Does anyone else think that our new cleric of Wee Jas has never looked hotter than when she is standing behind our iconic paladin, about to smack him with her mace on page 48?
Of course, actually its the doppleganger that is hot . . . hm.
Does anyone else think that our new cleric of Wee Jas has never looked hotter than when she is standing behind our iconic paladin, about to smack him with her mace on page 48?
Of course, actually its the doppleganger that is hot . . . hm.
Heh! I was considering leaving you hanging here and looking like some kind of weirdo ;). But you're right. Kind dangerous and seductive at the same time. Not sure which of the 3 artists credited are responsible, but great job guys!
Thanks James. I wanted to give proper credit but I couldn't track down which artist was responsible.
Oh, and it wouldn't be the first time I was left hanging to look like a freak, but its nice to not have to go through THAT again, lol.
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Regarding the artwork in issue #126 and #127, I'd say by and large it was too cartoony for my tastes.
Both covers, however, were excellent in my opinin. Both have a sense of action which is much preferred to a "pose". Even good covers (like Demogorgon) could be improved with some type of action surrounding the character. Intricate backgrounds also help create a sense of a game world. Having the cover of #126 reprinted on the back page was a bonus that I enjoyed.
In issue #126 specifically, I liked the illustration for the "Ecnounter at Blackwall Keep" adventure, for the most part. Still, the muted tones keep it from being a standout piece of art in my opinion. Deciphering the action is a somewhat sketchy proposition, and it doesn't serve well as a player visual.
The Spawn of Kyuss on page 27 just doesn't do it for me. It's okay, but not great. Somehow, the fearsome undead creates the impression of a hick yokel trying to finish in his outhouse before saying hello to company... Not really the intent I believe the artist was going for.
The picture on page 29 doesn't do much for me, either. The lack of detail, particularly in the repeated mushroom background makes it less than perfect. The image of the The otyugh is fairly distinct, but the level of detail is not quite as sharp in the lizardman figure, and the dead body also seems somewhat undefined. Still, I'd consider this decent.
Marzena appears to be okay on page 34. It certainly reminds me of a Russian or Byzantine inspired icon. Shukak, however, doesn't impress me much. He looks almost mechanical with the "plates" across his stomach. His head looks a little too small for his body, and his pose is simply goofy. I don't think he's going to intimidate any of my players with that picture.
The picture on page 37 doesn't do much for me either. The worms should be something terrifying. It looks like green slime from Nikelodeon. Still, it is on the "okay" side of the cartoony style I say I dislike.
THe Kyuss Spawnling works for me. It has a good level of detail in the significant part. I'd love to see an engaging background as well, but much of the art is simply an object or person without context. While I would prefer everything to be a complete picture, I don't expect that to change anytime soon.
Looking through all of the Clockwork Fortress stuff, I'm forced to admit it is better than I remember it being. So, most of the magazine is fine. The Blood of Malar, however, is all stuff I dislike. The opening picture, apparently, has a beholder that shoots yellow lazers that cause your body to transform into a potato patch. Scary!
The bloodroot on page 65 isn't bad, but unger doesn't look realistic. What's happening to his neck, anyway? Orlpar on page 68 is even worse. He could easily be Unger dressed as a dandy. The two could be identical twins. And while I don't follow the forgotten realms that closely, I'd consider myself more likely to see his suit on a Chicago Mobster from the prohibition era visiting Paris. That's not what my fantasy looks like.
Hala also doesn't look terribly realistic, and I find little to recommend it. Phusarra is perhaps a little better, but only becasuse the displacer beast cloak adds interest to an otherwise dull picture (that looks a lot like something out of the Obsidian Eye). I don't like Helmyn on page 73 with his freaky looking hand positions either. His expression just doesn't look menacing. Or maybe just too cliche.
Now, the Menagerie looks very cartoony. I understand that a comic artist is doing the art, but really, is that necessary? It might be a somewhat fun adventure, but I'd run it with a serious tone. That is impossible with a rust monster chewing on forks and knives.
Girddrez on page 94 is something I can show my players. So, that isn't a good picture. I'd love a background, but we've been over that before.
In 127 our first artwork begins with The Hive on page 16. The anime inspired hairstyle for the human in the pciture just doesn't work for me. The "Antz" inspired Formian design also doesn't impress me much. I'm not impressed with the art on page 26, and there is no way I'm showing anyone the artist's rendering of Hehranna.
