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Old 07-07-2018, 06:50 PM   #21
Ronbo
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Default Re: The Fantasy Trip Legacy Edition Cover Sketch

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Originally Posted by Nebless View Post
I actually like the new one better. Something about the Wizard in the old cover always threw me off.
The new one seems very cluttered. The old one had a clean presentation. At a glance the action is apparent. With the new one, you have to stare. And what you get: Farrah Fawcett at the top, and a warrior on the left whose body posture does not properly convey the delivery of great force downward with a mace... Oh well.
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Old 07-07-2018, 07:04 PM   #22
Dave Crowell
 
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip Legacy Edition Cover Sketch

I like the tie in to the Melee and Wizard cover art.

The battle axe on the right most orc looks a little silly, the haft is too skinny I think. Also the mace swing looks awkward.

But I think this is headed in the right direction.
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Old 07-08-2018, 12:03 AM   #23
Jim Kane
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip Legacy Edition Cover Sketch

Frank Frazetta - the penultimate master of fantasy art - was quite clear in his oral dissertations regarding capturing "the moment", and it is essentially paraphrased as: the *moment just before* the hammer on the revolver falls, the *moment just before* the big cat pounces from it's overhanging perch, the *moment just before the sword finds the enemy's skull - THAT, it the essential moment of greatest dramatic pull on the viewer and the moment which fires the imagination to engage and project the immediate next moment, and what draws the viewer into the picture, and what makes *the moment* come alive.

Another way to understand this basic art principle is to consider the example of a baseball pitcher, where the *only 2* still frames of action the viewer cares about are: 1) the extreme of the pitchers' wind-up, and 2) the extreme of the release, just as the ball leaves contact of the pitchers' finger-tips - all the other frames between as worthless in relation to the key moments.

Showing the mace-wielder already connecting with the Orc's face - at the moment of actual impact - completely by-passes the key moments of greatest dramatic tension, and derails the need to draw the viewer (and their imagination) into the picture the complete the scene in their own mind.

My best suggestion would be to back the scene up by 6 frames, and show the mace-wielder holding the mace at the extreme apogee of the arc of swing... just before the impending impact... That's how Frazetta would paint the scene

Or, slightly less desirable,

Move the scene forward 6 frames, showing the result of the swing, with the mace-wielder posed in full follow-through, and the Orc reacting the force of the blow as a response... that's how a Marvel-Comics artist would render the scene.

Where this figure is posed currently, is *dramatically dead* in the middle of the frame sequence - literally.

But hey, don't take my word on the basics of proper lay-out and composition; listen to iconic Marvel Conan artist, John Buscema. and EIC, Stan Lee on this exact subject at 21:50 - 22:25 on the video HERE

BTW - Frazetta would have used the *first frame* in the example they show.

JK
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Old 07-08-2018, 12:19 AM   #24
Andrew Hackard
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip Legacy Edition Cover Sketch

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Frank Frazetta - the penultimate master of fantasy art
Who's the ultimate master?
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Old 07-08-2018, 12:22 AM   #25
Jim Kane
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip Legacy Edition Cover Sketch

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Who's the ultimate master?
Da Vinci; naturally.

JK
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Old 07-08-2018, 12:46 AM   #26
Kirk
 
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip Legacy Edition Cover Sketch

Good analysis, Jim, and the point prior about the motion and appearance of the figures and weapons in the art from another post. I tried to make these points in an abbreviated way, you guys put in more supportive detail.

Bluntly, the figures don't really work. And someone mentioned that the wizard looks masculine but appears feminine (my paraphrasing) is exactly right. Maybe it is a nod to the current social gender expansive movement where everyone gets to choose their sexual identity instead of having it assigned, I don't know.

The work seems less than professional, no insult intended, and doesn't do justice to the game inside, in my opinion. I hope a serious look is taken at the problems with the action and representations that seem intuitive and obvious to me.
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Old 07-08-2018, 01:24 AM   #27
ak_aramis
 
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip Legacy Edition Cover Sketch

In black and white, for me, it works at first glance, but not on a good look.

The perspective is odd.
The female wizard is visually leaning back too much; she's about to fall, especially given her foot position.
I've never been fond of swing marks outside of comic books... and there are two sets.
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Old 07-08-2018, 10:11 AM   #28
Oneiros
 
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip Legacy Edition Cover Sketch

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Certainly she's a little mannish in facial configuration, but she has...erm...other "salient points" that clearly indicate it's a "she."
I get what you're both saying, but the art, including the heavy facial features, reminds me of Richard Corbin's work, of Heavy Metal fame. So it's kinda period appropriate.

That said, I think the motion lines need to go. Makes the image too cartoonish.
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Old 07-08-2018, 11:22 AM   #29
Skarg
 
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip Legacy Edition Cover Sketch

I'd say it's better than the proposed Melee and Wizard covers in that it has an actual combat situation shown, not just one figure posing in a void.

And this is the first art that suggests some actual violence, which is good.

I'm not as concerned as I was about the Melee/Wizard art and logos.

The reference to the original ITL/AM/AW cover art is welcome, but I don't think it compares favorably, both for the reasons Kirk and Jim mentioned, and because the style is so much more cartoonish. To me, the original covers seem like they suggest the game takes the situations and violence seriously. The positions and postures and timing of this one feel a bit off, and the orc (?) faces and bodies look caricatured and not like something real.

(Note I don't think the original was perfect - the clothes/armor/equipment choices were a bit weird. But I'd give it an 9/10, while I'd give this version of this one a 5/10, the new Wizard 3/10, and the new Melee 2/10, new logos 2.5/10.)

Nitpicks: The guy in the back is two-handing a mace? The wizard decided to roll to miss to shoot lightning between two friends in the front row?
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Old 07-08-2018, 10:48 PM   #30
John Brinegar
 
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip Legacy Edition Cover Sketch

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Originally Posted by Skarg View Post
I'd say it's better than the proposed Melee and Wizard covers in that it has an actual combat situation shown, not just one figure posing in a void.

And this is the first art that suggests some actual violence, which is good.
It's violent, all right. The legionary has thrust his gladius right through the head of the orc he's fighting, which is a bit over the top.

Quote:
The reference to the original ITL/AM/AW cover art is welcome, but I don't think it compares favorably, both for the reasons Kirk and Jim mentioned, and because the style is so much more cartoonish. To me, the original covers seem like they suggest the game takes the situations and violence seriously. The positions and postures and timing of this one feel a bit off, and the orc (?) faces and bodies look caricatured and not like something real.
I felt the same way about the orcs, especially the ones that are getting hit.

Quote:
Nitpicks: The guy in the back is two-handing a mace? The wizard decided to roll to miss to shoot lightning between two friends in the front row?
I agree that the mace-wielder's grip looks odd; the rear hand doesn't seem to be holding anything, really. As for the wizard, I don't know that I expect the cover artist to know the rules of the game (and for that matter, the wizard on the ITL cover has probably made the same choice, if what he's casting is a missile spell).
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