to admit that I am a bit disappointed in the artwork in the new DL Core Book. It's not completely horrid or anything, but it is simply lacking IMHO. I can't put my finger on what I'm not liking, but it just feels... I don't know... uninspired and not up to the standard of the other contemporary WotC products (as well as contemporary DL artwork evidenced in previous products including novels)... What do you think?
#2 zombiegleemax Aug 27, 2003 18:42:02	Especially after the artwork we have seen in previous DL supplements (maybe we were spoiled by Easley, Caldwell and Elmore to name a few). I was a little disappointed after seeing the new direction and artwork for the other Wizards campaign settings (such as Forgotten Realms and the core books) and was looking forward to seeing a revamped take on the DL art. Sadly it was not to be... Arandur
#3 sweetmeats Aug 27, 2003 19:02:08	For the most part its pretty good but there are a couple stinky pieces of artwork. Kender. Page 30. - Half pig creatures it seems. We should have had an Elmore Tasslehoff picture here. Rigteous Zealot. Page 84. For a religious zealot, this guy looks about to commit suicide or something. Draconians. These could have been better. Only the Aurak and Sivak look any good. Minotaur of Krynn. Page 226. Dear Lord! This looks like a mangy teddybear that has been abandoned in the attic for the last 50 years! So much for big fearsome warriors. Skeleton Warrior. Page 229. I have never seen a fat skeleton before. Talk about being big boned! I thought the maps were top notch though. Done by the same artist who did the FR maps if I'm not mistaken.
#4 zombiegleemax Aug 27, 2003 20:16:35	I will agree that I enjoy very little of the artwork. None of my friends like the artwork very much either. Of coarse there is some great art in the book but some of it ie..the Minotaurs, the Ogre-kin, the Halfling err I mean Kender just made me weep.
#5 talinthas Aug 27, 2003 21:37:32	on the other hand, i love the elves in the front and the kender with child in the back.
#6 cam_banks Aug 27, 2003 22:40:46	It's better than the artwork in Tales of the Lance, almost all of which was recycled from other DL products. The DLCS art is all original. Cheers, Cam
#7 sweetmeats Aug 28, 2003 6:50:46	Originally posted by talinthas on the other hand, i love the elves in the front and the kender with child in the back. Aye. I agree. The elves picture is very good. Maybe the Sov Stone releases will have better artwork.
#8 zombiegleemax Aug 28, 2003 7:29:38	I like the artwork and I don't. That's a weird explanation but, well... It's good, don't get me wrong. But I guess when I looked at a lot of the artwork, I was just... I dunno, disappointed. Like the things depicted didn't really seem like I pictured them. At all. Or like I saw them decribed. The Kender, the Knights, and a bucnh of others. That said, there's quite a bit of nice artwork in the book, too. Foremost in my mind is Elmore's centaur, and not just because it was Elmore ;) I realized that after I went 'Oooo'. Anyway, it's a start, and it's not as horrid as it could be. Good work, original work, just not stellar. And we all are spoiled, I think.
#9 sweetmeats Aug 28, 2003 7:34:01	Originally posted by The Udjat Like the things depicted didn't really seem like I pictured them. At all. Or like I saw them decribed. The Kender, the Knights, and a bucnh of others. When one of my players saw the artwork for the Solamnic Knights he laughed and said they looked more like vicious mercenaries than honourable knights.
#10 zombiegleemax Aug 28, 2003 7:40:13	While I don't disagree with the views expressed here so far, the Draconians I thought, in particular, were very poorly done. Good artwork cost $$$. For whatever reason, those $$$ were not spent on interior art for this book.
#11 zombiegleemax Aug 28, 2003 8:55:03	Bad art, with the exception of the centaur...I remember good black&white artwork in Dragonlance adventures!!
#12 zombiegleemax Aug 30, 2003 15:06:02	OMG the artwork was horrendous. Seriously, the people who drew those got paid money for that... To tell the truth I could have gathered a better assortment of illustrations in a snap... I approve like 2 out of 10 pictures thats it. I agree with whoever said we were spoiled, I mean all previous DL works had great artwork, this was just below sub-par. Why dammit WHY!!!!!!!
#13 talinthas Aug 30, 2003 15:56:56	chris assures me that the rest of the books will have better art, and if AoM is any indication, i have faith in that statement =)
#14 sweetmeats Aug 30, 2003 16:03:35	Originally posted by Apocalyp$e Why dammit WHY!!!!!!! Because its a WotC book and not Sov Stone!
#15 The_White_Sorcerer Aug 30, 2003 17:12:44	Two words: Brass dragon. And what's up with the holy symbols of Paladine and Takhisis?
#16 Matthew_L._Martin Aug 30, 2003 17:26:12	Originally posted by The White Sorcerer And what's up with the holy symbols of Paladine and Takhisis? Back to basics. Those are the symbols given for them in DL5 _Dragons of Mystery_, the original DL sourcebook, and have remained constant in the game material. Matthew L. Martin
#17 zombiegleemax Aug 30, 2003 17:27:06	Yeah the artwork was...pretty horrid. [sarcasm]I LOVED the new look of Dragonlance and Staff of Magius [/sarcasm].