The art for the Age of Wyrms has some good things going, but the muted pallet again detracts from the evisceral reaction it could cause. It feels "dreamlike" rather than spooky. The falling drow has no real sense of motion - instead appearing to be balancing on a narrow rope until you look more closely. No action = no interest. Something should obviously be happening. The same was true from the Age of Wyrms in issue #126. The lizard folk may have been talking, but nothing was going on.
Elligos is also not going to be shown to my players. I don't really use unnatural hair colors in my world. I hate them in real life, so I don't want them in my NPCs.
I'm going to disagree with the other posters about the art on page 48. The cleric of Wee Jas's eyes appear too slanted and her jawline too distorted. The picture on page 49 is somewhat better. Slightly cartoony, but within the bounds I've created in my own mind.
The art on page 55 doesn't excite me, 56 is good enough (though I don't particularly care for the way the tentacles are portrayed. For a good mindflayer, you can't beat the art on the cover of Dungeon issue #24. Well, you can - that picture the tentacles look too beak like, but still, I much prefer that vision to the one on 56.
The octopin on page 59 doesn't do muc for me either.
And we're back to Waterdeep, and the cartoon style comes in again. There are three NPCs - one on page 77, one on page 80, and one on page 86. I only like the Rakshasha on page 80. It is a full body pose, and there is a lot going on with it.
The art that introduces the adventure has poorly rendered gore and a general lack of detail.
So, while I don't want to make a big deal out of the interior art, I'd like to see better stuff. I love the cover art, and I know that not all of the art can be of quite such quality, but I'd really like more pictures that look "real". And this is true for Dragon as well.
For example, most of the items in Dragon use heavy "black lines" in defining objects. We all know that most objects don't have a heavy black line to define their borders.
You know what? Why not use photographs for some of the stuff? You know, like a sword. There are thousands of beautiful real swords that can be "altered" with photoshop to look magical and cool - and beyond that - "real".
So, the more realistic the art appears, the more I like it. I'm sure there will be some that prefer one style over another, or like variety. I don't. Artwork is a powerful way of making fantasy feel real. Any help I can get on that front I'll gladly take. I understand that the game is all make-believe, but I have a much easier time making it seem important when the players actually feel like they're looking at something their characters are seeing. And that's what has generally been lacking.
Lol, I love having kid players who roll on who keeps the picture of the cool looking monster. Well, after that at least.
DeadDMWalking, that was a rather lengthy response to "Hey do you guys think the cartoon chick is... uh, hot looking?" I think you needed your very own thread for such lengthy critquing. The kind we usually expect each month from GVDammerung.
Regarding the artwork in issue #126 and #127, I'd say by and large it was too cartoony for my tastes.
Both covers, however, were excellent in my opinin. Both have a sense of action which is much preferred to a "pose". Even good covers (like Demogorgon) could be improved with some type of action surrounding the character. Intricate backgrounds also help create a sense of a game world. Having the cover of #126 reprinted on the back page was a bonus that I enjoyed.
In issue #126 specifically, I liked the illustration for the "Ecnounter at Blackwall Keep" adventure, for the most part. Still, the muted tones keep it from being a standout piece of art in my opinion. Deciphering the action is a somewhat sketchy proposition, and it doesn't serve well as a player visual.
The Spawn of Kyuss on page 27 just doesn't do it for me. It's okay, but not great. Somehow, the fearsome undead creates the impression of a hick yokel trying to finish in his outhouse before saying hello to company... Not really the intent I believe the artist was going for.
The picture on page 29 doesn't do much for me, either. The lack of detail, particularly in the repeated mushroom background makes it less than perfect. The image of the The otyugh is fairly distinct, but the level of detail is not quite as sharp in the lizardman figure, and the dead body also seems somewhat undefined. Still, I'd consider this decent.
Marzena appears to be okay on page 34. It certainly reminds me of a Russian or Byzantine inspired icon. Shukak, however, doesn't impress me much. He looks almost mechanical with the "plates" across his stomach. His head looks a little too small for his body, and his pose is simply goofy. I don't think he's going to intimidate any of my players with that picture.
The picture on page 37 doesn't do much for me either. The worms should be something terrifying. It looks like green slime from Nikelodeon. Still, it is on the "okay" side of the cartoony style I say I dislike.
THe Kyuss Spawnling...
I just thought the cleric looked hot . . .
Hey James, let's keep those Steve Prescott illo's rolling in.
It doesn't ALL have to come off . . . er . . . I think I should go to bed now . . .
That is impossible with a rust monster chewing on forks and knives.
Just goes to show that you can't please everyone.
In regards to the art for the Menagerie:
I must say, if I ever get an adventure published in Dungeon, I DEFINITELY want Tony Mosely to illustrate it :)
My 3 year-old daughter was looking at my issue and started laughing uproariously. When I asked her what she was laughing at, she pointed to Tony's Rust Monster and said "He's eating forks! That's SOOO silly!"I agree, silly and great.
I figure there are more than enough realistic sources for the monsters in the Menagerie in the Monter Manual. The ravid, shocker lizard, rustmonster, darkmantle, and cockatrice all have what amounts to their defining pictorial moments in that book. Besides one can not argue with a 3-year-old's opinion.
GGG
As for the cleric. Not hot. That armor just doesn't look all that inviting. That and I have it on good authority that she can be a bit cold. Now, the tiefling fighter as depicted on the cover of 125. Here's a character that's as hot as hell (literally). Or how about the halfling spy from the cover of the Dragon "spy" issue. Since halflings have shed those last hobbit pounds and huge hair hobbit feet, every halfling has become a miniture Austrailian supermodel (with males being a bit Mad Maxy in attire). Any chance of a swimsuit/chainmail bikini issue? You can do one for those who prefer the more masculine types as well, just get whoever did the cover for the Dragon "vehicle rules" issue that came out like four years ago, with the mostly nude Apollo.
No really I read it for the crunchy articles not for the fluffy err - well, you know,
GGG
Does anyone else think that our new cleric of Wee Jas has never looked hotter than when she is standing behind our iconic paladin, about to smack him with her mace on page 48?
Of course, actually its the doppleganger that is hot . . . hm.
Did anyone else start thinking of the dirtiest comments and jokes they could say but then thought....."I better not post that." :) Maybe I really have made it back to 10 years old again.
Wasn't this cleric the one that had Wonder Woman armor just a few issues ago? Maybe I shouldn't post what I think about WW either. :)
--Ray.
Creative Director
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The cleric is the wonder woman clone from a few issues ago. The staff had said they had authorized a change to avoid the similarities.
Yup; going forward she'll be wearing red and black armor. I'm not sure when the change is going into effect; probably issue 129? Everything's still running together from the CURSE OF GEN CON.
I just don't like the cleric's armor. It is impractical (and if that is the goal, then by all means go with the classic chain mail bikini), and it looks silly, like some sort of superhero get up.
She should be wearing something that makes the reader instantly think, "Here is a cleric of a god of death. Not what the hell is wonder woman doing in this adventure. Changing the color won't help. She needs armor (form fitting if you want to cater to that) that is dark and gothic with her holy symbol etched in it. Dark and inevitable, like her deity.
I’m usually not one on critiquing art, (unless I’m b**!&ing about the horrible illustrations on the now gone Wil Save column…I can’t believe people are actually using those as avatars) but the Tiefling character also is also just silly looking. If she has horns, give her horns, not psycho eyebrows having a bad hair day.
ASEO out
I’m usually not one on critiquing art, (unless I’m b&~!&ing about the horrible illustrations on the now gone Wil Save column…I can’t believe people are actually using those as avatars) but the Tiefling character also is also just silly looking. If she has horns, give her horns, not psycho eyebrows having a bad hair day.
ASEO out
ROFL. I have to agree about the tee--hee--hee--hee--(cough, gasping for air)fling. "Psycho eyebrow." Heh.
If she has horns, give her horns, not psycho eyebrows having a bad hair day.
LOL! :) Psycho eyebrows! That's the perfect term to describe those....those....psycho eyebrows! I didn't have any words in my vocabulary to properly describe those things until today!
--Ray.
You guys are really weird...lol. Anyone feel this is the goofiest thread ever. Oh well I think if anyone takes the cake it would be the mummy on Dragon, lol.
You guys are really weird...lol. Anyone feel this is the goofiest thread ever. Oh well I think if anyone takes the cake it would be the mummy on Dragon, lol.
Would that be an example of a "Yummy Mummy?" ;P
I like to think of her as a Mummy I'd Like to Flank.
--Erik
Never thought I'd see a MILF reference here LOL.
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Does anyone else think that our new cleric of Wee Jas has never looked hotter than when she is standing behind our iconic paladin, about to smack him with her mace on page 48?
Having finally received my copy in the mail I was expecting something more...dramatic. The artwork is wonderful, as usual, throughout the magazine. Our Wonder Woman Wannabe just isn't a "Jessica Rabbit"...
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Creative Director
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Having finally received my copy in the mail I was expecting something more...dramatic. The artwork is wonderful, as usual, throughout the magazine. Our Wonder Woman Wannabe just isn't a "Jessica Rabbit"...
Of course... I prefer to think of Wonder Woman as a "Dungeon Wee Jas Cleric Wannabe..." ;-)