#18 zombiegleemax Aug 30, 2003 17:38:18	The Kagonesti picture is quite good, but why does one have a beard? Doesn't look like an half-elf so what...? The other pictures are OK, a little bit of manga-style i think, but could be better.
#19 The_White_Sorcerer Aug 30, 2003 17:53:37	But those aren't the holy symbols they used in the novels. Paladine had a platinum dragon and Takhisis had a five-headed dragon. Originally posted by Erisanthalasa The other pictures are OK, a little bit of manga-style i think, but could be better. Name one picture in the book that is even remotely "manga-style."
#20 talinthas Aug 30, 2003 17:54:04	its not a pic of just kagonesti =) there are three elves and a half elf, hanging out in the woods. one of each race =) and personally, i liked the knights and mages art =)
#21 zombiegleemax Aug 30, 2003 22:37:11	Originally posted by Erisanthalasa The Kagonesti picture is quite good, but why does one have a beard? Doesn't look like an half-elf so what...? hehe that's funny, you know I just said the same thing to myself not half an hour ago.... But I just figured it was a half -elf... thats the only explanation, and if you look at the picture it does look like he is all depressed, and alone while the rest of the elves chat it up...
#22 daedavias_dup Aug 30, 2003 23:34:25	My least favorite art piece in the book is actually the gold dragon in the monsters section. It looks like a dog of some sort. I much prefer the cover version of them. I do agree that the brass dragon looks like it was made out of play-doh though(he's awful small too, considering its holding a kender). The book does have quite a bit of potential though, the race pictures are all nice(except the teddy bear who thinks he's a minotaur), most of the monsters are good. My favorite picture is that of Verminaard, though he has a morningstar, I thought Nightbringer was a mace.
#23 zombiegleemax Aug 31, 2003 9:17:58	Originally posted by Daedavias My least favorite art piece in the book is actually the gold dragon in the monsters section. It looks like a dog of some sort. I much prefer the cover version of them. I do agree that the brass dragon looks like it was made out of play-doh though(he's awful small too, considering its holding a kender). The book does have quite a bit of potential though, the race pictures are all nice(except the teddy bear who thinks he's a minotaur), most of the monsters are good. My favorite picture is that of Verminaard, though he has a morningstar, I thought Nightbringer was a mace. You relise that Dragons are not born huge right ?
#24 daedavias_dup Aug 31, 2003 19:36:55	Originally posted by Insta_AxE_Toast You relise that Dragons are not born huge right ? Still, Play-Doh. Seems more like a shameless plug by Hasbro to me...
#25 dragontooth Aug 31, 2003 20:59:44	Will have to agree with the rest.. the fart-work was horrible. Except a couple... The minotaur picture looked like it could go into a milk commercials. "Got Milk?"
#26 sweetmeats Sep 01, 2003 6:32:05	Originally posted by talinthas and personally, i liked the knights and mages art =) The knights are ok... mages... the black robed mage looks like a honey... Maybe being evil is good for you.
#27 zombiegleemax Sep 01, 2003 11:30:00	Wow, I didn't realize so many people were so down on the new artwork - not all of it is what I wanted, but I wouldn't call any of it (well, very little) downright bad. I think that most of it is better than the art in the 3E PHB. I was extremely pleased overall with the dragon artwork in the Creatures of Ansalon section. I was so glad to see the metallic dragons depicted with normal wings instead of the 3rd edition dimetrodon-type spiny sail-wings. The brass dragon looked a bit weird, but then I've never been a fan of the mercurial-style depiction of metallic dragon skin (even though a lot of good DL artwork has featured dragons painted in this style). All of them but the blue dragon are exhibiting distinctive personalities - I love how the silver dragon seems to be mourning the passing of a mortal, and the gold dragon is perched like a guardian against the forces of evil. You can tell by looking at each of the evil dragons that they are more than just roaring monsters, and possess a cunning and intelligence befitting creatures of their status. I'd say that on the whole minotaurs got the worst treatment art-wise, followed by the spellcasters. Taladas: The Minotaurs featured some fantastic black and white artwork which illustrated the power, personality, and intelligence of the species. The minotaurs in DLCS, on the other hand, look kind of like scruffy, underfed, confused minotaurs. Even the skeletal warrior minotaur was kind of underwhelming. The reason I focus on this is because it seems like minotaurs are going to play a much greater part in the post WoS fifth age.
#28 zombiegleemax Sep 01, 2003 13:07:07	Yeah, I am glad they didn't have their wings all mussed up, and I am glad they didn't have the gold dragon drawn in they ***/chinese style either... I still found all the pictures horrible though, the black dragon I think was the only accecptable one. After looking at those dragons drawn in the monster manual, I expected so much more....
#29 zombiegleemax Sep 03, 2003 6:10:12	I didn't think the artwork was all that bad - as a matter of fact, I think it compares quite favourably with most of the silly cartoon characters that we had to endure in the Core and Forgotten Realms books... The cover art is downright magnificent, especially in Age of Mortals and future releases.